Sorry for not posting last Monday. I forgot to announce that I had Finals Week in the last chapter. So know that I was intently focused on that. I'm done with Finals now, so back to a normal update schedule.
I realize after the last chapter that there's some confusion to clear up. Itsuki doesn't come from the BNHA universe. He's likely based on different worlds like "A Certain Scientific Railgun". This is supported by the fact that:
A. Only 20% of people have quirks in Itsuki's world and not 80%. You could argue that he comes from earlier in the timeline, but...
B. The people who do have quirks in BNHA normally have one and not two. The people in Itsuki's world commonly have two. Next...
C. The Shield Hero light novels began to be published long before My Hero Academia started out. If you want facts, the Shield Hero Light Novels began being published in Japan in August of 2013, with the original web novel starting almost a year before that… the My Hero Academia manga started releasing July of 2014.
D. This is just in case the above isn't enough: Aneko thought out a lot of the plot and the character's backgrounds before writing the web novel. This includes Itsuki's 'quirks'.
In short, unless you want to claim the Shield Hero and My Hero Academia authors brainstormed together years before releasing their stuff, there's no way Itsuki is connected to BNHA. The below is just one last point.
E. They're not normally called quirks by Itsuki. I just use that term for familiarity's sake. In his world, people with quirks are called ESPers. The powers themselves are normally referred to as psychic powers or ESP (extra sensorial powers).
Now, let's get on to the chapter!
Chapter Sixteen: Cal Mira Hot Springs
"Oh… oh um…" Dou-Lon was looking flabbergasted.
"Come on. Are you going to wash my back for me, or not?" Naofumi asked impatiently.
They were in the male washroom of the hot springs, scrubbing themselves off in preparation to go in. The baths here were separated by gender. There were private rooms as well so Naofumi could have booked one for himself and Raphtalia if he had wanted to, but he had decided against it. Not because of the price tag, he had plenty of money now. No, it was because he felt that booking a private bath for just the two of them would… very likely go off the rails once more.
He didn't actually think that his girlfriend would kick him in the nuts again. Naofumi just didn't want to put either of them in such an embarrassing position… or possibly trigger his trauma from Bitch.
Damn that bitch. The sooner she was captured and punished, the better. Not that it'd help out his trauma, but it'd at least make him feel a little better.
"Dou-Lon, did you fall asleep back there or something?" Naofumi asked again after realizing that even after his short moment of contemplating, the Hakuko still hadn't made a move.
"I-I-I-I-" Dou-Lon felt extremely flustered. He'd never imagined that the day would come when his God would ask him for help to cleanse his body! This was unprecedented! He was certain that none of the history books which he'd read ever talked about the Shield Hero allowing his retainers to wash their body before!
Which was probably because that task was usually reserved for the Shield Hero's numerous concubines...
And the stories often went into some rather explicit details about it too...
Dou-Lon didn't think that it would be proper if he did the same thing as them.
"If you don't want to do it, just say so. I can find a way to do it myself." Naofumi rolled his eyes at the tiger man's stuttering.
"But, um, uh…" Dou-Lon didn't know what to do. He wasn't worthy of being head patted by the Shield Hero earlier. And now, he was being asked to wash him… wash him…
Could he do that? Could he wash his God and not be burned to cinders on the spot? Had he truly moved that far along his path to redemption that-
"Oh, are you going into the Hot Springs too, Naofumi?" Ren asked in surprise as he entered the room. Itsuki followed him inside too, along with Welt, Bakta, and Aksel. All of them had towels wrapped around their waists. "I thought you didn't want to do that."
"Well, I figured since we all are almost level 80 anyway, I might as well reward my party for all the hard work they've put in since coming here." Naofumi shrugged.
"So you're only rewarding them with this." Itsuki chuckled.
"Is something wrong?" Naofumi quirked an eyebrow at the strange remark.
"Oh, no, it's nothing." Itsuki quickly replied before turning away so Naofumi wouldn't see him rolling his eyes.
"Wait, you're still only level 80?" Ren asked in surprise.
…
The two Heroes looked at him on the party HUD.
Ren: LV. 85
"But… but I thought the experience boost cut off at level eighty…" Naofumi muttered in disbelief.
Ren, looking a little flustered, turned his head to the side. "I, um, I grinded a lot? Okay?"
Itsuki and Naofumi shook their heads. "Tryhard."
"Hey, you said that we're here to raise our levels!" Ren whined. "How am I at fault for doing exactly what we came here to do?"
"You aren't. I'm just amazed that you went above and beyond our goal." Naofumi explained after a sigh. That teen was way too insecure. "Speaking of which, we should start making plans for our return soon. I don't think that my party's going to gain much more in terms of levels here."
"Oh…" Ren's face became downcast.
"Is something wrong?" Naofumi asked.
"Well, um… I still haven't learned the spell from that tablet," Ren admitted sheepishly.
"Yeah, and besides, didn't we tell Motoyasu that we'd be gone for a week?" Itsuki pointed out. "We still have a few days left. So it wouldn't hurt to spend an extra day or two here for Ren's sake..."
Naofumi wanted to argue that he and Itsuki could go back while Ren stayed… but he didn't. He had to admit, it was a relief not having to bear the worries and burdens of the village on his shoulders. The spear hero could probably handle it for them.
What're a couple more days anyway?
Maybe he should give reward his party with the day off. Or maybe the rest of the week off? Give them a chance to do whatever they wanted before they returned to Lurolona.
Motoyasu would be okay with that, wouldn't he?
"Yea, sure, alright. I guess we'll stay here for a few more days. Say, Ren, can you help me wash my back while you're here?" Naofumi asked while pointing with his thumb over his shoulder.
"Sure, no problem Naofumi." Ren walked around the Shield Hero to reach his back and promptly began to scrub it.
Dou-Lon stood to the side as the Sword Hero got to work. The hakuko thought that he'd be relieved that Sir Naofumi had left the task to a fellow Hero but, if he were, to be honest, he felt… a little disappointed.
Maybe he should have just done it while Lord Naofumi was giving him the chance. He might not be asked to do this ever again…
"Why do you look so down?" Aksel asked with a bemused smile after sitting down next to him.
"No reason! I'm just struggling to reach my back!" Dou-Lon lied.
"Really? How about I'll help you with your back if you help me with mine." Aksel suggested.
Dou-Lon wasn't sure how to feel about letting a human wash him. But the knight seemed polite, so he reluctantly agreed. Thankfully, Aksel made sure not to touch his tail or do any other weird things while scrubbing his back.
"Not trying to be rude here, but something has really been bugging me for a while. Is it alright if I ask you a personal question?" The knight suddenly spoke.
Dou-Lon tensed up, wondering what he wanted to inquire about but slowly nodded. "Go ahead."
"How come only your arms and legs are covered in fur but not the rest of your body?" Aksel asked nonchalantly.
"... Oh." The hakuko relaxed immediately at the innocuous inquiry. "That's because the Hakuko is one of the four elite races of Siltvelt. Even in our basic, nontherianthrope forms, we still retain… some of our therianthrope characteristics I suppose." Dou-Lon answered honestly. "Ours happens to be fur on our arms and legs. As well as claws and fangs." He said, looking at the tips of his fingers and feet.
"Huh. The more you learn." Aksel shrugged and continued.
"You're the member of Sir Bow's party that lived in Seaetto, correct?" Dou-Lon decided to continue the conversation.
"Yep." Aksel nodded. "But I can't say that I ever got close to the few Hakuko who lived there. They seemed a little too closed off no matter what I tried to get them to play."
"Were you friends with the other demi-humans then?" Dou-Lon guessed.
"Oh yeah. Even though I lived in Seaetto, I loved running over to Lurolona to play with the other demi-kids there." Aksel chuckled. "I got along with them better than I did with the human kids in Seaetto. Kind of sad, really, but I didn't really mind it. I got to grow up alongside some great people because of it."
"That's… wow." Dou-Lon smiled. Sir Bow Hero had gotten some nice companions too it seemed.
"Plus, they taught me to strike when it's least expected." Aksel chuckled darkly.
"They what-" Dou-Lon's tail was suddenly gripped tightly.
"GAH!" The hakuko jumped nearly ten feet up into the air, almost hitting the ceiling in the process and losing the towel around his waist. Aksel nearly bent over from his laughter. He couldn't stop even when Dou-Lon fell on all fours, turned around, and gave him the mother of all glares.
"How dare you!" Dou-Lon yelled at him, adjusting his towel to make sure that he was still properly covered.
"S-S-Sorry, it was t-t-too good not to pass up!" Aksel slapped his knees while continuing to laugh.
"Why don't you try that on Maya next time and see what reaction you get out of her?" Bakta joked from where he was helping Welt to wash his back.
Aksel didn't stop laughing. It was likely that he hadn't heard Bakta's remark.
"Alright, enough fooling around, is everyone ready?" Naofumi cut the hijinks short.
Everyone nodded. Dou-Lon gave Aksel a cross look. He would definitely get back on Itsuki's party tank for this humiliation, even if it was the last thing he ever did.
"Then let's go!" Naofumi announced and began to walk out.
"Yeahhhhh!" The rush of men and teenagers ran for the Hot Spring.
"Ahhhh…" Melty leaned her head back against the smooth stone. "This is nice…"
"Mmmm…" Raphtalia looked similarly relaxed next to her. Both girls had towels wrapped around them. The water was very warm and felt pleasant to soak in.
"Wheeeeee!" Filo was excitedly swimming around in front of them. While passing by, one of her splashes managed to hit Eclair, who was desperately trying to relax.
"Pbth! Did you have to drag me from my training regimen for this, Miss Raphtalia?" The rose-haired woman asked as she fixed her ponytail.
"You're always training musclebrain. Haven't you ever heard that relaxing once in a while is good for the body?" Wyndia snarked from across the water.
"I have been training for long enough that I don't need breaks like this anymore." Eclair crossed her arms over her breasts while glaring at the dog girl. "Also, it's been a while since I've sparred with you, Wyndia. Your sword skills are going to get rusty if you only focus on fighting monsters."
"Yeah yeah, I know. We can spar some other time if you want." Wyndia rolled her eyes and tried to look somewhere else besides the swordswoman. Without her armor in the way, it was plain to see that her chest size was surprisingly larger than what Wyndia had initially thought.
It only made the dog girl angrier.
Actually, besides Melty and Filo, every other girl relaxing in the Hot Springs was rather big-chested. Raphtalia, Therese, Farrie, Tersia, Rishia, Maya, even Crystal was bigger than her! She'd thought that at least the spearwoman from Itsuki's party was around her size! But nope, it turned out she wore bindings under her armor so she could fight more comfortably. Without those bindings on, she was almost a C-cup.
"Are you feeling relaxed yet, Wyndia?" Therese asked her.
"I'd feel relaxed, but you all keep on oppressing me with your stupidly huge knockers," Wyndia grumbled, crossing her arms over her towel.
"Oh, don't be like that." Farrie hugged the dog girl from the side, pushing her face into her voluptuous breasts. "I'm sure yours will grow out eventually."
"Ack! Get off me you titty monster!" Wyndia nearly screeched as she tried to push the girl away. The rest of the girls giggled at the sight.
"Farrie, be nice." Tersia chided. "Not everyone is blessed with assets. And it'd definitely be annoying for us if we fought with swords instead of magic." The blonde-haired mage looked down at her own chest meaningfully.
"Yeah, at least it makes sense for me to fight with a katana!" Wyndia said triumphantly. "How can you even fight with all that useless weight!?"
"Lots of training," Eclair answered immediately.
"Nobody asked you, musclehead!" The dog girl snarled.
Raphtalia glanced at Therese while the two argued. She noticed that the bluette was still wearing her new bracelet on her wrist. "You know you don't have to wear that accessory in here, right?" Raphtalia asked.
"Huh? Why not?" Therese genuinely asked. "Should I not keep Master Craftsman's gift on my person at all times to show my appreciation to him?"
...
Raphtalia just stared, not sure how to respond.
Therese wasn't going to try and steal her boyfriend from her, was she?
"Seriously, how can you fight with those boobs in your way?!" Wyndia shouted at Eclair.
"I told you. I trained. A lot." Eclair answered again, sounding annoyed.
"That doesn't answer the question!"
"Fueh, aren't we here to relax? Why don't we talk about a different topic?" Rishia meekly asked. She looked uncomfortable with being dressed in only a towel, even though they were all girls.
"Right, how about we talk about the guys we like," Farrie said, elbowing Wyndia's side under the water. The dog girl glared harshly at her in response.
"How about we just talk about ourselves instead?" The dog girl suggested.
"That's a great idea. Who wants to start?" Rachel asked.
They all looked around at each other.
Filo continued to swim nearby.
...
"I guess I can go first." Tersia shrugged. "I grew up in a good family with several different siblings. My parents wanted me to become a nun since I was so good with my brothers and sisters, and I thought that's what I wanted to be when I grew up."
"Yeah, but then she met me. And I turned her into a rule breaker." Farrie giggled into her hand.
"No, you did not." Tersia rolled her eyes.
"Well, it was thanks to me that we learned how corrupt the Church was," Farrie added. "So you became a rule-breaker like me after that!"
"... it is true that you helped me realize that being a nun for the Three Heroes Church was a very bad idea." Tersia agreed. "That doesn't make me a rule breaker though."
"One of these days." Farrie smiled. "I had good parents too, but I was an only child. They really wanted to enforce their values and all that crap on me. They even forced me to go into training to become a nun to try and calm me down. But eventually, I was able to escape them and took to adventuring with Tersia here. I haven't checked in on my parents since... I wonder how they're doing." She looked thoughtful at the end.
"Maybe you should consider visiting them after we get back?" Raphtalia suggested.
"Eh, I'll think about it. Maybe working under the Heroes will make them forgive me. Let's continue, shall we?" She said, looking at Eclair.
Eclair proudly began talking about herself and her family.
And it continued from there.
"You know you don't have to sit in the shallow end, right Ren?" Naofumi asked.
"Oh, I'm more comfortable over here." Ren nervously replied. The water only came up around his waist.
Naofumi shrugged and leaned his head back against the stone. It was slightly uncomfortable having the Mask Shield equipped over his face, but it was better than having some larger shield on his arm or back. At least this thing had more uses than hiding his identity.
"Come on Sir Ren. It feels really good when you're up to your neck." Welt said nearby.
"I feel so relaxed that I could drown and not even realize it," Bakta said happily, a goofy smile on his face.
Ren paled and noticeably scooted away from his party members.
What was his deal? Did Ren have a fear of drowning or something? Naofumi wondered idly.
Besides that, everyone really did look relaxed. He had to admit, it was nice to have the opportunity to do this. They were all being quiet and just enjoying it. It was like all his worries, all his troubles were thrown to the back of his mind. Where nothing would possibly-
"Oh, hey Kiddos!"
...
Goodbye, tranquility.
Naofumi moved the mask to the top of his head to glare at L'Arc, who sauntered into the Hot Spring with only a towel wrapped around his waist and a small scythe resting on his back. "Come on Sword Kiddo, you're not going to relax being here on the steps!" He grabbed Ren by the arm and dragged him closer to Naofumi and Itsuki.
"Ack! No! I'm fine-" L'Arc wasn't taking it though, and easily dragged the Sword Hero through the water to seat him next to Naofumi, before sitting down himself.
"See, this is much better. We're going to bond so well like this!" L'Arc said happily, putting his arms over Ren's and Naofumi's shoulders.
The Sword Hero looked genuinely frightened. But it didn't look like it was because of L'Arc.
"Is that the annoying guy that you mentioned before, Itsuki?" Aksel asked curiously.
"Yes." The bow hero answered immediately.
"Oh come on, I'm not that annoying Bow Kiddo," L'Arc winked at the Bow Hero. Itsuki's eyebrow twitched at the nickname.
'Keep it cool Itsuki… don't throw a tantrum, just keep it cool…' Yeah, keep it cool in a Hot Springs. What an ironic thought.
"What are you doing here, L'Arc?" Naofumi somehow managed to ask in a calm voice while brushing the redhead's arm off his shoulder.
"Oh, Therese said she was off to do something. So I figured I'd take the chance to relax in the Hot Springs. And lo and behold, I find you all here!" He said happily. "What a coincidence, am I right?"
"Yeah, what a coincidence," Itsuki said through gritted teeth.
"So what's with the mask Shield Kiddo?" L'Arc asked curiously.
"It's… well, it's an heirloom," Naofumi said in annoyance.
"That's weird. Who goes to a bath wearing a mask?" L'Arc asked.
"Who goes to a bath armed?" Naofumi asked back. Damn it, was this payback for irritating the kindergartner earlier?
"Hey, you never know what might happen. Your friend here gets it too. See?" He pointed at the sheathed sword on Ren's back.
"Uh yeah, sure. Gotta be prepared." Ren awkwardly agreed. He did his best not to look down at the water. He just had to not think about how much closer his face was to it now, and he wouldn't have to worry about drowning. Yep, that'd work.
"Yup yup." Itsuki nervously chuckled.
"Oh, but it looks like you forgot your weapon, Bow Kiddo," L'Arc said happily.
"Whoops, silly me," His mini bow was actually hidden on his thigh under the towel. That thought made him pause. Was hot water bad for bowstrings?
Eh, it'd probably be fine, since it was a legendary bow's strings.
L' Arc had a good-natured laugh about it while the rest of them sweated profusely. They had to remember that they couldn't reveal they were heroes.
In L'Arc's case, it was likely he'd blab about it all over the island.
"So who are all your friends here? Are they also from the hero village?" L'Arc asked curiously.
Thank goodness the redhead was good at changing the subject.
"Oh, not originally," Welt answered. "I'm actually from Lafan Village."
"Never heard of it!" The redhead replied happily.
"Urk!" Welt almost looked like he'd been punched in the gut. "But… it's so close to the Capital though…"
"My family moved, but I'm from the… Payne Estate." Bakta said reluctantly.
"Wait, you're a noble, but your last name is Payne?!" L'Arc started laughing. "Wow, I bet you must get made fun of for that a lot!"
Bakta scowled and crossed his arms. "Oh, I definitely make fun of him for that all the time." Aksel chuckled.
"And all those jokes are old!" Bakta said crossly.
Aksel shrugged. "Whatever you say. As for me. I'm originally from the Seaetto region. Though the town I lived in is abandoned now."
"Really?" L'Arc asked in surprise.
"Yep." Aksel nodded.
"... Were you there when the wave hit?" L'Arc asked in a more serious tone.
"No, fortunately, I was training with the Church Knights when that... happened. And unfortunately, those knights did some terrible things to the survivors and that made me leave their order." The large knight explained.
"Corrupt, huh?" L'Arc asked.
"That's one word I'd use to describe them, yes," Aksel said. He didn't look as happy as before.
"So if you knew what it was like there before, what would you say it's like now under the Heroes?" L'Arc pressed on. "Better, worse?"
"Oh, much better," Aksel said. "Not that Lord Seaetto was a bad man. But the Heroes are really trying their best to help everyone there."
"They do a lot of hard work," Welt said. "When they're not training, they help out with the problems the people are facing. The Shield Hero cooks for many of the people there, and he and the Sword Hero helped provide a plant that provides food for everyone."
"Really?" L'Arc looked surprised by that.
"I've never seen a better place in all of Siltvelt." Dou-Lon interrupted with awe in his voice. For once, Naofumi didn't mind the praise.
"... now I'm wishing I could have stayed around a little longer instead of just passing through," L'Arc commented.
"Are you interested in moving there? We can tell you all about it if you want." Welt said eagerly. Normally, he'd be shy around new people, but L'Arc's easy-going attitude and curiosity were making him eager to talk.
"I don't know, but… maybe a few more details wouldn't hurt," L'Arc said after a moment.
Naofumi looked at everyone else. They seemed eager to talk with the redhead now. Did that mean they wouldn't mind if he and Therese did join their village?
The two were pretty powerful. Even if L'Arc was annoying, he had Therese to help keep him in check. When he wasn't acting annoying, he proved to be pretty reliable in a fight. He also seemed very familiar with the sea. If he could get them to live in the village, it'd be a tremendous help in case any attacks came in the future. And who knew, they might also be reliable should a Wave occur.
It also helped that they didn't have a tavern, so L'Arc wouldn't be able to get himself drunk!
"Alright, what do you want to know?" Naofumi asked.
So they ended up discussing what Lurolona village was like.
"Wow… you all come from vastly different backgrounds, huh," Therese said in awe.
Many of the girls there shrugged. "I mean, I guess so," Wyndia mumbled.
It wasn't like anyone else there had been raised by a dragon.
"So you were formerly a slave." She said to Maya. "You had friends that were enslaved." She then gestured at Crystal. "And the townspeople of the estate that your father was ruling over were all enslaved?" Therese then pointed at Eclair. She frowned. "Even though you're all different, I'm noticing a worrying theme regarding slavery."
"Yes. That's part of why I like living in the village now." Maya admitted. "The Heroes agreed to outlaw slavery of any kind in their territory."
"But... aren't those slave crests that some of you have?" Therese pointed around. Without the armor in the way, they were very easy to see.
"Oh, these? We call them Hero Service Seals," Maya said with a smile while poking hers with her index fingers.
"... Hero… what?" Therese looked confused. Did this mean that these girls were-
"The legendary weapons can make those who wear this crest stronger," Tersia explained. "They're slave crests, yes, but they are used for the purpose of making us stronger as we level up. Some of us volunteered to have them... Some of us did not." She pointed at her crest for the first part and then pointed at Farrie who didn't have the crest as she said the second part.
"Hey, there's a reason why I didn't get it," Farrie complained.
Tersia rolled her eyes. "Because you're free-spirited and hate the thought of being connected to anyone."
"Exactly! See, you get it!" The light green-haired mage side hugged Tersia happily.
"Regardless, we don't treat them as slave crests. It's illegal for the Heroes to treat them as such too." Tersia said. "So those of us who wear it look at it as a chance to grow a lot stronger than before. Those from the village who don't wear it are treated the same."
"Oh… still, even if you're calling them by a different name-"
"Psh! Do any of us look like slaves to you?" Wyndia snarkily asked. She treated her seal like a crest of pride. "If that hero idiot started treating me like his servant, I'd throw him off the cliff before he had the chance to say "bow to me." And I'm not going to pass up the opportunity to get stronger… and to be of more use to my Hero." She said unevenly at the end, doing her best to hide the blush growing on her face.
"As for me. I look at my crest as…" Raphtalia burned a bright red. She swallowed hard and changed her explanation up in her mind. "I look at my crest as a symbol of my loyalty to the Shield Hero. It's very personal to me."
"... so, um, do those crests assign you to a certain Hero?" Therese asked.
The girls nodded.
"The Bow." Crystal, Maya, and Rishia said.
"The Sword." Wyndia and Tersia spoke out.
"The Shield," Raphtalia stated.
"Huh…" Therese looked them all over. "What about the fourth Hero?" She asked.
"Oh, the spear doesn't use the crests," Raphtalia explained. "He is morally opposed to it, even with all the precautions in place. But it doesn't really matter since he's already gotten those who help him to a pretty high level on his own."
"I see…" Therese looked down at the water again. Had she pressed too much? She'd already learned a surprising amount of info, but they seem so open to talking about this…
"You know, I thought I knew what the Shield Hero was like, but Raphtalia helped me realize most of what L'Arc and I had heard was false. Just in case, could you explain to me what you think the Heroes are like?"
Maya smiled happily. "Sure, I think the Bow Hero is the best!"
"Now now, we don't have to make this into a contest," Tersia said. "She wants honest information about all the Heroes. Not biased."
"But between her and me, we agree that the Sword Hero's the strongest." Farrie joked next to Wyndia.
Wyndia couldn't hide her blush at that and didn't say anything to refute it.
"Yes, but Sir Shield Hero is surprisingly agile in combat," Eclair mentioned. "I'd thought with his focus on Defense that he'd train more on tanking attacks. But he's also trained his agility so he can better close distances between those of us in trouble surprisingly fast."
"Yeah, but not as fast as the Bow Hero's arrows." Crystal pointed out.
"Fueh, um, yes, the Bow Hero's really good with his aim!" Rishia affirmed.
The conversation continued from there.
"Really, so that's why some of you have slave crests?" L'Arc asked in surprise.
Dou-Lon nodded. "If we're to serve Sir Shield Hero and the other Heroes the best we can, it wouldn't do us any good if we remained as weak as cubs."
Naofumi felt himself tense up at the title. But he kept silent so that L'Arc wouldn't make any assumptions.
"Well, that was your reason for it." Aksel joked. "I got it because a girl I know got it too, and I didn't want to imagine what'd happen if she became stronger than me."
"You'd probably have lost that arm wrestling tournament against her, and she would have pinned you to a bed after that," Bakta murmured.
"I wouldn't have tried to face her if I didn't have this!" Aksel pointed at the seal on his chest.
"Oh, so you only fight against girls when you know the odds are in your favor." Bakta joked.
"As if you're any better," Welt commented next to him. "Didn't you get yours so you'd stop losing to Aksel in arm wrestling?"
"Hey, nobody asked for your opinion!" Bakta yelled at him.
"He still can't beat me either," Aksel whispered into the swordsman's ear. Welt chuckled at that.
"Hey, what are you two talking about now!" Bakta yelled at them.
"Only about how much of a Payne in the neck you are." Aksel winked.
"So, you don't mind that the Heroes use slave crests?" Naofumi asked.
"Of course not. I mean, I'd mind if they were used for slavery, but I can see that isn't the case here." L'Arc said.
"... huh." The three looked surprised by his honesty. In a way, it did help to make them feel better.
L'Arc chuckled and looked at the other Heroes as their party members fell into an argument with each other. "There's something else I wanted to ask if you Kiddos wouldn't mind."
"Sure. What is it?" Ren asked.
"Is it true that the Bow Hero went on a murderous rampage recently?"
…
The off-topic question caught them off guard.
"What do you mean?" Naofumi asked tersely.
L'Arc scratched the back of his head. "Before I got to the Hero's territory, I remember hearing a rumor saying that the Bow Hero had lost control of his weapon and killed an entire group of people. After hearing what I have about the Shield though, I get the feeling that some nefarious people are out there leaving suspicious rumors about-"
"It's true."
…
…
L'Arc, Ren, and Naofumi looked at Itsuki. He was looking solemnly down at the water. "That did happen."
"... how?" L'Arc swallowed hard. "Aren't the Heroes supposed to be, you know, good?"
Itsuki explained how, and as he did so, the argument the others were having quickly halted.
The Bow Hero had gone around, freeing slaves from cruel owners all over Melromarc the last couple of months. Many of the people in the village, including children, were people that he'd rescued. But, on a day when he'd had an argument with the other Heroes about using slave crests to help make them stronger, a group of slavers snuck into the village and kidnapped all the children, killing their caretaker during the act.
He tried to chase them down, to try and stop them, but he lost their tracks. He fell into despair. And then…
'He used his Cursed Series.' L'Arc realized. He lost his focus on Itsuki's story for a moment, as some unpleasant memories suddenly began to surface in his mind.
"L'Arc, L'Arc, are you paying attention?" Ren nudged his side.
L'Arc nearly jumped. "Huh? Oh, yea, yea. Go on, Bow Kiddo."
Itsuki nodded and continued where he'd left off. "Seeing him like that… it wasn't a pretty sight. It was like he'd lost all sense of self, all sense of purpose…"
L'Arc tensed up again. Itsuki's description sounded exactly like what two of his closest friends had gone through. It made sense why he'd unlocked it.
"I guess... you must be really close to the Bow Hero, huh?" L'Arc asked.
Itsuki nodded. Surprisingly though, it was Aksel who spoke up next. "All of us here are close to the Heroes in one way or another." He looked down at the crest on his chest again. "Even if we're all from different backgrounds, I look at ourselves as one big family."
Bakta looked at him in surprise. "Really, so, you like, consider me to be your actual bro?"
"Yeah… I lost many friends in that Wave. I still have no idea if my family's okay or not. But... we're all bros here. We pick on each other, we get on each other's nerves, but we still get along and help each other out. And at the end of the day, I know I can rely on you guys to watch my back."
"Bro..." Bakta punched Aksel's shoulder. "Don't surprise me with going deep like that."
"Does picking on others include pulling their tails?" Dou-Lon skeptically asked.
Aksel grinned. "If my younger brother had been a demi, I would have done the exact same thing to mess with him." He then looked at Itsuki. "It's only thanks to the Bow Hero and the other Heroes though that I can say we're like a family. When one of us hurts, all of us hurt. Seeing him like that… it made me all the more determined to become stronger. I think it made all of us more determined in one way or another, really."
L'Arc looked at everyone again while they were lost in thought. He felt his heart tearing apart inside his chest. Just seeing these guys united like this...
The others eventually started talking again, but he remained oddly silent. Sitting here, witnessing everyone acting like this, reminded him too much of the old times. Back when his own world still had hope in it...
"He's also very nice, and very caring towards us. He refuses to let us call him leader or sir, but prefers us calling him by name." Maya said.
"And... and when I struggle with my self-esteem issues... he's... he's usually there to try and cheer me up." Rishia weakly admitted, but she was smiling as she did so. Her mind being brought back to earlier that day.
"Really?" Therese asked. "So he doesn't look at you as his underlings or anything?"
"Of course not. I kick my Hero's &%$ so often in training that it's not even funny anymore." Wyndia huffed. "If he thinks I'm below him, then he has one hell of a reality check coming his way."
"We also like to tease the Sword Hero by calling him Sir, even though he hates it," Tersia admitted with a chuckle. "It's just so nice to see how normally he reacts to it. It's nothing like what we thought a Hero would act like."
"Yet even though he's so… normal. He really applies himself to getting stronger. I can't say that I know anyone besides myself who works harder than him." Eclair coughed into her hand. "Even though he still has a long way to go in learning proper sword forms and techniques, the rate at which he is improving is frankly astounding. He has the potential to become a first-class swordsman, even without the legendary sword's aid."
She seemed to think for a moment before continuing. "Although, considering the state in which I found his skill to be initially in, I'm honestly amazed that he survived for as long as he did. It was downright shameful, a disgrace to anyone who had ever held a sword in their hand before. I've seen peasant children who could wave a stick around with more finesse than what he swung his weapon with."
"And I'm amazed that you survived so long in jail despite your prickly attitude," Wyndia growled.
"I'll let you know that I was left entirely alone for the majority of that time, thank you very much." Eclair snapped at the dog girl.
"The Bow Hero definitely had a lot more training with his weapon before he was summoned. I was amazed at how good his aim was when I joined the party." Crystal interrupted the argument before it could go into full force. "He could put all the marksmen I met before that to shame."
"Yes. We really need to ask him where he trained before his summoning one of these days." Rachel agreed with Crystal.
Therese just continued to sit still, trying to hide her surprise. She'd figured these girls would know their heroes' strengths and weaknesses. But to think that they knew each of them so personally.
"How do you know so much about your Heroes?" Therese finally asked.
"Well…" Raphtalia looked down at her hands. Had they said too much?
"Me, it's because the Shield Hero saved my life," Melty finally spoke.
"Really?" Therese asked.
"My older sister… tried to have me killed," Melty admitted. "She's still out there, actually, and she still wants me dead. The Shield Hero took me in though, and he's protected me from her ever since. Even if he can be annoying, he has a caring heart for those in trouble."
"I can agree with that," Eclair said. "I was wrongfully imprisoned by evil people, and the Shield Hero was the one who helped to break me out."
The others spoke up as well. Listing the things their Heroes had done for them. Therese was more and more surprised… and disappointed with each one's story.
They sounded nothing like their world's Heroes.
"I wanted to protect my demi-human fiance, and the Bow Hero helped me do that." Rachel was the last to speak up. She then smiled. "Actually, after we get back, we're going to go through with the wedding ceremony."
Maya looked at the woman in surprise. "Really!?"
"Yes. I wanted it to be a surprise, but I think all of you deserve to know." She said, sounding genuinely happy.
"Rachel, that's so, so… EEEEEEEEEEEE!" Maya, Farrie, and Raphtalia all converged and hugged the girl between them.
"Congrats. I'll be looking forward to the wedding." Eclair smiled before nodding.
Melty gasped. "I'll make sure everything is in place as soon as we get back. Our village's first wedding, we can't just skim over an occasion like this!"
"Oh, it doesn't have to be big and pompous-" Rachel tried to say.
"Nonsense! You should have told us sooner!" Maya said excitedly. "There's so much we'll have to get done when we get back!"
Rachel started to chuckle nervously amongst the girls. "Well, um… I do still need to ask the Bow Hero if he can officiate it. If you could help me with that-"
"Of course!" The girls continued chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Therese stood out like a sore thumb, seeing them like this. She thumbed over the accessory on her wrist again, trying to soothe her mind with the pleasant whispers coming from it.
Could she genuinely convince her friends to abandon their Heroes and follow her back to her world? That had seemed possible before, but now...
"Therese, you should come too!" Raphtalia invited the blue-haired girl.
"H-huh?" The girl was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts.
Raphtalia smiled. "You're our friend now, right? If you and L'Arc are interested, we wouldn't mind having you in our village for the celebration."
…
Therese looked conflicted. "I'll… let me think about it." She said after a moment.
The other girls focused on Rachel again. Therese took the opportunity to breathe in and out to try and calm herself.
Gods above and below, what was she doing here?! Maybe it would be better if- but their world needed saving- but- but…
Was it really worth it?
…
While the women were deeply engrossed in discussing the details of the oncoming wedding, Filo had eventually grown bored with swimming around in the springs. She climbed out and pondered for a moment what to do next when her ears suddenly caught a distant echo of one of her most favorite sounds in the world. With a bright smile, she casually hopped over the tall wooden wall separating the woman's bath from the men's bath to follow it to its source.
L'Arc and the others were in the middle of discussing something entirely different when Filo suddenly landed into the center of their spring with a big Splash! that covered them all in water.
"Gah! What the hell is that!?" Welt exclaimed in shock.
"Ow! My eyes!" Aksel grunted while rubbing his face.
"Wait, I recognize her-" Dou-Lon started to say.
"Filo!" Naofumi yelled out in surprise.
Filo shook her hair around and tossed it over her shoulder before spotting the shield hero and smiling widely. "Daddy! Filo knew it! It was Daddy's voice that Filo heard over here!" The filolial said happily. "Can Daddy play with Filo, please? It's so boring over there with Mommy and everyone else. Not even Melty wants to play."
Naofumi put a hand to his head and did his best to keep his voice sweet. "Filo, dear, you shouldn't have jumped here like that. Don't you know that this side is for guys?"
"But Filo heard Daddy and wanted to play!" Filo replied, immediately going doe-eyed in the process.
"... okay, how about this." Naofumi sighed with a defeated smile. "You go back to mommy and Melty now and then all of us will go to the beach tomorrow. We can play all day there if you want."
"But Filo-" The white-winged girl tried to protest.
"Filo, honey, please, this is a man's bath. It isn't decent for a little girl like you to be in front of us while dressed in only a towel." Naofumi tried to lecture her gently.
"Is it because Daddy's afraid that the other men will try to mate with Filo against her will?" Filo cocked her head to the side curiously.
…
…
Naofumi felt a part of himself die upon hearing that response.
Did… did Filo actually understand what she'd just said? What happened to his cute, sweet, innocent daughter?
Was this the Second Princess's fault?! Was she the one who had corrupted his precious Filo?! If so, he was going to have words with her.
"Don't worry Daddy, Filo isn't interested in anyone here." His daughter continued happily, completely oblivious to his internal existential crisis. "And if they try anything, Filo will give them a mighty kick, just like Daddy taught me!"
The others sweatdropped while trying to look at anything but Filo. Their hands were also covering their manhoods.
"N-no worries here! I'm n-not interested in little girls at-t-t all!" Aksel squeaked as his voice cracked.
"Shut up, you moron, don't draw attention to yourself." Bakta hissed at him under his breath
"... Alright, well, we can play tomorrow as I said, so just hop on over back to the girls' side, okay?" Naofumi pleaded with a strained smile.
"Ok, Filo will look forward to it! See you later Daddy!" Filo hopped out of the spring and then jumped over the wall, back to the other side.
Naofumi slowly let out the long breath that he was holding in. Part of him still felt dead from realizing his cute innocent daughter wasn't as innocent as he'd thought she was. "Sorry about that everyone. I sometimes forget how young she is and that she doesn't know everything about what's appropriate and-"
"Wait, the other girls are here too?" L'Arc suddenly asked excitedly.
"Yeah, they're enjoying the hot springs too. Why do you… … … oh… oh no." Naofumi groaned.
L'Arc stood up excitedly. "Bros, Kiddos, this is an opportunity that we can't pass up!"
Naofumi sank his face into his hands. L'Arc better not be suggesting what he thought he was-
"What opportunity?" Dou-Lon asked curiously.
"It's simple. We're going to peep on the girls." L'Arc announced enthusiastically.
…
Yep, Naofumi wasn't going to have any part in this.
"P-P-Peep on them?!" Ren nearly shrieked. He almost fell over into the water in shock.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Itsuki shouted.
"Come on. I know some of you hold some interest in the girls in your parties. Haven't you ever imagined what they'd look like when wearing only towels?" L'Arc asked. "Or, even better, nothing at all."
"..." Ren froze up. It was likely that his brain had stopped working.
"O-Of course not! I'm entirely focused on helping the Shield Hero! There's no way-" Dou-Lon started to say.
"Who are you trying to fool tiger man? Haven't you been spending an awful lot of time training with Eclair lately? She's probably on the other side too." Welt muttered to himself. The girls in his party were scary. But the girls in the other parties… hmmm…
"First off, I am not a tiger, I am a Hakuko! There's a difference! Second, I have no interest in that pompous human swordswoman!" Dou-Lon shouted.
"Sure you don't." Aksel teased. "That's why you allow her to drag you off every time she needs a sparring partner, isn't it?"
"Speak for yourself. This is your chance to peep on your Raccoon girl." Bakta teased.
"Urk!" Aksel started blushing furiously. Finally, the Sword Hero's tank had gotten a jab into the Bow Hero's tank.
"We can't support this!" Itsuki yelled. He couldn't imagine how furious Rishia would be if he peeped on her! Not that she'd be the girl he'd peep on! Of course not!
Ren, however, had started to shake furiously. He imagined himself looking over the wall. Seeing Wyndia in only a towel.
He imagined her looking up at him, seeing her face flush red. She'd look so cute being flustered and embarrassed, and then-
She'd utterly destroy him for peeping on her.
"W-W-We can't. Th-they'll kill us if we do that." Ren said, fearing for his life.
"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Sword Kiddo." L'Arc put an arm over his shoulder again and began to lead him out of the water. "What's life without a few risks anyway?"
"No. We can't do this." Itsuki said. However, he was following L'Arc and Ren.
"I would never be able to live with myself after doing something so shameful." Welt, Bakta, Aksel, even Dou-Lon were following despite saying that or something along the same lines.
Naofumi put his face in his hands. Those idiots really were too young for this. Maybe having L'Arc move to the village would be a bad idea after all. He couldn't take three steps without causing a disaster it seemed.
"Come on Shield Kiddo, aren't you going to join us?" L'Arc asked. "Surely you must be interested in peeping on your girlfriend at least."
Naofumi stood up, but instead of approaching them, he started to walk towards the exit. "Nope. Not at all." He was done with this idiocy.
"Really? You can't seriously expect me to believe that you're not even a little interested?" L'Arc protested.
"Not even a little bit," Naofumi said.
"Oh? …oh. I thought that since you had a girlfriend you were... hmm, not gonna lie, I didn't think that you swung that way." L'Arc muttered. "Everyone! Protect your butt cheeks!"
"What? No! That's not- urgh!" Naofumi made a fist. What he'd give for an attack stat about now. Some of the other guys laughed.
"Nah, I'm just joking, if I were to guess, it's because you've already seen everything, haven't you?" L'Arc teased. Everything he said sounded like a joke-
Naofumi froze. Was L'Arc purposefully playing mind games to rile him up as payback for earlier?
Naofumi began to chuckle darkly. Two could play that game. "Actually, that part is right."
"Ha, so you-..."
…
…
Naofumi paused in the doorway and looked back at L'Arc's shocked face. Everyone else looked plenty shocked too. He found himself smirking as it was the honest truth. It had been an accident, and he tried not to think about it. But…
"I already know what's under that towel. And I hope you won't get into as much trouble as I did. Raphtalia got so mad that she kicked me in the balls and I felt it even through my ridiculously high defense stat. I can't imagine what your girls will do if they find out that you wanted to steal a peek, but I don't think that it will be anything fun."
The Shield Hero laughed evilly as he exited the springs.
"... he… he was joking, right?" Ren asked nervously.
"I… I don't think so." Itsuki swallowed hard.
They were already having second thoughts, and Naofumi's comment made them have third and even fourth thoughts about this plan.
"Bah, he was definitely joking. There's no way that Shield Kiddo has actually progressed that far with his girl." L'Arc waved his hand dismissively.
"Nope, I'm not doing this." Itsuki immediately turned tail and fled for the exit. Ren looked between him and the fence separating the baths a few times, looking conflicted but eventually followed right after the bow hero.
"Wusses!" L'Arc yelled at their retreating backs. However, they disappeared into the exit, just like Naofumi. L'Arc turned to the remaining guys. "You're not cowards like those Kiddos, right?"
"I'm no coward!" Dou-Lon yelled.
"Yeah!" The other guys cheered.
"Then come on, let's prove that we're real men!" L'Arc cheered for them.
The guys proceeded to run up to the wooden wall separating their bath from the women's. They stood there for a moment, wondering how they'd peek over the fifteen-foot enclosure when L'Arc had the great idea of forming a human pyramid.
It turned out to be not such a great idea in retrospect.
"Ack! Watch where you put your foot!" Dou-Lon complained.
"Sorry man, I'm trying my best," Welt said above him. He tried to keep his head looking straight down, so he didn't look up the towel of the guy above him.
L'Arc tried to find his balance at the top. With all of them standing on each other's shoulders, the human tower was barely high enough for him to peep over. But what a wondrous peep it'd be indeed! He really hoped that he could snag a glance at Therese's figure!
"No fair, why do you get to be the one on top first?" Aksel whined.
"Are you that desperate to peep on Maya?" Bakta grunted out next to him. They were acting as the foundation of the pyramid.
"Maybe I'm just curious, alright?" Aksel said back to the tank. Bakta was surprised to see Aksel admit that might be a factor.
His brother was finally growing up.
"It was my idea, so I get first dibs. Now just stay steady." L'Arc leaned towards the wall, eager to get his first glimpse of paradise when-
"Oh crap, I'm slipping-" Dou-Lon exclaimed in terror.
"Wait, hold o-" Aksel tried to shout.
Crack!
The pyramid of idiots tumbled forward, and the wooden wall snapped inward. L'Arc fell over it directly into the spring filled with girls.
"Ahhhhhhh!" All of them reacted in obvious surprise, scattering to the edges of the hot water.
L'Arc quickly surfaced and started to wipe the hot water out from his eyes. "Damn it, stupid weak walls! Stupid rotten luck! Stupid-…" Wait, had he lost his towel? He didn't feel any fabric around his waist anymore, and hadn't he been peeping over the other side of the wall for a reason?
He finally opened his eyes and saw the girls of the other parties. He then looked down and found that yes, his towel was missing.
Oops.
"Hehehe, I can explain-" L'Arc started to say.
"FILO! KICK HIM!" Raphtalia yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Eh?" The redhead muttered.
"Kaaaaay! Nice knowing you, Scythe Guy!~" Suddenly, a large bird monster filled up his view. Filo's foot was already bent behind her almost above her head.
L'Arc's eyes widened frantically. "Wait! Wait, it's just a big misunder-" L'Arc tried to cover his manhood with his hands.
CRACK!
A sound eerily familiar to that of breaking glass reverberated throughout the hot springs. Covering up didn't help with shielding the redhead from the incoming impact at all and only made him feel like his hands had fused with his balls.
Speechless, his mouth hanging open in pure pain and shock, L'Arc was launched far, far up into the air. Then, after hitting the peak of his ascent, he dropped like a stone into the guy's Hot Spring with a loud KERSPLASH!
Standing at the exit door, a smirking Naofumi looked at the two other Heroes who'd wised up like him. "I told you this would happen." He commented while wiping a single tear out of the corner of his eye.
'Filo, my pride and joy. You just earned yourself an all-you-can-eat barbeque and a hair brushing tomorrow.' He was so proud that she was his daughter. Hell, she could have two barbeques. She earned it.
The other two heroes idly watched as L'arc's seemingly lifeless body slowly floated up out of the water face down. Both of them grimaced in pain. That must have really hurt. Filo's kicks had only grown stronger since she leveled up.
"You, you okay there L'Arc?" Itsuki asked with obvious concern.
"brbblll"
The water around L'arc's head bubbled up slightly. That was probably a sign that the redhead was still alive.
Though that might not be a blessing in this situation.
The rest of the human tower slowly backed away from the broken fence.
"Okay I take it back, I'm glad I didn't go first," Aksel spoke out flatly.
"Yeah, let's get out of here before-"
Before Welt could finish speaking, a wave of darkness suddenly covered the exit, trapping them in. Naofumi whistled to himself behind the new barrier. "Alright, the show's over. Let's go before we become the targets of their wrath too." Naofumi suggested.
"Yep, I need to get to studying!" Ren nodded repeatedly.
"And I need to, um… to not be here! Yeah, that's it!" Itsuki agreed while wiping some sweat off his brow.
They all rushed off to their rooms. Leaving the poor guys of their parties to suffer a fate worse than death.
Author's Notes:
Welp, this is probably the most fanservice you'll get besides the beach next chapter.
You don't need to worry about L'Arc by the way. Therese isn't heartless enough to not use her healing magic on him in this situation (after all, it'd be their future children at stake if she didn't). But oh man, those poor, poor unfortunate souls. I almost feel bad for them. Almost.
This is also an FYI. The Cal Mira Hot Springs was inspired by an extra chapter from the LN that wasn't included in the anime. It's one of the biggest things I wish the anime hadn't cut out.
If you want, consider the following omake to be canon.
Hero Clips!
Stupid Boys
"Sir Ren, the guys were peeping on us in the Hot Spring!"
"Huh?!" Ren looked up from the book he was frantically trying to study and acted surprised at the news. "They did what?!"
"..."
"..."
Wyndia stared at him. Sweat beaded on Ren's forehead. Did she know that he'd almost joined those guys just for a chance to peep on her and-
"Oh." Wyndia finally muttered.
"Huh?" Ren asked.
"Never mind. It's nothing." Wyndia turned around and began to walk towards the door.
"Are you sure? If you want, I can lecture the others-"
"It's nothing! We'll handle it!" Wyndia snapped at him. "Get back to your studies, dummy!" After yelling that, she slammed the door behind her, shaking the wall of his room.
Ren sweatdropped at that. But internally, he was melting with relief. 'Oh, thank God she doesn't think I wanted to peep on her.' With a happy hum since he was out of danger, Ren got back to trying to read the book in his hands.
…
"Um, is everything alright, Wyndia?" Tersia hesitantly asked.
The dog girl was beating her head against the stone wall outside of Ren's room. "Stupid, boys, stupid, boys, stupid, boys, stupid…" Her forehead slammed into the wall between each word.
An indent was starting to be left in the stone. Tersia grimaced at the sight. "Come on, let's get back to our room before we have to pay for property damage."
"Stupid, boys, stupid, boys, stupid…" Wyndia wasn't listening. She continued beating her head against the stone.
Of course, Ren wouldn't try to peep on her. Why would he, being the stupid, freaking idiot boy that he was?
She should have known better than to get her hopes up.
This next one is for Victor John Foxfire, who suggested it after I'd uploaded the chapter: sorry it's not Ave Maria, but this one's good too.
P.S. Disclaimer: I don't own the lyrics. I recommend looking up on Youtube "Hellfire, Hunchback of Notre Dame" for this.
Hero Clips!
Hellfire
"FILO! KICK HIM!" Raphtalia yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Eh?" The redhead muttered.
"Kaaaaay! Nice knowing you, Scythe Guy!~" Suddenly, a large bird monster filled up his view. Filo's foot was already bent behind her almost above her head.
L'Arc's eyes widened frantically. "Wait! Wait, it's just a big misunder-" L'Arc tried to cover his manhood with his hands.
CRACK!
L'Arc stood still, almost as if frozen in time. His body slowly rose upwards out of the water.
"They utter, Maria... You know I am a righteous man."
It was like he couldn't feel anything. All he could do was sing of his lament. The guys, slowly getting up from the wreckage by the fence, started singing the chorus for him to lament with him.
"Of my virtue I was justly proud."
"Et tibet Pater (And to you Father)."
L'Arc's body was out of the water by this point. But his neurons had as of yet to finish relaying to his mind the excruciating amount of pain coming its way. Was this what it was like, seeing one's life flash before their eyes?
"They utter, Maria. You know I'm so much purer than the common, vulgar, weak licentious crowd."
"Quia peccavi nimis (That I have sinned)."
Ugh, and he'd done so much stupid crap too. He continued rising into the air. He could feel his hands smashed into something now. But the true pain had as of yet to arrive.
"Then tell me, Maria. Why I see her dancing there. Why her turquoise eyes still scorch my soul."
"Cogitatione (In thought)."
The pain finally reached his mind. It was beyond description. Words couldn't do it justice. L'Arc almost stumbled on the next words of the song.
"I feel her, I see her! The sun caught in her turquoise hair! Is blazing in me out of all control!"
"Verbo et opere (In word and deed)."
Glancing down, he could see Therese staring up at him. Out of anger, pity, or some other emotion, he couldn't tell. His mind was starting to lose the ability to think. He was also starting to realize what a bad idea it'd been to try and peep on his girl in the first place. Or at least, trying to do so by standing on top of a human pyramid of other guys who wanted to peep as well.
"Like fire. Hellfire. This fire in my skin."
Yes, that's what it felt like. This pain coursing through him, filling his entire body. Like hellfire.
"This burning... Desire…" L'Arc couldn't bring himself to finish as he began to fall towards the spring below. The only thought that came to his mind...
"Has turned this man to sin…"
Was that he should have tried peeping on Therese while she was showering by herself.
KERSPLASH!
"Brbbll"
The chorus of guys bowed to the drowning L'Arc. "We lost a good man today."
"We truly did." They nodded to each other and turned to leave.
"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken."
They suddenly turned, faces pale as ghosts, realizing the girls of their parties were still there. All of them were dressed in their towels, and Eclair was at their head. They should have realized this was the only moment of eye candy they were ever going to get, but their minds were too busy being consumed by primal fear to realize that fact.
"I'm pretty certain we're losing all of you." Eclair coldly muttered, cracking her knuckles together. Some of the mages raised their hands, magic crackling on their fingertips.
"Eep! Run for your-" Dou-Lon turned towards the exit, and ran into a black barrier of magic.
And thus, unspeakable horrors were wrought on the guys of the Hero's parties.
Moral of the story: you should never peep on a girl's hot spring. Ever.
Till Next Time
Allen