Fuck me, 30 chapters.
Sobs in yet another short story...that wasn't.
"Charanko."
At his stern tone, the youth paused, arms still held in front of the man in a guard stance, and yet…
Yuha could tell by the hollow look in his senpai's face, the slackness in said arms…
"Yeah, what is it, Yuha?" Charanko murmured, ostensibly still on guard and yet, with his downcast look…
He sighed and dropped out of his stance, causing the youth to blink.
"What are you—"
"Charanko. I can tell that something is bothering you. What's wrong?"
Bang's last remaining pupil, at least, until he arrived, recoiled back as if slapped, and Yuha could see Charanko's jaw clench, a vein popping into view on his forehead.
"What's wrong?" the man murmured, and glared at Yuha. "What's wrong?" he hissed. "You are what's wrong!" the man growled and leaped towards him with a cry.
And even though this came as somewhat of a surprise, Yuha swerved through the fury fueled blows, batting them aside as gently as he could. Content to wait and let his senpai's furry exhaust itself.
And soon enough…
"Hah…." Charanko, with trembling limbs that had little to do with exhaustion, slumped down to his knees in front of Yuha.
Yuha took a step towards him, causing the man to flinch and close his eyes as Yuha raised his arm.
And promptly dropped it on the surprised man's shoulder.
"E-eh? Yuha, what—"
Before kneeling down so as to be eye level with the youth.
"Charanko…what's wrong?" he asked again. "Admittedly, I know I'm a bit…dense at times," he said, flashing a smile with Charanko tentatively reciprocating, "but even I can tell that something is eating you. So, tell me, how can I help? What did I do to offend you?"
The youth's shoulders slumped.
"Hah…" letting out a tired exhale before meeting his gaze again. "You…you did nothing wrong, Kouhai. Not intentionally, at any rate. Rather, 'what's eating me' is the fact that I…" Charanko grit his teeth and, making a fist, glared at his right arm. "I…I'm so weak! So useless!"
Yuha blinked.
"Whereas you, 'kouhai'," Charanko's smile was bittersweet. "You are strong, brave, and everything our Master could wish for in a successor and so—"
Yuha leaned back and laughed.
"Wha—" Charanko reeling back in surprise, hurt flashing across his face.
"Forgive me," he said, chuckles dying down. "I'm not laughing at you, but, rather…" he shook his head. "In any case, that's all?"
Fury stared building in Charanko's eyes again.
"What do you mean that's all—"
He held up a hand. "Ah, sorry! Yeah… that came out wrong, let me try again," he said, and rose to his feet, extending a hand towards his senpai.
Thankfully, Charanko, held his tongue and clasped the arm, letting Yuha pull him to his feet and away from the polished Dojo's floor.
"Now, to elaborate. Charanko," he said, staring deep into the youth's eyes.
"Y-yes?"
"Tell me, are those your real thoughts you shared, your real feelings?"
"Yeah…"
"Well then, you are a fool," he said with a scoff, shaking his head and continuing before the man could reply. "You say I'm 'strong and brave' and all that stuff. But do you really think it was always so?"
"B-but, just the other day, you fought what was, without a doubt a 'Demon' level threat, at least, even if the woman wasn't going all out, and that's leaving aside your fight with, with Garou and—"
Yuha snorted.
"Charanko." He neared in close and raised a flat palm to the sides and in between their faces. "I'll let you in on a little secret, despite how it might have looked to anyone else? I was scared shitless each and every time," he said, pulling back with a nod.
And Charanko's eyes seemed ready to fly out of his skull.
"B-but, you're King's protege—"
Ah, I'm never living that one down, am I. The consequences of my own bullshit, we meet again!
"And don't try to deny it! Everyone saw how much you enjoyed your fight with lady Shivara and—"
"So what? Charanko, I never said I wasn't enjoying myself, only that I was scared at the same time."
"B-but—"
With a sigh, Yuha raised both his arms and placed them on Charanko's shoulders, silencing the youth's protest.
"Charanko. Senpai."
He squeezed the man's shoulders.
"Don't compare yourself to me, to Bang, to anyone. Your journey is your own, and you'll travel said road at your own pace."
"Easy for you to say," the man mumbled, eyes downcast. "When you're so strong and everyone's attention is on you…"
Sighing, and letting go of the youth's right shoulder, he reached over and cupped Charanko's chin, lifting it upwards.
Agh! Good think this isn't taking place somewhere public, or the yaoi fangirls would…brr!
"Did you not hear me? I wasn't always strong, Charanko. Why, most of my…achievements are on public record. Before I went, let's not kid ourselves, a little mad and decided to attack Vaccine man. My greatest heroic feats were saving kittens and puppies."
"Even so, you—"
"Charanko, I nearly died, against Vaccine man and had to be saved, and then against the Subterraneans, and cut it a bit close with that black monster thing. In short, don't seek to emulate me. Yes, I've grown strong due to my risk taking and my body's…properties and Ki both. But." Yuha sighed. "Ultimately, I'm but a fool and not the hero you seem to think I am. Besides, you now have access to Ki yourself, do you not? So what's the problem?"
"The problem is that I'm not growing fast enough to be of use to anyone! Nor do I have your courage, Yuha!"
"Oh, for the love off—" Yuha sighed and, letting go of the man's other shoulder, cuffed him on the back of the head.
"Hey!"
"This once, I'll be the Senpai. Did you not hear anything? Have I been speaking to myself? You say you're not strong enough?"
"Yes."
Yuha snorted then crossed his arms, taking a step back and flaring his power, focusing it, causing Charanko to crush to the ground with a gasp.
"Then grow stronger. Train. Strive!" he shouted, and watched as Charanko, gritting his teeth and glaring, tried to push himself upwards on trembling limbs. "Reach for that unobtainable star in the sky, climb until you can't climb no more, and then keep going anyway!"
The burst of willpower started fading from Charanko's eyes and Yuha gave a sadistic grin based on his [templates] memory.
"Or are you content to remain this weak. This pathetic and let not just Garou, but me as well trample all over your pride and steal what's rightfully yours without even putting so much as a fight?" The spark returned and veins popped all over the exposed bits of Charanko's body. "Why, if that's the case, perhaps I should wait until you've found a girlfriend or two and swoop in and claim them for myself. That would be my right as someone 'stronger', no?"
Charanko roared, his ki flaring to life and his struggling redoubled, managing to half stand under the mix of artificial gravity and pressure Yuha generated, before he gasped and, with his body yielding before Charanko himself did, crushed back down on the ground.
Yuha immediately cut the pressure.
"Good."
Charanko, a sweaty mess, still moved his head enough to glare at Yuha.
He extended his arm down with a kind smile, making the youth blink.
"Remember this. This feeling. This rage in your heart, this fury at the world's injustice whenever you are about to give up or are faced with an impossible opponent. Remember, it and use it. Use it as fuel and motivation both."
The youth's arm wrapped around his, and Yuha pulled the panting man to his feet.
"For heroes are not those who are without fear, Charanko, but rather, those who, even when they're terrified, will strive to do good anyway, as for your lack of power… Tell me, do you know of the fable of the hare and the tortoise?"
"Yes? Are you telling me that you're—"
"No." He shook his head. "In this case, you're both. Or rather, you have the potential to be both." Yuha clasped Charanko's shoulder again. "Before me, before Garou, you were a big fish in a small pond. You were the hare. But now…Now you know just how big the world outside your pond is, and while, yes, there are monsters and heroes much stronger out there…With ki, your potential is all but limitless. All you need is time. And time is something you have in abundance."
Not really. But then again, he doesn't need to know that, does he? That's something for me to worry about.
"So, tell me, Charanko, are you content to remain, the sleeping hare, resting on your laurels, or will you become the tortoise, growing and growing in strength without end? Become my senpai in truth?"
The youth sniffed and nodded.
"Good! Set your heart ablaze, senpai! And remember!" he spun around and with a brief frown of focus, his cape reappeared behind him, and once again, Yuha pointed at it with a raised arm, pumping his thump backwards. "If you falter? Believe in me, who believes in you! And simply follow in the path I spin open!" he crowed as he spun around.
I still have no idea how I'm doing this…
For indeed, after his fight with Shivara, he found that, much like with his hat, if he focused, even without 'Athena's Blessing', he could manifest Kamina's cape. No doubt a mix of magic materialization and his slowly awakening Spiral Power…Power which he still couldn't properly grasp if which at least, he now could somewhat sense at last, the sensation akin to a diffuse smoke, a fog caressing his body.
A tiny smile spread across Charanko's lips and moisture gathered at the corners of his eyes.
"Thank you…"
He patted the man and stepped back.
"Now. Enough of this mushy talk. While I can't do much for your lack of power directly, tell me, how is your training with the Kaio-ken going?"
At that, Charanko's hopeful smile dimmed, and the youth winced. Rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ahh…err…it's going. Yeah." Before his shoulders slumped. "No. That's a lie. I still can't activate it! It's too tough! Too painful!" he cried.
Ah, good. At least not everyone around here is a freak like King!
"Well, keep training then. After all, our Master can already activate it. And you intend to become as strong as him, do you not?"
"Yeah!"
"Well, that aside, and given that we still have an hour or two before I have to leave, I do have a technique to help you. Mind you, it's not one that will directly boost your power, but in a pinch? And assuming you have some time to set it up? It just might be the difference between life and death. Also, don't worry if you can't get it right from the get go, for it is a bitch to use."
"Yes!"
Yuha, paused and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Err, on second thought, Senpai? L-let's go practice this one outside…
Bang, peeking through a tiny slit in the wall, leaned back with a nod. Eyes creased, mustache twitching, a smile on his face as his pupils exited the Dojo.
"Say that again!" the man shouted, leaning towards Yuha, his blue eyes glaring at the man.
Not that his kouhai cared, for the man raised one hand, closed his eye and…scratched his ear as the blond man's eyes widened.
"Eh? You deaf?" Yuha said, leaning towards the fuming blond, their foreheads almost touching. "I said that 'that sharpened peasant stick' you carry is not fit to be called a sword," he said with a grin and Iaian's eyes widened in fury, the plate wearing man all but vibrating in place.
"You bastard…"
Charanko glanced nervously at Atomic Samurai as the man walked by his side, but, the haori wearing swordmaster did not seem angry. If anything, by the grin on his lips, he seemed more amused than anything.
Still, best be safe.
"I'm, I'm sorry, sir!" He said, giving a short bow, drawing the man's eye, the black ponytail on the back of his head swaying as he turned and stared at Charanko, continuing to chew on his splinter of wood. "I apologize for my fellow student's words and—"
"Meh, it's ok," the man said. "You're both good kids, and sir Bang's disciples. And besides, despite his words, I can tell the kid likes katanas and swords just fine. He simply has an…" the man paused, muling on it for a few seconds before nodding and crossing his arms. "Intense appreciation for Greatswords."
"That may be, sir, but still, I apologize for his behavior," he said, bowing briefly again as they continued walking, the Subterranean detachment waiting for them up ahead, some dozen meters from A-city's new Colosseum.
Apparently, noticing the popularity of it all, the Association decided to keep it.
"Meh," the man said, uncrossing his arms and making a dismissive gesture. "Don't sweat it, kid, it's all good. Iaian needs to learn how to reign in that temper of his anyway."
"Y-yes! T-thank you, sir!"
The man grinned.
"Oh, my~ Is that so? Fufufu~"
And a few steps to his left, a feminine voice caused Charanko to blink and turn to find Kisha engrossed in a discussion with another of Atomic Samurai's disciples, namely with a tall, curiously flat girl, who leered towards Yuha.
Charanko, even though he'd originally been jealous of his Kouhai, shuddered and sent a mental prayer for his fellow disciple's pelvis. For with the esper sisters, Lily, and now from the look of things, Shivara, Kisha…
His shoulders slumped at the reminder of his failure to woo the woman before he grit his teeth. For it was as his kouhai had said. Don't give up, keep striving. And wasn't it shameful that he had to have a pep talk from his junior in the first place?
But at any rate, all those girls, and now, yet another woman was interested in him?
Good luck, Yuha! You're going to need it.
And in a tiny part of his mind, the thought came unbidden.
Poor bastard. Better him than me!
The duo giggled at something Kisha said, before the tall, black-haired, angry looking samurai let out a tired exhale.
"Oi, Okamaitachi, stop perving on the newbie."
"Eep! I wasn't…wasn't perving! Merely…appreciating, yes…"
The man, garbed in a black hama and kimono, growled in frustration and cuffed the taller woman.
"Cut the bullshit."
"Mou! Fine."
Soon enough, they came to a stop in front of the awaiting delegation, who'd been waiting next to a deep, deep hole. A hole so dark that Charanko barely resisted the urge to whimper.
Once again, feeling quite happy that it wasn't he who'd be going down there.
Iaian, let out a growl before throwing his arms up in the air. "Fine, you uncultured barbarian! See if I care!" Before stomping towards his fellow disciples in disgust, with Atomic Samurai stepping forth to go talk with some important looking Subterranean.
Yuha walked up to him and clasped him on the shoulder.
"Senpai, once again, thanks. But, you know you didn't have to come all this way, yes?"
He grinned and grabbed him back.
"Hey, we're both Master Silver Fang's disciples, yes? We're supposed to stick together. So, no biggie."
"Yuha nodded, and for some reason, Charanko got the sense that his words and actions touched the man.
Heh. It's only fair to have someone offer you a kind word as well, Yuha.
Nodding to each other, they stepped back at some unseen signal, but even so…
"Best of luck to you, 'King'," Charanko couldn't help but tease with a grin, causing his kouhai to roll his eyes. "Come back soon, alright? With you around, Master's focus is divived, and he has let time to devote to torturing…sorry, 'training' me."
Yuha snorted.
"It harkens me to see you care that much for me, senpai," the man said with a sarcastic drawl before it melted off his face, replaced with a smile.
"Anyway, don't worry, I'll be back before you know it!" the man said, flashing him a thumps up and with a wave approached the white-haired princess as Charanko turned with a smile on his lips and started walking away.
Before shuddering.
I was only half-joking. Perhaps…perhaps taking a tour of A-city wouldn't be out of the question? After all, the longer I take to go back, the less Sensei can torture…'train' me today!
"Blegh!
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
"Hurk!"
Yuha stood tall, arms crossed as beside him, the heroes who'd accompanied him down into his soon to be 'kingdom' were in various stages of hurling and throwing up.
With only Atomic Samurai managing to not do so, if barely, judging by the green tint on his face.
Kisha, still holding his arm, was gazing at him with wonder in her eyes.
"Impressive, my lord!" the girl said, her cheeks darkening. "When I heard from my sister how even her…paramour couldn't handle our form of travel for long, I'd assumed that it would be the case for you as well, but…"
He smiled at her.
"Mmh. I'm made of sterner stuff."
"Sasuga…"
He smiled and as Kisha made to start walking towards the glimmering city in the distance, he shook his head.
"My lord?"
"It would be in bad form to not wait for…for our guests, yes?" he asked, and Kisha flushed.
"A-ah! You're right, of course, my apologies!" the princess said towards Samurai and his disciples, the subterraneans who'd carried them, busy patting the group on their backs.
"Blegh!
"Ugh!"
"Argh!"
"Hurk!"
And Yuha smiled.
Even if on the inside he was doing anything but, not even the fact that his powerlevel had jumped yet another ten whole points in a single day with him doing practically nothing, bringing him up to 70, not even that was enough to soothe his mind.
'Thump! Woomp!'
Holy shit! This was worse than that one time Snape side-apparated me after I badgered him long enough! How the hell do these people handle this?!
His smile widened as Kisha started describing the geography of the kingdom in broad strokes, with him barely paying attention.
Hrk.
Luckily, his chimeric body, a touch of invisible to anyone else or without ki-senses application of stage five kaio-ken…and offloading most of his sensory inputs and related bits to his vi helped quite a bit.
Doing so was all but useless for anything but situations like this, for even though the vi could 'pilot' Yuha's body at his order and request, it could do so far slower than Yuha. Its reactions far simpler and stupider.
But still.
For edge cases like this?
The ability was useful.
Sasuga, Dr Gero!
Yuha's surroundings started to stabilize at last.
Good. The vertigo and the nausea are almost gone. Just a few more seconds and I'll be able to move without hurling!
"Wow."
"It is impressive, is it not?" Kisha asked with a smile by his side, her arm still threaded around his bicep as the two walked.
That is, until Yuha stopped.
Stopped and stared.
Not at the Subterraneans coming or going from the city, nodding and bowing as they passed them.
No.
For now, with the nausea gone and with them far closer to the city proper, he had difficulty keeping his jaw in place.
"Is this… the capital?" he asked, licking his lips in wonder, and Kisha nodded. A proud smile on her lips.
"You can tell?"
He snorted. "How could I not?" he asked, awe coloring his voice.
For the sense of grandeur was real, the wide gleaming road under their feet, paved with marble tiles and stretching across the chasm filled with boiling magma down below, in the form of a magnificent bridge, with twin sisters on other sides of the city? They were but a paupers pittance to the marvel in front of his eyes. A marvel that was probably as big as A-city, and then some!
Towering buildings and towers of gleaming stone, bedrock, and polished marble. All of them adorned with some of the purest and clearest pieces of precious stones, ores, diamonds and such.
A collection of emeralds rising on the side of a cathedral's walls, diamonds the size of a man's head embedded and fashioned in various shapes the sides of a tower, and majestic statues wrought and fashioned by the hands of immensely skilled artisans, composed of a mix of silver, gold, stone and precious gems as befitted each statue.
While far above, the solid loam serving as the ceiling and dome both, was nestled with even more gems of various sizes and shapes, bringing to mind the image of the glimmering night sky even as from tiny holes interspersed here and there, and due to no doubt some artifice of the people here, water streamed down, the artificial waterfalls resembling liquid panes of glass.
"Wow…" he once again murmured and could feel the girl clinging to him, her chest swelling with pride.
Durin's folk would have loved this...
"Shall we? My lord?" Kisha asked, flashing him a happy and proud grin.
"Yes, let's," he said and behind him, the gobsmacked form of the accompanying heroes hastened to follow.
"Welcome, Husband~"
With the sound of his steps on the pristine white floor being close to the only sound on his ears, what with him being alone in this white, expansive temple like structure with its majestic columns rising towards and supporting the majestic ceiling engraved with precious jewels and scenes depicting these people's history with vibrant colors, Yuha, ignoring the slight echo, courtesy of the structure's size and current emptiness, inclined his head towards a smiling Shivara.
The woman rising off her throne with sensual grace and trailing down the ruby steps leading up to the twin thrones with an exaggerated sway of her hips, while from the translucent many jeweled wall behind her, iridescent colors streamed through, bathing both the woman and the twin sapphire thrones in a majestic multicolored aura.
"Welcome," the woman purred, stepping close to him, before with a twinkle in her eye, taking his arm between one of her deceptively soft ones, and leaning forward, planting a kiss on his.
Making him blush.
"Fufufu~"
"Ah~" he coughed. "Ahem, my lady—"
"Fufu~ no need to be so formal, husband~"
"My…Shivara then," he said, and the woman smiled as she stood back up. "Usually, it is the other way around," he said with a nod towards their still conjoined hands.
The woman giggled. "Maybe on the surface, dear," she said with a purr and a wicked gleam, licking her tongue as she did, causing him to shudder. "But come, we have much to discuss, and even less time to deal with it all."
He turned serious, just as the woman's revelry slipped from her face.
So, my gut instinct was right after all…
Following Shivara's guidance, they walked towards the thrones and just before they started climbing the steps, they took a sharp left, and soon came to a, comparatively, small door on the sides of the temple, leading into a smaller pair of corridors, and then, behind another white door, to a reasonably sized room within which, a table and a set of chairs could be found while on the ceiling above, a curious contraption, similar to the ones on the corridors outside provided light.
Shivara took a seat, and he joined her.
And as the woman begun talking, his eyes widened.
Dammit! I was right!
It'd been a few hours since his talk with the Queen, and his mind was still troubled, and as a result he paid much less attention than he would've liked to Kisha and her words, as the girl did her best to show him the most impressive and eye-catching places in the city and the spots that no doubt served as tourist attractions.
And wasn't that a surprise on its own, even though it shouldn't have been? They were an entire race from the looks of things. And not all that dissimilar from base humans, as far as interests were concerned from what he'd seen so far. So, of course, they would travel. Subterraneans from distant provenances wishing to see the jewel that was their capital with their own eyes.
"—as no doubt you can tell, this is a storied piece," Kisha said, eyes shining as she tugged at his arm and pointed at an admittedly impressive statue. "In fact, it depicts—"
"Kisha."
"Ah! Eh! Y-yes, my King?"
"Forgive me," he said with a smile. "This is interesting," he said, nodding towards the statue. "But…" he sighed. "My heart is not in it."
The girl wilted, seeming to collapse in on itself.
"Ah…Of course. How silly of me…"
He shook his head and stepped close, wrapping the girl in a hug.
"Eek!"
Surprising her and breaking her out of her fugue as he stepped back, and the dark-skinned beauty's face seemed even more red for some reason.
"No. None of that. I'm telling the truth. This is interesting, even if I am, at heart a barbarian, so don't expect me to retain or notice everything you're pointing out."
The girl giggled, and he smiled.
"So, none of that self pity stuff. I want you to show me around, Kisha. Believe me."
"I believe you!" the girl squeaked with wide eyes.
"It's just…not today, not after my talk with your mom."
"Ah…"
"So, let's reschedule, eh?" he said with a wink, and Kisha's face blossomed, a tiny, hesitant if pure smile on her lips.
"A-alright."
"Good! Now, until the time for the coronation comes, what say we continue exploring, but, without you giving me all the details and stuff? Leave that for the full tour."
Kisha smiled.
"Ok."
"Alright, so." He rubbed his chin, letting his gut and nose guide him. "That way seems—"
"It's a date then~"
"Interesting." Yuha blinked at the sound of Kisha mumbling. "You said something?"
"N-nope!"
He shrugged. "Alright. Now, onwards!"
Wandering between the polished streets, seeing new sights and people, Yuha truly regretted that his heart wasn't in it on that day. For traveling and experiencing new cultures, learning about them—when he had the strength for it—was truly a pleasure.
Still, as unfamiliar scents and combinations of colors caressed his senses, the air far clearer than he expected it to be, bringing to mind that of a mountain's peak than a dark moldy hole. Yuha found himself smiling.
Until at last.
"Kisha?"
"Yes, my lord?"
He pointed at a building up ahead.
"Is that…"
"Is what my king?"
"Is that a donut shop?"
Kisha shrugged. "Yes…? What's so odd about that—" her eyes narrowed. "My king."
"Yeah?" he murmured, still distracted by the fact a donut shop existed in this place.
"You, you…do realize we're not savages down here, yes?" the woman asked sweetly.
"B-but of course! Mwahaha!"
Kisha huffed and puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms to the side.
Yuha made to walk towards the shop. He was kinda hungry, but Kisha's words stopped him.
"No way…" or rather the sheer surprise in them.
Turning and following the woman's gaze, he found her staring at a figure across the small plaza, one coming out from another shop, flavored candy stick in hand.
"Cousin!" Kisha shouted in joy and made to dash towards the blinking girl, before remembering where she was and lowering her eyes. Cheeks red. "Err…My kind…"
He chuckled.
"What? There's nothing to feel shame or be apologetic about. Let's go meet this cousin of yours," he said, and Kisha flashed him a grateful smile.
And as they came closer, Yuha's eyes kept widening. For it might've been some time since he'd last played the game, the version of it back home at least.
But there was no way he could forget—
"Kuku…"
At his gasp, the white-haired, pale-skinned girl with shining green eyes cocked her head at him.
"Eh? Have we met, dechi?" she asked with an almost chirping tone, and even Kisha stared at him with some surprise.
He shook his head.
"N-no. You…you just look like a 'Kuku' to me," he said, and almost wanted to smack himself for his lame excuse. The princess by his side, staring at him as if he was an idiot.
"Ah, makes sense. I'm indeed, Kuku. Dechi," the girl and garbed in a brown cropped jacket, with tassels hanging near its edge and just as brown pants said, and gave a serious nod. Crossing her arms in acceptance of his bullshit.
'Plop'
"Ah! My candy!" before staring at her dropped candy.
Kisha sighed and alternated staring between both of them, before massaging her nose and murmuring to herself.
"Idiots…"
Hey! That was uncalled for! Kuku seemed like a perfectly fine woman!
With another sigh, and forcibly composing herself, Kisha stood straight and stared at her cousin apparent.
"Kuku?"
"Yes, dechi?"
"Firstly, let me welcome you, cousin," the dark-skinned beauty said with a rare honest smile, before stepping forth and hugging the woman, Kuku quick to reciprocate. "You've been missed," Kisha murmured as she broke the hug and took a step back.
"Dechi?"
Kisha just shook her head with a smile.
"That aside, though. What are you doing here?"
"Ah!" Kuku jumped in place, and Yuha's eyes couldn't help but be drawn towards the woman's freely bouncing, if thankfully still concealed, assets. "I know that one! Dechi!" the girl replied.
"Yes…" Kisha trailed off, a pitying smile on her face.
"I've come to observe the Coronation…" Kuku paused and tilted her head, putting a finger on her lips. "Err…At least I think I did? You did tell me you were getting a new king, yes?"
Kisha nodded and inclined her head towards him, even bowing as she pointed towards him.
"You're looking at him, cousin," she said. "May I introduce Yuha, an overworld hero by the alias of 'Zero'?"
Kuku turned interested eyes towards him as Kisha stood back up, staring at him intensely, even going as far as to step a bit too close, sniffing at him and even patting him down in places and even licking the sides of his face.
He cast a somewhat nervous glance towards Kisha whose pained smile all but seemed to say, 'please bear with it'.
At last, the woman stepped back and nodded to herself before the light of comprehension seemed to enter her eyes as she slapped a palm onto her open fist.
"Ah! Now I get it! So he's the one you've told me about, dechi!"
For some reason, Kisha flashed a quick, nervous glance towards him and closed the distance with her cousin.
"Y-yes! Indeed! Sir Zero is our soon to be King, as I've told you, cousin."
The girl blinked and cocked her head to the side like a confused owl.
"Eh? No. That's not it."
"W-wait, cousin—" Kisha said, trying to raise her hands to cover the woman's lips.
But it was a futile endeavor, for the girl leaned back, avoiding Kisha's first pass, batting aside the dark-skinned beauty's arms. "I might often forget things, but." Kisha growled. "in this case, I'm pretty sure you were talking about a 'tall hunk with dreamy muscles who—" the princess lunged. "mmf mmf!"
And with her hands, covering the mouth of her cousin, she turned a panicked wide-eyed grin towards Yuha.
"M-my lord, ignore the birdbrain here, s-shall we continue with your exploration of the city? After all, the Sky Princess should go and announce herself to the Queen," Kisha growled again and something seemed to spark in Kuku's eyes as, with a quick glance towards him, followed by gazing back at her cousin, she smiled and nodded.
Yuha blinked and his eyes narrowed as he correlated data and his recent experiences.
Wait…Does…Does Kisha, like me?
Oh hell.
"May I present to you, King Yuha the—"
Doing his best to sit up straight and project a stoic and royal image, or at least what he imagined one to look like, Yuha paid little attention to the words of the official holding a richly decorated crown above his head while continuing to mumble about boring stuff.
Still, for the sake of Shivara, the princesses, and the peace, he continued to endure.
Even if it was unbelievably boring.
Oh, you little shit!
Fighting the urge to growl, Yuha could do nothing but stare straight ahead at the packed temple. While on the steps below the twin thrones, the heroes delegation, who no doubt served as both his escort detail and spies to gather info about this place both, could be found.
But he cared little for that.
No, what mattered was the fact that Iaian was near the front, and the bastard was busy mouthing that 'Greatswords were trash'
I'll get you for this you—
Yuha's eyes widened, and a tiny gasp left his lips.
For as the crown settled upon his head, with the priestly looking official concluding his speech.
A wave of something passed through Yuha, seeming to propagate all around him and finding an answering resonance from Shivara's own crown.
The hell?
"Are you sure you can't stay longer?" Shivara asked, lounging on the bed, giving him a 'come hither' look as her already barely concealing outfit threatened to reveal her fully to the world.
He gulped and shook his head, trying to resist the temptation.
Think of Tatsu, think of Tatsu!
Eventually he sighed and nodded, opening his eyes and meeting those of his…Queen.
"I'm certain, yes. There are matters that require my direct intervention on the surface and which are time sensitive."
The woman let out a disappointed sigh.
"Pity…" she said and with a push, rose from their bed and came closer, seductive smile still in place. "But, are you sure~"
He grimaced, for once thankful for the faint nudgings, for if he remained even a few days more in his…kingdom. Well, Yuha wasn't sure he could continue to hold out against the woman. One day had already been bad enough!
But…
Even so…
How do I explain to her that I have to leave because of a gut feeling, which very well may be the fates, or the planet's will, or something of the sort, all but screaming at me, pleading, imploringme, that I have to go somewhere and help with…whatever?
"Yes, Shivara, I'm afraid so."
The woman's shoulders sagged.
"Pity…"
"No need to look so glum…m-my dear," he said and flashed the woman a smile. "I will be back," he said and her eyes sparked. "After all, I promised Kisha that she could give me that tour she was so passionate about."
Shivara's eyes flashed and a dangerous smirk spread.
"Oh~ Is that so?"
"Yes?"
"Fufufu~ Well, I'll await your return anxiously, My King~" the woman purred. "But, until that day, let me help you up to the surface myself," the woman said, and before Yuha could react, scooped him up and pressed him between her voluptuous breasts.
"Mmf!" he shouted, and it was a mistake, for opening his mouth filled it and his nose both with the woman's scent. "Mmf." And as a result, his struggles grew much weaker.
"Fufufu~ Relax, husband, I'm much more experienced than either of my daughters, so, just tell me where it is you want to go and we'll be there before you can feel a thing~"
Drawing back some, gasping for air, air that wasn't filled with the woman's arousing scent, he told her.
Huh, she was telling the truth.
Yuha stretched his arms and legs as he stood in one of the mountains near Z-city.
I really didn't feel a thing!
And Yuha knew that it was due to the woman's skill and not his meagre power level. For despite it having grown yet another ten points during the previous day, bringing him to 80… He doubted that alone made a difference.
'Thump! Woomp!'
"Ok, come on," he spoke, tapping his foot against the rock and dirt below. "Where the hell is…whatever it is you want me to deal with?" he asked, speaking to the air.
But aside from a gust of wind ruffling his hair, no answer came from either the fates or the planet or whoever was behind the pleading nudges.
That is until a scream reached his ears, causing him to tense. For it seemed to come from further up ahead.
Now I wonder who that could be? :grins
No. That's not fate's Kuku, although she does look like her and there's more going on with the birdbrain than it might seem at first glance...