Chapter 2: Late Night Shenanigans
Gold. A fool's treasure. Humans in all shapes and sizes seek its fortune. It satisfies their desires, their hunger, and their greed. As gold to them, is their key to a perfect life. The stronger a person's greed, the stronger their desire for more. This fact is proven to be true, and times tenfold when you are an Oni.
Arataki Itto is a greedy perso- scratch that, a very greedy Oni. While Grandma Oni was a very humble, and a generous person. The Oni never acquired those traits, when the Oni wants something, he would do his best to get fair and square what he wants. Whether it would be snacks, a rare Onikabuto, an ultra rare Trading Card, or even a cutout of his idol, Ms. Hina. But lately, the color of Gold brings him a new happiness he can't describe. Staring at them, the oni's desires, hunger, and greed spiral out of control. For the Crimson Oni was-
"Goodbye, my strongest ex-champion, Violet Thunder. You will be missed." Arataki "The Man '' Itto uttered with fat tears as he opened the Onikabuto's cage. "You were truly the strongest champion I have ever trained, it was an honor battling with you." The little scarred-up onikabuto slowly scampered out the bug cage, and rested in the tree.
"I swear that I will find another champion, I will train him to be stronger, and we will honor your legacy!" The Oni bumped his fist on his chest as he wiped off the manly tears out of his eyes.
The onikabuto sprouted its wings and flew away, ignoring the crying goodbye that came from the Oni's heart . It was in a sour mood as it tiredly flew, since the tree it was placed on doesn't produce sap that the onikabuto eat.
"Fly away, Violet Thunder! Don't look back no matter how hard it is for you! Stay strong for the both of us!" Itto miserably screamed towards his flying ex-champion, presumably touched by its actions.
Slowly by slowly the flying onikabuto's figure gets smaller and smaller. Arataki Itto slowly turned around, facing the blue sky. "*sniff* I hope that he'll live a long life, and have a big family." The Oni smiles, as he takes his first step in the opposite direction. Their story will be remembered, and will pass on for generations to come.
Until one sparrow swiftly flew by towards the lone onikabuto flying in the sky…And Violet Thunder's legacy ends with the sparrow's full stomach.
The oblivious oni continued his stroll, breathing in deeply the fresh air , and leisurely looking at his surroundings. It had been 2 days since he saw his rival and forced lover, Kujou Sara. Even though the Tengu General had forgiven the oni for his actions against her soldiers, Itto still had to serve at least a day in jail time. While he was in a bit of a sour mood since he was late for his championship match with Violent Thunder, his mind would always wander back to the memory of yesterday. Remembering the Tengu's stiff attitude and cute attempts to return his affection made the Oni grin out of nowhere. Soon enough the Oni just placed his hands behind his neck, whistling a tune, and continued his walk towards a certain person's home.
Arriving at the Hinamizaka part of Inazuma CIty, the Oni's eyes perked up as he saw a figure sitting outside their home. Masks of all shapes and sizes surrounded her, the figure was a girl who had a goldfish firework kimono, while she was wearing bandages as clothing, you can easily tell the girl was a very bubbly and outgoing person, due to her aura she was giving out, and expression of happiness and excitement as she tended to the mask she was currently painting and designing.
"Hey, Yoii~! Going hard at work, huh~?" Itto shouted his greetings towards the girl, his joyful mood visible in his tone.
Yoimiya's ears immediately picked up the loud voice in her direction, looking up from her work, she noticed the Oni waving at her. Her bubbly expression showed as she gave a smile and a wave back. "Heya, Big Guy!" she yelled back her greeting, waiting for the Oni to get closer before continuing. "Whatcha doing here today?"
"Heard from the gang that you are working on masks for the upcoming Irodori Festival. Said you're accepting some recruits." Itto inspected the finished masks that were drying up in the sun.
"Wow! News goes fast, huh?" Yoimiya continued her work, "Yep and you know it! I plan to brighten up everyone's moods and excitement when they see these masks. Even spark up some playful~ energy for the kids and even adults to play and wear these." Yoimiya pointed at the finished masks, infecting Itto with the playfulness and excitement in her voice. "So are you my big helping hand for the day?"
Itto showed his signature grin, "You betcha! Been on this line of work before, helping the vendors with their masks from the festivals at Amakane Island. My hands are fast, and my fingers are virtuosos. I am the best of the best!" The Oni grabbed a mask, flexing his biceps, he did his signature pose. "I am Arataki "The Artiste" Itto!" Yoimiya did a small cheering session in response.
"Then, you're hired!" Yoimiya's expression brighted more as she finally was able to acquire an assistant. She eagerly readied Itto's equipment. "Hope you're up for the challenge, "The Artiste". I want 20 to 30 masks at the ready. Need to finish early, so I have all the time I need to make fireworks." The Queen of Summer remarked, grinning in amusement.
Yoimiya expected the Oni to at least be fazed by what she said, but to her surprise the Oni's smug grin had only gotten more smug. "20 to 30? Hah! No sweat! I can even make 40 by the end of the day!" Wasting no time by boasting, Itto quickly grabbed a brush and started his work.
Clearly impressed by Itto's confidence, Yoimiya quickened her pace as she felt her competitive spirit flaring up. "Well, let's see what you got, tough guy! " To the many matches Yoimiya and Itto had, Yoimiya never backs down from a battle.
"Man, you're on fire today, huh?" Yoimiya asked while she wiped the sweat off her forehead,
It had been only half an hour since "The Artiste" began, and the oni had already finished 5 masks. All of which are not made by a simple amateur given the time he had worked on each one. The masks Itto finished all had artistic, creative, and impressive designs. From an oni mask, a tanuki, a fox, and even a tengu. The Oni even managed to make small accessories for those masks. While Yoimiya's masks are superb and outstanding also, Itto's were clearly made by a true artist.
"Heh, what can I say~? I'm "The Artiste"." Itto shrugged loving the compliment.
"I can actually see you finish 40 or even more by night time. That's seriously impressive. You are really the best at this kind of work, huh?" Yoimiya put down the firework mask she was working on, wanting to take a small break.
"Told yah, I had experience in this kind of work. But this is more of my style. The guy I worked on wanted me to only make simple ones, and didn't like some of the masks I made." Itto said, working on a mask that resembles Ushi.
"And here I thought that you were always unemployed. I'm really impressed! Really, I am." Yoimiya grabbed one of the cups that had water, and took a bite from their rice cracker snacks. "I know who I'll be hiring in the future in the coming festivals." The girl gave a grin, and just like a firework, its brightness and beauty only lasted for a few seconds before disappearing.
"Hey! I am not "ALWAYS'' unemployed you know!" Itto gave a look like he was exaggeratedly offended. "Technically, I am three-quarters unemployed. 1 day of work, 3 days of fun, that's my style!" The Oni boasted, like it was an achievement or something impressive. Yoimiya can only nod knowingly, already expecting that answer. "And second, while I am the best of the best, the gang's no slouch either. You can always ask them for these types of work. They can do anything as long as they get paid. Just ask Shinobu, and she'll take care of it." The Oni gave a soft smile as he thought of his gang.
Yoimiya also gave a small smile, drinking from her cup. "I'll remember that. Oh, speaking of the Arataki Gang. What are the others doing right now?"
"Akira, Genta, and Mamoru are all finding more jobs that they can do. Since the festival's coming in 2 weeks they are really fully booked. Shinobu's fixing some permits for sailing to Liyue to get her law degree. Beefcake's you know, just lazing around in the sun, as always." Even while talking, Itto was still able to continue his artistic work, already moving on the next mask.
"Wow, everyone seems so busy these days. I didn't know Shinobu studied law, and Ushi's living the full unemployed dream." Yoimiya replied, setting down her cup on the tray.
"Yeah, so I'm the only one who can help you out today. But I'm more than enough here, I can finish these in my sleep!" Itto boasted yet again, inspecting the finished Geo Slime mask.
Yoimiya slightly raised her hands up in surrender. "And here I thought you'll eat my dust in this competition. I concede defeat, Arataki "The Artiste" Itto." she playfully bowed in defeat to the new mask-making champion.
"Gyahaha! I didn't even know this was a match, and I still won! That's what you get for trying to challenge "The One and Oni" Arataki Itto!" The Oni screamed out in victory.
Yoimiya exaggeratedly fell down in defeat, "I will remember this humiliation… Vengeance will be mine!" With a shaking fist, fire of revenge burns inside her.
Itto just cackled triumphantly before returning to his work, focusing at the angle of his paintbrush. While the Oni was a hardworker, and had great focus. Yoimiya easily notices the sudden smile the artist has when working. But as quick as it showed in his face, it also disappeared in a blink of an eye.
"I noticed you've been suddenly smiling out of nowhere there… You in a good mood today, big guy?" Yoimiya curiously asked, fixing an accessory for the mask she was working on.
Itto's eyes blinked, "It shows in my face?" he asked, before turning to his mask partner with a happy expression on the oni's face. Somewhat glad that Yoimiya noticed.
Yoimiya lightly elbowed Itto's side in a teasing manner. "It shows in your expression, ya big lug! So~? You gonna tell me why~? I feel like its a juicy topic~."
Itto faced towards the sun, feeling the sunlight hit his face, giving out an air of maturity in his form. "Heh! It IS quite the scoop. Actuall-'' But before he could continue Ryuunosuke clumsily walked out of the house.
"Yoimiya, dear! I came to bring out the fireworks for delivery!" The Old Naganohara Fireworks ex-owner brought out with steady arms, a bag full of packaged fireworks.
His daughter's eyes widened in the sudden memory, "Oh shoot! I forgot about that! Thanks, Pops!" the Queen of Fireworks quickly grabbed the bag out of her father's hands. "After I'm done with the mask I'm working on, I'll go out and deliver these!" she screamed in the necessary volume so her father could hear her.
"Thank you, dear. Be safe out there." The deaf father gave a soft smile towards her daughter, before turning to Itto and giving him a wave of greeting which Itto returned back. "Thank you for helping my daughter, Arataki-kun. Please join us for dinner later."
"Oh, man. Getting my wallet, and my stomach both full? Sign me up, Naganohara pops!" Itto remarked his excitement, looking forward to gouging his rewards by the end of the day.
"Hahaha! Looks like I'm cooking for three tonight." The deaf father stretched his arms in preparation as he walked back to the house.
Yoimiya waved sweetly at her father's leaving form, but as soon as the sliding door closed she instantly dashed back to the Oni. "So, tell me why! Give me the juice!" she pumped her fists in excitement.
Itto contemplated before answering, "You know what, it's a secret!" he settled on not boasting about it. Wanting to keep what happened to himself. And slightly due to the fact that before leaving the prison room, Sara scolded him for being too obvious with his "good mood" boasting with her soldiers. "Arataki "Keeps His Wordo" Itto keeps his word." The Oni pumped his chest, forcing himself not to show-off no matter how much he wanted to.
A look of clear disappointment showed in the Firework Queen's face, "Boooh~! You're no fun~." she slightly pouted, but like a firework, it was only for a moment until a smile was replaced. "But I can understand if it's a promise." Yoimiya grabbed the bag, and slung it on her shoulders. "Well, keep up the good work, big guy! If you need anything, just ask Pops about it." Walking over to their door, "Pops! I'm leaving now!" Yoimiya shouted her departure as she ran towards the delivery address. The fireworks expert turned around and waved at Itto, which the Oni waved back in reply.
Itto took a deep breath, "Well, these masks aren't painting themselves!" the Oni continued working, his 10th mask already almost done.
Alone with his thoughts, Itto's mind wandered back to what Yoimiya had said to him. "...It shows huh." Another grin formed in the Oni's face.
"Thinking about her…" Soon enough thoughts about the General filled the Oni's head. "Oh man, I miss her again… The heck's wrong with me… You just saw her 2 days ago…" Itto grumbled to himself, as his hands finally slowed down in their work. "Well it's not my fault. It was already enough for me to see her face, yet she did those things…" Itto reminisces for the umpteenth time what happened yesterday, fixing an accessory, he glued it to the mask that was done drying up. "So it's basically all her fault not mine… Stupid Tengu…" Done with the 10th mask, the Oni finally took a break and lay down on his back.
"Ughhhhh~... I wanna see her~..." Itto groaned as he stared at the blue sky. "But I don't want her to be upset…" he thought back to how angry Sara was when he fought her soldiers. "I need a better reason…" Muttering to himself, Itto tried thinking of a good reason to visit the General. "But I need to finish these masks first… And having free dinner is really tempting." The Oni tried counting his options, suddenly he was blinded by the shining trinket that was hanging off Yoimiya's finished mask.
Itto's eyes widened, as his expression lit up. "...That could work." Soon enough his tired hands suddenly filled with new energy, the "Artiste" was back, and the Oni's signature grin formed in his face.
"Phew." Kujou Sara exhaled a concentrated breath as she briefly let go of her bow's string to wipe off the sweat off her eyebrow. Looking over at the results of her late target practice, 5 targets, 25 bullseyes, all in a straight line, and with time to spare. "Again." she muttered to herself as she walked over the targets to remove the arrows.
The full moon laid bare shining its light in the darkness of the night. Judging the position of the stars, the General assumes it was currently 10 pm at most. She had finally finished a huge portion of the paperwork for the upcoming Iratori Festival, starting tomorrow, Sara would be able to return to her normal schedule. That includes her daily patrols through the city.
The cold night wind breezed through the Tenryou Training Grounds, hitting the training General with a refreshing gale. "..." Grabbing the arrow's shafts, Sara began collecting them, and putting the arrows on her quiver. "...I wonder what that Oni is up to." A sudden yet surprising thought flew out her lips. Covering her mouth, she was surprised that the Oni was suddenly mentioned. "What are you doing, Sara?" The Tengu shook her head.
'You are in the middle of training, remove any distraction from your thoughts' she thought to herself grabbing the last of the arrows and walking back to her shooting position. Breathing in, the General's fingertips relax for a moment, not a second later, the grip on her bow tightens, and the Tengu readies her shot. What should have been a bullseye, Kujou Sara's ears perked up at the sounds on the nearby wall. Sara's eyes tensed up, seeing a hulking figure trying to climb over the wall of the Tenryou Commission.
'An intruder?... A Treasure Hoarder perhaps?' Kujou Sara thought out calmly, surveying the situation. 'This person has the audacity to rob the Commision under my command?... How brazen of him.' The General thought, very slightly commending the fearlessness of this individual. But thievery is one of the most dishonorable conducts Sara despises. Soon enough, her expression darkened as she took aim.
When the figure got his leg on the other side of the wall, "Eeek!" he shrieked like a little girl, as an arrow swift as lightning almost pierced the side of his leg. The hulking figure looked towards the shooter, seeing the Tengu ready another shot, only this time, this arrow was coated with Electro energy.
"That is a warning shot." Sara stated, "Leave this place, or else." her tone of voice got deadlier, "I will not miss a second time." Her wings as dark as a raven flying in the night ,sprouted, the General planning to scare the Treasure Hoarder from ever trying to steal again.
"Wait, wait, wait!" The figure's arms sprang up in surrender, a fair amount of snacks falling down the floor. "It's me! So calm the heck down! Easy up on the wings!"
Noticing the familiar voice, Sara's eyes managed to adapt to the moonlight, seeing that the figure hanging on the walls was the Oni she was just thinking of earlier. An unconscious sigh escaped the Tengu's lips, as she withdrew her arrow.
"Phew~. That was a close one." Arataki "The One Who Doesn't Shriek Like A Girl" Itto sighed in relief. "What are you, a guard dog? Or a guard bird-tengu or something? At least give a bark, or a chirp as a warning next time! Not a freaking arrow!" The Oni voiced out, trying to get his other foot in. "You could have shot an innocent vict-Whoah!" Not being able to balance properly, he hit the ground butt-first. "Oww, oww, oww~! My butt~!" Itto groaned in pain, rubbing his aching buttocks.
Kujou Sara rolled her eyes, disregarding the Oni's comments. "A person-no… An ONI attempting to climb a wall in the dead of night, would doubtfully be innocent." she replied blankly, walking over to Itto who was still rubbing his backside. "What are you doing here?" Sara asked, looking at the Oni's state. Fortunately, the majority of her guards had already gone home to rest from their General's new training plan. Only a small number of guards was left doing their night patrols, leaving Sara alone on the commission. Knowing that their General preferably likes to train by her lonesome.
"Ughhh~ That's going to be sore for a few days." Arataki "Butt of Steel" Itto now stood up from his spot, looking at the ground, he picked up the snacks he had dropped earlier. "An apology of some sorts would be nice. I did my best to climb that wall, you know? Just so I can't be caught." Sara suddenly turned her head away from him, making Itto's blood boil. "Hey! I'm talking here! Hello~?! What the heck are you looking at anywa-" The Oni's head turned, seeing the gates of the Tenryou Commision open wide for all to see. The soldiers on guard are not visible, and away from their usual post.
The Tengu looked back at the Oni, "You were saying?"
"Nothing…" The Oni can only mutter, whimpering as he rubbed his butt again.
Sara crossed her arms, a hard gaze set at Itto. "So? You never answered my first question?" she asked again, a bit more stern this time.
But instead of bending to Sara's gaze like her soldiers, Itto gave a confident smile, "I am here to challenge you, Kujou Tengu! A duel to settle who is better!" The Oni didn't look convincing, and serious as he was holding some snacks in his arms.
Now it was Sara's turn, raising an eyebrow "A duel? This time at night?" she asked, a bit skeptical of Itto.
"Uh-huh. Uh-huh." The Oni nodded his head eagerly, opening up a snack he brought.
Sara thought about it for a moment. "While it is an enticing proposal, I have to decline. I am in the middle of training." The Tengu pointed at the shooting targets. "I am going to ask you to challenge me another time."
Arataki "Burning Passion for Battle" Itto looked at Sara with disappointed eyes, "Oh come on! I sneaked my way out here, climbed a 20 feet wall, almost lost my foot, and broke my butt falling down here. And my one and only rival ends up not accepting my duel? A bad time to be alive, I can say." The Oni voice out his complaints, complaints that are not affecting the Tengu's will to train. "Is this how you treat your boyfriend who forced you to be lovers wit- Yeah, I can see why you'll treat him this way. Poor soul, that boyfriend." Now Itto was just rambling on, and then he pointed a finger to Sara. "Who's more important!? Your training, or your boyfriend who sneaked his way inside this unbreakable fortress and even broke his as-"
"Obviously, my training. That is not even a question." Sara immediately replied, a blank look on her face.
Itto felt stabs in his heart, exaggeratedly gripping his chest. "Well, I saw that one coming from a mile away! So, I fully expected it. Jokes on you! HAHA!" The oni laughs loudly like he had won that argument.
"If you had known that, then step aside." she said, an arrow at the ready.
"Seriously? You're really gonna train?" Itto asked, now looking Sara directly in the eye.
Sara looked straight back, "I told you, I need to train." she said, voice as stern and unwavering. " A General must always train harder than her soldiers. Especially now, since I was busy with desk work for the past few days." The Tengu explained, hoping that the Oni would understand. Her grip on her bow stayed firm.
The two stared at each other for a moment, "Do you understand?" Sara broke the silence first,
Itto groaned, and just gave a tired sigh. "Fine, fine. I understand, General." he shrugged his shoulders, grabbing one of the snacks he started munching on, "Cahn I wartch you, at least?" The Oni asked, munching on his food.
Fortunately, Sara had spoken enough with Itto in the past to even understand his food gibberish. "As long as you do not make a mess. And please do not speak with your mouth full, Oni." she said calmly, looking at the stars, she tries to tell the time. Determining that they have at least an hour, before her soldiers change shifts in the Commission.
"Mhgfh. Wdjfj. Mhfga" With a closed mouth, Arataki "The One With Good Manners" Itto gave a thumbs up, and went on a nearby table on the Tenryou Training Grounds, snacks on hand.
Sara gave another exhausted sigh, as she begins her training again. Only this time, the Oni was there to watch her. The sounds of arrows piercing the targets filled the silent atmosphere that surrounded the Training Grounds, that and the sounds of Itto chewing loudly on his snacks. While the General was not entirely conscious of someone watching her train, since her time as General, she would always train alone. Sara didn't remember when it started, when her soldiers left her as respect to her training. Even if…she never asked them to leave.
But this… the Tengu looked at the Oni who was watching her intently, a snack missing his mouth. 'This…is nice.' Sara thought, a moment of joy filling her heart, but not a moment after, she returns back to her training. Shooting bullseye, after bullseye, arrows reloaded, and shot. A vicious show of a General's skill.
Itto was in awe, the Oni never saw someone train with a bow before. He had fought people with a bow, sure, that included Sara. But Itto perceived bows as a weapon for scaredy cats, only shooting from afar, away from the real battle. One of the reasons why his weapon was a claymore, because you fight man-to-man, you look strong and you look really REALLY cool while doing it. 'Gotta admit…a bow's pretty slick as well.' Arataki "Admitto" Itto thought out, looking at the Tengu who was still hitting a bullseye IN the bullseye for crying out loud. "As expected from my one and only rival." he said, impressed by Sara's skill.
"Hmph." The General gave a small grunt, somewhat happy from Itto's compliment.
Ten minutes passed by in the blink of an eye, with each minute passed, Sara would start her cycle again, while Itto, with each minute passed, moved on to another snack. After moving on to the last of his stash, a lolipop, eating it, the sudden rush given by its sugary flavor finally gave the Oni his eureka moment.
"Kujou Tengu!" he pointed at Sara who was just going to start another cycle. "I challenge you to a match!" Giving the lolipop in his mouth a lick, he shouted "An archery duel!"
"Huh?" Sara said in disbelief, immediately turning to face the Oni, wanting to determine if she heard him right.
"You heard me! I, Arataki "The Strongest" Itto, yours truly! Challenge YOU! My rival, my love, General of the Tenryou Commission, and the Protector of Inazuma." Itto walked in front of Sara. "To a duel of ARCHERY! To know who truly is the best in your so-called strongest skill, General." The Oni's lollipop stick stood up in his mouth in a cocky manner. "Do you accept?"
"So, let me get this straight…" Sara's expression darkened, "You hereby wish to duel me, a general, who dedicated her life in mastering the bow and arrow. To a challenge that you have no experience with?" A few dark clouds hid the shine of the moonlight, as Sara's golden eyes illuminated with Electro energy. "Is that correct?" The General asked, a dark gaze staring at Itto.
The Oni stared back, unmoved by the Tengu's display of pressure. The only person-no. The only ONI to not cower before the Tengu. "I'm betting on beginner's luck. Why? Are you scared, a beginner like me can actually beat you, Kujou CHICKEN?" Even being able to insult the General? Arataki "Above All, Bold-Blooded" Itto truly had a butt made of steel.
"..." A moment of silence was the only reply to the teasing Oni.
Slowly, Itto started to dance, "Bock~! Bock~! Bock~! Booock~! I'm a chicken by the way, oh wait. A Kujou Chicken!" adding a taunt to his dance, every soldier in Sara's command would be nailing their coffin by now, even Ishikawa who knew Sara in a closer level, would at least fear his General at this point.
"..." Now past her boiling point, the words calm and collected that were used to describe the General of the Tenryou Commision was thrown to the wind as her wings sprouted from her back, an unreadable expression on her face, and with a blink of an eye, she dashed towards the taunting Oni. Even Itto, who had amazing reflexes, was unable to react as he was enveloped by the darkness and feathers.
By the time his eyes saw light, and a few black feathers hitting the ground. The Oni was standing beside the Tengu in the shooting range, a quiver on his back, and a bow unfit for his size on his hands. "What the…?" Arataki "Reflexes Fast as Lightning" Itto voiced out in disbelief at how quick that was.
"I will explain the rules of this duel." Kujou Sara spoke, a General's commanding tone in her voice. "You are given 5 minutes to score. Only 5 minutes. You may shoot how many arrows you desire, and you may shoot multiple arrows on a single target as long as the score is counted. The winner is determined on who scored the highest. Is that acceptable?" she explained clearly, and briefly.
"S-Sure." Itto can only slowly nod, barely registering what he had heard. "Y-You go first then, G-General." The Oni considered calling Sara, Kujou Chicken again, but the taunt didn't come out from his mouth. Feeling that he would have been blasted here and there. His nervousness piling up, Itto sucked on his lolippop furiously.
"With pleasure." The Tengu said, a tone of evil delight in her voice. Her wings fluttered, with feathers and cherry blossoms hitting the ground. A moment of calmness waved through their surroundings, Sara breathed in the fresh night air as she closed her eyes. But soon…the storm approached. Sara's eyes burst open, her aim was swift and precise, an immediate bullseye as she moved at the next one in lightning speed, using her wings to position herself at the direction of her target's shooting range. Not one second had passed and she had already done 5 bullseyes in a row. Not wasting time, she quickly dashed back to the first target's range. A small amount of Electro energy flowed out her arrows, as her golden shade eyes turned darker with each shot.
Itto sweatdropped as he watched the whole scene. Feeling that he was going to choke from fear, it took 5 nervous gulps, and a quick blink of his eyes until it was his turn. Exactly 5 seconds had passed, and in front of him was a spectacle of Sara's true power. It looked like the Tengu had only shot one arrow from each target, but her first 4 arrows, which she had shot as a bullseye, had split open, giving way to the last arrow that hit the center. Not sparing any space and points, 250 points each target, all in all 1250 points. The Oni now noticing that he wasn't breathing, let out a huge puff of air as the tension he felt got out his body.
"Phew…" Sara let out a relieved breath as she removed her grip from her bowstring. "Your turn." Looking over at the Oni's clearly nervous state, "Oh, by the way… I forgot to mention that if you are unable to score at least score 5 bullseyes..." her wings becoming bigger in the Oni's eyes, "I will take your declaration of challenge as a massive and despicable insult. If you do not take this seriously…" The Tengu's voice filled with fiery fury. "Then you have dishonored my skill, my upbringing, my commission, and most of all, me." Sara's stern gaze looked straight at Itto, who was now shaking all over from how dire and serious the situation had become.
'Oh crap… Oh crap…OH CRAP!' Arataki "Burning Passion for Battle" Itto panicked in his thoughts, 'I never thought it would go this far!' Vast ammounts of sweat flowed down his face as what remained from the full lolipop he was eating earlier remained as a wooden stick. 'Man… Oh man… Oh man… UGH MY BUTT'S HURTING AGAIN!' The Oni thought, wincing as he rubbed his aching backside. 'I just wanted to give her something, I didn't know this was THAT important to her!' Now looking at Sara, Itto noticed her eyes retaining their natural golden splendor. While the majority of people think of her gaze as cold and ruthless, as their Shogun's were, there was a hint of life and personality in Sara's eyes that the Oni noticed way before they first met. And it baffles him, the fact that he should be fearing for his life while in front of those eyes as commanding and durable as gold. What he had felt was compassion, and kindness. He had also felt a hint of sadness, and loneliness. Truly befitting of Kujou Sara's character. 'Just like back then…' Itto thought out closing his eyes, a moment of nostalgia hitting him as he remembered a specific scene.
"What's the problem? Are you backing out now, Crimson Oni?" Kujou Sara asked, not moving an inch from her spot.
Opening his eyes, Arataki Itto slowly gave out his trademark smirk, and bravado. The Oni grabbed the wooden stick from his mouth, and snapped it. "Oh nothing, a moment of peace before I beat you again, Kujou Tengu!" His nervousness from earlier seemingly disappeared, Arataki "Always Ready to Win '' Itto spoke up with his usual boasting tone. With some arrows falling out, Itto grabbed an arrow from his quiver and clunkily aligned it in his bow. "Watch and Learn from your One and Oni, Itto!" The Oni fired his arrow.
"Oh shoot!" Arataki "Watch and Learn" Itto voiced out in frustration as the arrow he had shot completely missed its course. Grabbing another one from his quiver, and with no improvement whatsoever. He clunkily placed it on his bow, with no moment taken with trying to aim, shot it to the 1st target that still had no arrow sticking out of it. "Darn it! I had that one!" he complained again for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
"...What did I even expect?" Sara, who was now sitting on the break spot of the training grounds, exhaled the longest sigh she had today. Instead of just watching the Oni make a fool of himself with an exhausted expression on her face, she decided on watching the Oni make a fool himself with an exhausted expression on her face WHILE sitting down. In that way at least her lower body can relax from his display of "skill". Rubbing her aching head, she looked over again at Itto.
"Come on~! I had that~!" Itto stomped his feet like a little kid. Grabbing another arrow, he shot it again with no aiming, only for it to land way off course yet again. "This is impossible! Impossible I tell you! Is it the wind or something?" Now looking for excuses, Itto wet his finger, placing it on the sky, he tried sensing the direction of the wind.
The General shook her head again, she was aware by now that whenever Arataki Itto was present, her head, neck and shoulders would become sore after witnessing his usual shenanigans. While she could just try and stop her head from moving, her body would just move unconsciously before realizing it. So it was inevitable that she was very exhausted at this point. From her work, her training, looking out for her soldiers, and now THIS. She just accepted the fact that tomorrow will be a very sore day.
"What is the cause of all this, again...?" she muttered to herself, thinking deeply. It was true that Sara was quite offended by what the Oni said earlier. But knowing him quite well at this point, she knew that he did it for a reason.
Racking her brain, her eyes went to the brightly colored wrapping of a lollipop on the padded floor. Now feeling the venom of temptation closing in, she closed her eyes and looked away from the delicious treat. But after a few seconds she looked at the small piece of candy, which seemingly got more and more delicious by the second. The Tengu yet again looked away quickly to try and resist its powers.
'Resist your urges, Kujou Sara! You are the General of the Tenryou Commission, you have decided and given oath that you are only ingesting sweets ONLY when you are given by the Oni. NOT by your own choice and will.' Sara thought out, summoning her iron will and conscience. 'Except...' A tiny thought of temptation went through, as the General looked at Evil. 'Technically, the Oni was the one who brought it so in essence its acceptable.' Nodding her own head in agreement, she looked at her surroundings in suspicion before performing her crime. Seeing that the Oni was still shooting at air on the ground, she nabbed the sole lolipop that was left with blinding speed. Unwrapping it neatly, and folding its wrapper before tucking it on a small pocket of her uniform. Putting the treat inside her mouth, Sara's expression lit up feeling the candy drain away her fatigue. After a moment of composing herself, she returned back to watching the Oni's futile attempts at archery. Sara's expression became more at ease and relaxed now unlike her scowling gaze earlier.
"Grrr... I thought I had that." Itto said almost like a mutter, silent fury settling in his hands. Watching the Oni, the Tengu suddenly thought back to her very first day using a bow. A bit of nostalgia looming on her as she ate her snack, she remembers every ounce of frustration, and anger her younger self felt every time she missed a shot. With her adoptive father's strict upbringing of her, yelling at her whenever she missed a bullseye. Sara still remembers very clearly her first bullseye. She remembers how happy she was, how she wanted to celebrate, how she wanted to show off, and how...she wanted to make her adoptive praise her. But instead...
"...'' The candy on her mouth suddenly had a bitter taste. Trying to remove those thoughts the Tengu returned to watching the Crimson Oni.
After all this time, Arataki Itto still continued to shoot arrows. Ignoring his clear failures, the Oni still attempted to achieve a bullseye. As he doesn't want to upset and dishonor Sara who he had challenged, his pride and being, preventing him from giving up. His unwavering will was one of the VERY few traits Sara respects about him. That and... Nothing else comes to her mind when she thinks about it... A complete blank.
"Tch..." Itto winced, grasping his fingers that were starting to become sore. The Oni, starting to get tired, having to work with precision on making masks from earlier and then pulling on the bow string was now starting to take a toll on his hands. As evidenced by how heavy Itto was sweating, and the red marks on his fingers. While he didn't notice those, Sara, who was focused on him, noticed immediately.
Kujou Sara's gaze softened, she gave her lollipop 5 licks before retrieving the wrapping paper on her pocket. Unwrapping it, she laid it on the table. Her strict demeanor as a General preventing her from eating a snack while training. She apologized for her rudeness on her unfinished food, as she left the lollipop on the wrapping paper. Slowly, she stood up from her spot and walked towards the Oni.
'Getting tired...How does Kujou Tengu do this everyday!?' Arataki "Eats A Challenge For Breakfast" Itto thought out, now noticing the fatigue building up on his body. With his shaking hands, he wiped the sweat off his forehead. The Oni realized once more how impressive his rival really is, which in turn made him feel more bad for undermining her skill. 'I need to win this... For my sake, and hers.' He clenched his sore fist, trying to return back its strength. 'Please my hands~! Don't fail me now~! I don't want to be Electro-ed into smithereens~!' Thinking that, the fear made his strength return. And as he was about to grab an arrow from his quiver, a pair of hands suddenly took hold of his arms.
"EEEEEK- Oh it's just you. I wasn't scared nope." On the edge, Itto almost screamed like a little girl for the second time. A little bit thankful for his save, the Oni now took in the fact that the Tengu was holding him.
"Who did you think I was..?" Sara asked, a brow raised looking up at Itto. "You are too laid-back. Keep your body straight. Do not slacken your shoulders, a good posture is vital for success in archery."
"The General of the Tenryou Commision personally teaching me? What a day indeed! Gyahahaha!" Personally enjoying their close contact, the Oni laughed only to be interrupted by the Tengu's kneeing his butt.
With no candy on her mouth, Sara's stern gaze returned, "Take this seriously." she said up at Itto, whose soul was leaving out his body.
"Y-Yes, General Kujou..." Arataki "Never Cried Ever in His Life" Itto can only mutter out a small reply as he desperately holds himself back from crying in pain.
"Level your bow with your shoulders, and straighten your arm while holding your bow." Continuing her instructions, the General helped the Oni with the needed position. While she expected that Itto would mess around with her, she was surprised that he was silent, and was even following what she said with a serious expression. Somewhat getting happy from that, she felt more inspired to teach him.
"When holding your bow's string, it is up to your judgement of the length of how much you'll bend it. Practice with no arrows first." This time now, the Oni looked at her with a clearly disappointed look on his face. "Yes." The Tengu affirmed blankly, earning another disappointed stare from Itto. "Do you want to learn how to use a bow?" Hearing that, Itto just replied with a groan as he now continued to practise, this time with no arrows. "Visualise the arrow placed in your bow, and slowly aim it towards the target-"
The sound of a bowstring going off interrupted the General's explanation,"I wasn't finished." she looked up at the Oni again with another stern gaze.
"But aiming it takes so long~. And it doesn't look cool. Arataki "The Showmaker" Itto is all about making a big appearance, even in the tide of battle! " With big hand gestures, Itto voiced out his complaints again.
"Why is everything all about theatrics when it comes to you?" Feeling a headache coursing through her, Sara took a minute to massage her temple.
Itto made a grumpy pout as he looked back at the target. "I was just copying what you did earlier…" he said almost like a whisper.
Unfortunately, the Tengu's sharp ears easily picked up what the Oni said. A wave of Electro energy fizzled behind Itto, "Did you say something?" A wave of Electro energy fizzled behind Itto,
"Nothing~." Itto said blankly waving his arms, now getting quite used to Sara's outbursts.
For a while the pair was silent, with Itto practising with his bow and predicting the imaginary arrow he had shot out, and Sara supervising him and giving out words of advice and teachings now and then. What's surprising was how long the close contact of the (forced) couple continued, with both sides not removing themselves from one another.
Feeling the night breeze becoming colder, Kujou Sara looked at the night stars to determine the time again. Seeing their position, and computing them in her head. '15 minutes left before the night shift starts…' she thought out, a somewhat tired but albeit sad expression on her face. Seeing that Itto was somewhat…passable on using the bow, "Considering that it has been a while since your last complaint, you can practice with an arrow now. Make it brief." she grabbed an arrow on his quiver and gave it to the Oni.
Arataki Itto raised an offended eyebrow, "What does that mean?" Grabbing the arrow from the Tengu's hand, the Oni shakily placed it on his arrow. "D-Do you really think I'm ready-"
"No." Sara immediately cut him off, staring at the target with a deadpan expression on her face. "I still have to clean up the mess you had made. So do finish quickly, and I will take my victory."
"Famous words of encouragement right there." But soon after, Arataki "The Supreme Itto slowly gave his trademark cocky grin. "Only makes it better to see the look in your face when I prove you wrong!" An invigorating shout resounded on the Training Ground, as Itto readied his shot. But before shooting, the Oni had remembered something ,"Oh yeah, on this part of the show you would give me words of wisdom when it comes to aiming. And I'll follow them with my Oni heart and hit all 5 bullseyes in one second. But I'll go for only one this time, take it as payment for you teaching the future master in Archery." he said towards Sara, who was again rubbing her aching head.
"Will you please just shoot if I accept your request…?" While what Itto said was stupid, Sara still thinks for a second what to say.
"Attempt to imagine…" But slowly, she starts talking. "Imagine that this arrow is the most crucial shot you have to hit in your life." The Tengu grasped the arrow on the Oni's bow, as she looked distantly at the target in front of them. "Knowing that if you miss, there will be lives lost, a battle defeated, your soldiers gone, and their families…in despair." her words that was supposed to be full of wisdom, had sadness, sorrow, and regret. Kujou Sara's firm hold on Itto weakened slightly, "Thinking those thoughts, you realize that you must hit this shot. You have to strike a bullseye. You cannot miss it. You just have to…" Sara's tone turned into its most vulnerable yet. "Or else everything will be lost… You alone will live with regrets. You alone will atone for it. You alone…will know that you failed for the rest of your life." Unconsciously, Sara remembered the past failures in her life. May it be memories from her past, memories from the commission, and memories from her childhood. Her head held down, almost leaning at Itto's back, the gold in her eyes slowly lost its golden splendor, returning back to their cold lifeless form.
Itto kept quiet, wanting Sara to finish first before speaking. "That's just a sad way of hitting a shot. Do you want me to miss? You that desperate to win? I didn't know you were that desperate to win, Kujou Tengu." The Oni laughed, looking at the dismayed Tengu.
Sara remained still, an unreadable expression on her face. "Maybe it is… But that always worked for me…" A final memory played in Sara's mind of her adoptive father leaving her uninterested even if she finally hit a bullseye. Slowly, her hold on Itto withdraws as her arms fall back to her sides…
But the Oni never let her arms fall.
"Well… too bad!" Grabbing her hand, Itto gripped it with his bow. "Arataki "Your One and Oni" Itto doesn't work like that! I'll just shoot a bullseye without any words of advise." Narrowing his eyes, and aiming at the target. "And besides…" he looked back at Sara who was now staring at him, tightening his grip on her hand and bow, he softly grinned with no bravado. "You're not alone anymore. I won't let you be. And I'll make sure of it." Hearing those words, the golden color of Sara's eyes returned. Turning back to aiming, Itto shot his arrow, his promise, his dedication, and his heart.
As time stood still for Sara, the cherry blossoms filled the breeze in the air. She can only look at Itto who was still grinning, and the arrow that he had shot. With no calculations in her mind, for the first time in her life, she believed… She believed that the arrow the Oni shot would be a bullseye. For the first time… she believed in someone...
"You idiot oni…" a joyous mutter came out of her lips, gripping the bow on her hand, she watched as the arrow Itto shot…hit the sidelines of the target.
"Oh come on! That was the part where I would get a bullseye, then you'll say "You're the best, Itto! Hihi!", then we'll ride towards the moon hand in hand! And after I said that ultra romantic line, this sucks!" Complaining again for the umpteenth time, Itto was having another temper tantrum as he kicked the ground.
Sara covered her mouth with her free hand, looking away from Itto, she desperately tried to hold back from snorting. Thankfully due to Itto's outburst, this rare scene of the Tengu was not seen by her boyfriend.
"Again!" Arataki "The Oni Who Won't Give Up Until He Gets A Bullseye" Itto said in a rush, looking back quickly at Sara, who was still covering her face. " "You'renotaloneanymore. Iwon'tlet yoube. Yada yada." Ignoring her unusual behavior, Itto grabbed another arrow from his quiver, fixing his position, he aimed the arrow, predicting its trajectory, the Oni shot the arrow, and surprisingly it was a bullseye. Just like that.
"Oh." Sara, who was now out of her snorting fit, looked at the Oni's very first bullseye. Looking over at the speechless Itto, "Congrat-Kyaah!" the Tengu yelped, her feet off the ground as she was spun by Itto.
"WE DID IT~!" A loud happy shout echoed through the Training Ground, as Itto spun around with Sara in his arms. "Did you see that shot!? I made that shot! Me! Lookout Inazuma, there's a new master archer in town!" Celebrating his achievement, his spinning with Sara stopped as he just took in the moment.
Sara now notices how bathed in sweat Itto, and the smile he had on his face. She can't prevent a small tired smile from forming on her face. A bit nostalgic, she remembered from childhood her first ever bullseye, how she was so happy and excited, and as a reward, she always wanted to be…
The Tengu's hand hovered above Itto's head, slowly setting her hand down his hair. "Yeah, yeah. Congratulations, Crimson Oni." she said tiredly, but somewhat proud at his display of determination. Itto was surprised for a moment, but took her praise with a satisfied grin on his face. Sara's head pat only lasted for five seconds, after that the stern expression on her face returned, and her usual cold tone came back. "Now put me down, I have to start straightening out the place before my soldiers come back from their patrol."
Arataki Itto obliged, putting Sara down to the ground. "Man~. I just did a shot of a lifetime! And all I got for my reward was a head pat? What a let down." he said, stretching his sore muscles.
Fixing her hair, "A reward? Aren't we in a duel? And clearly, victory was already mine 45 minutes ago." Sara walked towards the hellfire of arrows that were on the ground.
'Oh shoot I almost forgot!' Itto thought out, snapping his fingers, he dashed in front of Sara. "It was a close match. For beating your rival, I shall give you this prize!" Going through his pocket, he grabbed the General's hand, and placed a small crow trinket. While it was almost the size of Sara's thumb, it was very well made. From its dark like colors, and the texture of its beak, wings. It was clear that it was not made by an amateur.
Inspecting it, Kujou Sara was impressed, and even mesmerized by the trinket. "This is a rather top-quality trinket." she eyed Itto suspiciously, "From where and from whose children did you took this from?"
Itto gave her an offended look. "Huh!? Hello~. I made it myself, you know! Me! Arataki "The Artiste" Itto!" he defended himself from Sara's blank stare. "And FYI I don't steal from children. I won those prizes fair and square, thank you very much! Won them with my own blood, sweat, and tears!"
"Huh… This is rather well-made for you." Ignoring what he said last , The General's eyes widened, somewhat impressed by Itto's craft. "Are you sure you will let me receive it? You clearly made an effort into making this." she asked, almost guilty that she was receiving such a great gift.
Itto looked away, a little embarrassed as he scratched his horn. "Yeah…Well, I made it for you anyway. Besides its not the first time I gave you a gift."
A small part of Sara was somewhat happy by what Itto said, imagining the giant Oni making such a small and delicate trinket like this, she held the trinket tenderly. "Thank you… I will treasure it, dearly." Sara looked at Itto with a soft gaze, no amount of her usual strict demeanor on her face.
Not being able to look back at Sara, Itto's eyes just darted all over the place. "You beat me in our duel, so enjoy your prize, Kujou Tengu! I will not lose a second time!" Trying to remove the embarrassment on his face, the Oni reverted back to his competitive side. But before Itto can turn around, Sara suddenly realized something.
"Did you challenge me to a duel knowing you'll lose, just so you can gift me this?" The question Itto was dreading to hear went through his ears, interrupting the step the he was about to take.
"I-I don't know what you're talking a-about." Itto stutteringly replied, now feeling the stares Sara was giving him behind his back.
"Why aren't you facing me?" A curious question she only intended to ask, just made Itto all the more nervous.
Trying to remove her suspicion, the Oni immediately turned around to face Sara. But his eyes still went elsewhere, "I-I'm facing you n-now." As sweat built up on Itto's face, he tried playing off the nervousness he was feeling with a whistle.
"..." Kujou Sara stayed silent, as she just continued to stare at Itto with yet another unreadable expression on her face.
As sweat now flowed down the whistling Itto, all of a sudden he just blew out a breath as he just accepted his fate. "Okay! Okay!" The Oni brought his head down in surrender. "That trinket I made and that duel…was all just an excuse to see you. Eeek!" Itto, with no time to waste, held up his arms to guard his face from the upcoming Electro blast… But surprisingly, there was no blast that came his way, not even a graze of Eletro energy on his skin.
Thinking that she didn't hear him, "Everything was just an excuse to see you. Eeek!" Repeating what he said, rather quickly this time, he covered his face again seriously expecting that he was about to be blasted. But there was nothing, no spark nor lightning, only the cold midnight breeze phased through Itto. Slowly opening his eyes, he just saw the Tengu just looking at him with a calm expression on her face.
Clearly in disbelief, Itto looked at Sara with a quizzical look on his face. "You didn't hear me? I said, I just wanted to see yo-"
"I know already, you do not have to repeat it a third time." Interrupting him, Sara wondered how the Oni was able to say these embarrassing things with a straight face.
"You're not mad?" Itto asked, fully expecting a blast from her fan by now.
Kujou Sara raised a brow, "Should I be mad?" she replied with a question, wondering why Itto was expecting her to be mad.
"Well yes…I mean, no!...I guess?" Flabbergasted, the Oni scratched his head not knowing what to say. "You got mad at me when I tried to see you 2 days ago, so I thought that you would be today also." Itto said, still a bit more on the edge.
Sara walked past him as she started to gather the arrows on the ground. "The reason I was infuriated with you that day, was because you injured my soldiers." she explained, grabbing a handful of arrows. "I-I was not mad that you wanted to see me. Today, you had not put my soldiers and Inazuma through harm's way, except making a mess here and downgrading the quality of these arrows. So there is no reason for me to get mad at you. Simple as that." The Tengu said towards Itto, checking the pointed edge of the arrows.
"H-Huh… Is that so?" Itto asked, feeling the relief course through his body.
"Yes." Kujou Sara, looked back at the Itto before returning back to her task. "And I told you that day, that it is my responsibility if you feel lonely. That I will try to see you more often from now…And that is what I did." The General wiped the arrows with a cloth, looking away from the Oni, a small blush on her face.
While Arataki Itto had a memory like a doctor (his words), he hadn't expected that his rival would remind him of the promise she had made so soon. Now thinking about it…
'She never pushed me away technically… Even when she trained, she allowed me to stay and watch her…' Itto thought before an ear to ear smile slowly formed itself on the Onis face as he walked towards the cleaning Tengu.
"What..?" With an embarrassed look on her face, the General glared at the smug face the Oni was making.
Grabbing most of the arrows left on the ground, Itto sat beside Sara. "And here I thought you didn't want to see me… I guess I was wrong huh~? My one and only rival~?" The Oni looked at the Tengu , a teasing smile painting his face.
"...Shut your mouth, Oni." Glaring at Itto, Sara just rolled her eyes before returning back to cleaning. "What are you still doing here anyway? Go home, before my soldiers catch you and arrest you for invasion of property." The General said, warning Itto. Eyeing the entrance of the Commision, making sure if her soldiers are returning.
"I'll help you clean up first. I can't just leave after we made a mess. Not raised by Grandma Oni like that." Arataki "Cleans Up Other People's Mess" Itto pumped his chest proudly, like he wasn't the one who made the mess to begin with.
Another roll of her eyes, Sara never bothered to reply as she was somewhat rushing to clean up everything. Itto grabbed one of the cloths used in cleaning, and just copied what she was doing. Seeing that, the Tengu noticed how she was cleaning with someone other than herself. 'Strange… I would always rather do anything myself. Especially when it comes to cleaning.. Yet.' Her thoughts made stop for a moment, as she saw Itto seriously cleaning the equipment. Sara returned back to her task, feeling the warmness the trinket was giving in her pocket.
"This was fun. Well it would have been more fun if I beat you. So let's have another match next time." Suddenly, Itto spoke up as he inspected the arrow he was cleaning.
"I would rather do a challenge that doesn't take you almost an hour to do." Sara replied, with Itto making another offended look on his face. "But…yes. This was still…acceptable." Sara coughed in the end, hiding her face.
Itto's grin just stayed on his face as he continued to clean with Sara. While he preferred to spend some more time with her, not 5 minutes later, Sara's ears perked up as she heard the footsteps and voices of her soldiers coming towards the Tenryou Commission.
"You need to go now." Sara said, her strict tone returning. Placing all the arrows they have cleaned on the quiver.
"Understood, General." Standing up from his spot, Itto stretched his sore body, he started walking towards the exit of the Tenryou Commision. Until he was stopped by Kujou Sara.
"Where are you going?" The Tengu asked, looking at the Oni.
"What do you mean where I'm going? I'm leaving, obviously." Itto replied, pointing at the exit.
"You cannot go through the gateway of the Commision anymore. You will be seen if you do."
Itto's bottom started to ache again, "C-Can't I just sneak out? I'm quick and swift as a leaf."
"No. It is too late for that. And you are too massive to be unnoticed even at this late." Sara spoke up blankly.
Tip toing towards the entrance, the Oni peeked outside, only to see the soldiers approaching the stairs. "Oh crap! Oh crap!" Holding his head, Itto ran in circles trying to think of what to do.
"With each passing second, my soldiers slowly advance here." Crossing her arms, Kujou Sara watched with amusement as Itto became more panicked by the second. "Why don't you attempt to climb the wall again?" she suggested, pointing at the wall Itto came from earlier.
The Oni immediately shook his head, "No way! I'm not climbing another wall for the rest of my life!" Itto made an X with his arms clearly againts the idea.
Thinking on her feet, "Well, I can arrest you right now and place you in prison. To avoid any suspicion." Sara suggested, walking slowly over to Itto.
Arataki "Recently A Free Man" Itto's eyes widened in horror, as he held his head. "I can't go back to jail!" he said in a rush as he quickly ran towards the wall.
An amused smile went over the Tengu's face as her plan worked. Looking at the Oni darting towards the wall, she walked towards the gateway of the Commission.
'I can't go back to jail! I can't go back to jail! I can't go back to jail!' Repeating those thoughts Itto bolted towards his wall to freedom. But suddenly stopping on his tracks as his eyes landed to the sight of a lollipop on the table. 'I didn't know I had one left! Lucky!' Grabbing the already open midnight snack, he put it on his mouth before climbing up the wall. The sudden rush given by the sugar on his mouth, made the adrenaline on his body skyrocket.
Sara, who stayed guard on the gateway, suddenly heard a whistle as she looked over to see Itto who was already up the wall. The moonlight illuminating him.
"Can I visit you again?" Itto said in a loud whisper, not wanting the soldiers to hear him.
Seeing as her soldiers were already up the stairs, Kujou Sara looked at Itto, and with her usual stern yet blushing expression, she nodded slowly.
The Oni grinned at the Tengu, "Goodnight." whispering that, he leaped off the wall.
Kujou Sara sighed, clearly exhausted from this day Hoping to finally rest in her quarters. But yet, the expression on her face was a peaceful one, holding the trinket in her pocket while waiting for her soldiers to arrive. Then a sudden thought went over her head, as she walked back to the table, wanting to hide the treat she was enjoying earlier. But mysteriously, the snack was not there, what only remained was the wrapper. Grabbing it, she noticed that the Oni had a wooden stick on his mouth earlier…
The Tenryou soldiers who were talking casually amongst themselves, suddenly tensed up and saluted when they saw their General who was still awake in the middle of the night. "General, we have come back from our patrol."
The Tenryou General waved her arms down, signaling them to be at ease. "...Do you have anything to report?" she asked, slowly turning around to face them.
The soldiers undid their salute. "Nothing of concern, Genera-" Suddenly their faces filled with worry as their eyes widened. "Are you not feeling well, General? Perhaps you should rest now?"
"...Huh?" Kujou Sara could only mutter out questioningly, as her face was crimson red.
"Man, I should buy this one. I'm gonna ask the kids where they get these kinds. I'll buy like 10 of these." Arataki Itto said to himself, enjoying every moment as he ate his candy. Hands behind his head, the Oni walked home reminiscing the events that happened today, excited for tomorrow.
Lately, the color of Gold brings him a new happiness he can't describe. Staring at them, the oni's desires, hunger, and greed spiral out of control. For the Crimson Oni was a greedy individual, wanting to spoil himself at the sight of Gold for as long as he could.
Author's Note: And that's a wrap! Sorry for the late update, but there were a lot of happenings that came our way for the past month. I was always tired, so I was not able to write for long. This chapter was a bit longer than the first one, and it focused more on Itto's side. Following this format, I will write 2 chapters, the first focusing on Sara, then the second Itto's. With the third chapter being the Flashback Chapter. So the next chapter will be just that! The first flashback! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and hope to hear your thoughts and criticisms with it. Those really help :)) Thank you for your support and please continue to look forward to the next one!