"Job well done, Akashi!" Esdeath said to me once we finished taking care of all the enemies.
"Mm...How are the casualties?" I nodded and asked while glancing at our soldiers.
"We lost around one hundred soldiers and another hundred is injured, most of it was on our left flank. We underestimated their leaders too much. But overall, I think it was still very good considering that they had twice more soldiers than us." Esdeath said with a serious expression and closed eyes to honor the deaths of her soldiers.
So we lost around one-tenth of our soldiers...I wouldn't call it overwhelming victory but as Esdeath said, considering their number advantage, it is indeed very good.
"Akashi! What was that?! It was totally cool, you have to tell me what was that!" Mez and Suzuka joined us and Mez immediately exclaimed with a surprised expression when she saw me standing calmly near Esdeath.
"Ah, it's slightly complicated to describe. Let's just say that it's my Teigu." I replied with a small smile.
"Elemental-type Teigu, huh? Anyway, it was really cool how everyone completely disappeared without any trace, haha!" Mez muttered with a thoughtful expression before she started laughing when she recalled the scene of my 3 mini suns in the sky.
"I have heard that Elemental-type Teigu are the hardest to control and one needs enormous will power to control it or he will turn insane. You are pretty amazing, Akashi, hehe." Suzuka said with a creepy laugh.
"Thanks for the praise but I won't use it the other way than on my enemies." I resolutely said with closed eyes since I knew what she was hinting on.
"...Let's stop talking we need to retreat and treat injured or our death count will be even higher" Esdeath just glanced at those two and then directed her gaze at me while saying this.
"Agreed, but can you go ahead without me? I still have somewhere to go and it's close by so I said to myself why not stop there now since I have time." I said with a helpless smile and explained the situation.
"Whaaat? You will leave us, Akashi?" Mez asked with a disappointed expression.
"Hm...Alright, will you return directly to the Capital or should we wait for you?" Esdeath ignored Mez's comment and instead looked at me and after seeing that I have not acquired any injuries, she agreed with a small nod and asked me.
"Well...I guess I will return directly to the Capital so you can go back without me." I replied after a second of thinking with a small smile across my face.
"Alright...Everyone! Take injured back to the temporary camp and those with serious injuries will be quickly treated right now and wait until we reach the camp to fully heal!" Esdeath shouted at everyone attending to the injured ones and to those who are collecting loot from enemies.
"YES!" Everyone shouted back and started helping injured ones to their legs, even those who were collecting loots stopped and immediately started helping.
Esdeath turned around and slowly walked away from us toward our previous camp's direction while directing the soldiers on the way.
"*sigh* I guess this will be the last time we see each other for some time..." Mez released a sad sigh and even her expression was overly serious and sad.
...We only know each other for around 2 days, why are they both like that?
"What's up with those faces, both of you? We only know each other for a few days, there is no need to be so sad." I asked with a confused expression and one raised eyebrow.
"Maybe it's like that for you, Akashi. But we are always locked up inside Kouken temple and this was one of the few missions we could go out. We had a lot of fun together with you so we wanted to last it for a bit longer..." Mez shook her head and explained with a small sad smile. Even Suzuka nodded to show that she agrees with Mez's words.
*sigh* I was also locked up inside my mansion for a few years but I guess it's different when they train you solely to be the Empire's executioners yet unable to even go outside and use their training in practice.
"I see, then do your best to survive so we can see each other in the future..." I said with a small smile.
Hopefully, it won't be as enemies but I am sure none of us would show any mercy to any side so it's alright. But I guess Suzuka wouldn't mind us being enemies...
"Hmph! Who do you think you are talking to?!" Mez snorted in playful way and flexed her petite arm to show her biceps to me.
...I can't even say to her to be careful not to break those sticks since she is able to break a giant tree in two with her fist alone.
"How about some parting gift?" Suzuka asked with a bright smile and I immediately knew what she wanted...
"Heh! Sure, come here!" I shouted and took hold of her hand with both of my hands and pulled her slightly closer to me but mainly away from Mez.
"Oh? I didn't think you would give me that but I don't min- Huh?" She started saying in teasing tone before she noticed my suspicious smirk.
I started spinning at the place together with her at great speed and then let go of her hand, throwing her very far away, perhaps she will even fly over Esdeath and her soldiers that departed some time ago.
"That is good too!!" I was able to hear her shout before she completely disappeared inside the forest.
"Jeez, she is an annoying one." I muttered while scratching my head with a slightly irritated expression.
"Hehe, that's pretty normal. What about me?" Mez chuckled and then asked me with expecting shining eyes.
"Huh?" I turned at her with a confused expression.
"You gave Suzuka parting gift so what about me? You must be fair!" She said with a strict expression while pointing at me with her index finger.
*sigh* What am I to give you? You already ate my cookies so I would say it's fair enough already.
"Alright, here you go." I said after a while of thinking and started ruffling through her hair, totally messing up her bangs.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" She shrieked, trying to recover her previous hairstyle but there was still a satisfied smile on her face.
"You should go back." I replied with a small smile.
"...Hmph! Alright, see you...later" She said and quickly followed after Suzuka.
...
After Mez finally left, I was able to start my "purification" plan. I started burning all dead bodies on the battlefield and by the end...
[Energy: 280/1125]
[0,2 BXP for burning your enemy] x1600
Special Class:Fire Monarch (Lv. 9; +18 Cha, +16 Int, +12 Const, +6 Str) 1384/2560
Hm? Why such a small amount? Is it because I didn't kill them myself? I also remember that they were mostly looted so it could also be the reason. When I burned the weapon used by those men named Adol and Ken, they gave me pretty good experience points, most likely due to good quality material.
Anyway, my energy is really low and even I am starting to feel exhaustion. Usually, it never took energy when burning corpses but I guess on such a large scale it's different.
I decided to sit down on the near small boulder and rest a bit but I wasn't only resting. I was also waiting for someone...
After more than 5 minutes...
[Energy: 353/1125]
2 masked figures suddenly jumped in front of the boulder I was sitting on.
"Just the two of you? I guess your leader kinda hates me now, heh" I said with a small smile.
"Hi, Akashi!" Taeko exclaimed and started waving at me.
"Hi, Taeko. Long time no see if you don't count that encounter, just by looking at you, I can see that you have improved a lot." I returned the greeting with a genuine smile.
"Babara..." I directed my gaze at the other person and nodded at her.
"Thank you for not creating any bigger conflict back then, Akashi." She said in a grateful tone and also nodded her head.
"No need to thank me. I owed you that much." I said with a smirk.
"?! Wait, you don't mean-" Babara noticed the true meaning inside my words.
"Well, your leader's life is pretty valuable, isn't it? But I happen to be in need of something so I might take just that as repayment instead of the favor I owe you." I said with a sly smile while resting my chin on my hands.
"...Haha, you are really interesting...Not only you are strong but you are also so smart at such a young age. I don't mind at all, please, speak your mind." Babara observed me in silence and the serious atmosphere appeared around us before she started laughing aloud, completely erasing the serious atmosphere.
"I knew you would understand me. I would have asked for those Danger Beasts but I am aware that it's something you can't give me personally. As a clan, you should have some secret prescriptions for a healthy mixture of herbs or other things as fruits or even blood of Danger Beasts." I said with a smile and when Babara heard my words she immediately fell into silence.
"...You really know a lot, I wonder how you are aware of it?" She asked with a tired tone.
"I was never aware of it...I had just guessed but even if you told me that you have nothing, it would be hard for me to believe you after you have given me a few vials of that liquid that can heal wounds almost instantly." I replied with a calm smile.
"Heh, I guess it wasn't that hard to guess but I must warn you, the materials are quite expensive and they don't really strengthen your physical body. Of course, after a while of using them, you will notice some significant changes but it will take a lot of time and money. They are more suitable for soothing one's mind and spirit. Some of them also improve health and extended usage can apparently lead to a longer lifespan but don't get your hopes too high." She resigned and completely explained what they have in store.
---
'Although he said that he wants this as a payment for not killing Merraid but just the fact that I will go along with his whim will make him at least slightly grateful or make him have a better opinion of us. And I really want to keep someone so young yet so strong close to our clan. That move he used to erase more than five hundred people...Even I would have a problem evading that large scale attack.' Babara thought with her own sly smile behind the mask.
---
"That sounds good enough, you are really helpful." I said with a grateful smile but I was able to see through Babara's intentions, however, I don't mind it as long as they are useful.
"I can write a few main ingredients on the paper here but I will have to return back to the clan to actually send you the process of making those medicines and everything else. But those prescriptions are really valuable so I will also have to talk with the leader but there shouldn't be any problem." Babara said to highlight how valuable those prescriptions are to her clan and I couldn't help but smile seeing her intentions. She then took out piece of paper and quickly wrote something on it before giving it to me.
When I had the paper in my hand and looked over it I was slightly surprised to see honey as one of the many main ingredients.
Ugh, honey is extremely expensive in this world but she indeed said that it will be expensive...
"Thank you for this, I will be awaiting the rest once I return to the Capital." I said with a grateful nod and smile.
"Akashi?!" Taeko who was quiet the entire time called out to me once I have jumped down from the boulder, intending to leave.
"I am sorry Taeko, we can't have our spar right now...but I believe that you would have given me much greater challenge than the entire army I was facing against. Never stop improving yourself even if you will think that you hit your peak!" I said with an apologetic smile because I knew what she wanted and then gave her a small "advice" with a genuine smile. Well, it was more like a cheer than advice but guessing from how firmly she nodded her head, she gratefully accepted it.
"See you later!" We said our goodbyes and parted ways.
With these prescriptions, I will be able to make Kurome even stronger and probably even myself, I will have to try it out to be sure if it will work on me too.