The day had finally come.
The day, when all of Akira's careful preparation would be tested.
Akira, Yui, and Kanna all congregated at the spousal hut early in the morning, while Sugary's army was still readying up for their advance on Bali's domain.
"I arranged for Vash to meet us here," Akira explained. "I had him go...shopping, for us."
Sure enough, he stormed through the door before long, bearing whole new sets of top-of-the-line, high-quality weapons and armor, bought using some of the money Akira had set aside, from their combined earnings in the prosperous banana trade.
Firstly, a [Vandal Set] for Ai, that was comprised of a skin tight black leotard with long, exposing holes cut along the sides, decorated with white frills all along the hip line; black knee-high boots with ornamental buckles, fingerless wrist gloves, and a short white cape.
A [Rose Set] for Kanna, comprised of a red and pink-colored armored bra, over a dark, chain link undershirt that only covered the upper torso; shrunken, rounded pauldrons and a long, trailing, royal purple cloak; a pleated burgundy toned skirt, sturdy pink greaves and vambraces, and laced black stockings with garter belts.
Vash himself had on a simple but stylish [Magister Set]: some black robes, and a red hat.
"Wow! These are great!" Ai said excitedly, her tail wagging as she twisted and turned to get a fuller look at herself. "Thanks a bunch, Big Sis and Pervy Uncle!"
Vash winced at the new nickname she'd apparently chosen for him, but said nothing.
Kanna simply gave him a grunt in approval, as she dusted off the sparkling new set of pauldrons and turned to Akira. "How do I look,?"
The two held each other and indulged in a romantic kiss, while Vash could only queasily watch.
His stomach was sick. His brain, a raging storm of unholy realizations:
'I had feelings for that Warrior girl, but now she won't even acknowledge me.'
'Akira has changed her into an entirely different person, practically overnight, and they're making out right in front of me without a care of my feelings.'
'I'm both angry...but at the same time, completely turned on by this.'
So when at last it came time for Akira to receive her gears, Vash withheld them at first.
His expression was serious. "I can't believe you allowed them to keep me locked up, for so long."
At once, the previously festive air grew tense, as Akira silently and nonchalantly stared up into Vash's fierce, narrowed gaze.
"Someone had to do all the banana-picking," she said, after a moment passed.
Vash gritted his teeth, on the verge of fury. "Even after you hired more workers, you still—"
Before he could finish, Akira held a finger up to his mouth and calmly shushed him. As she did, she gently pressed her body unto his—squeezing her breasts against his bare chest.
"I know you wouldn't really mind doing anything I'd ask of you..."
"It's plain to see that this is all just a show you're putting on, in a pathetic effort to save face."
She laughed, while slowly stroking the length of his chest with one smooth hand. Vash's expression nonetheless remained unchanged, but for his forehead that now visibly shined with sweat.
To only further press her attack, Akira's voice had fallen into a low, sensual growl:
"Hand it over already, Vash. I have no doubt that the outfit you got for me is the best, and sexiest one of them all."
"I know you want to see me wearing it. To see me become stronger, and more sexy than ever."
Vash didn't hold out for much longer as, internally, he was screaming. "You really are cutthroat," he said as he relented finally; handing her the things with a grimace.
The armor he bought for her was the [Love Trader Set]: A light brown corset with a backless, high-collared, thin white top, that was stretched to its absolute limit in order to facilitate her enormous breasts, with the splash of green provided by her [Big Business Tie] serving as an ideal compliment. There were dark brown elbow gloves, with a design like long, outward blooming petals surrounding the wrists. Thigh-high brown stockings, so tight against her skin that it caused her lusciously fat thighs to bulge out from them. Enamel, platform-heeled dark brown Mary Jane shoes that clearly leaned more toward style than utility.
Furthermore, Akira saw that the outfit had a unique set bonus effect, which was applied to her so long as all its pieces were worn together.
[Commerce Mastery]: [Grants wearer 15% haggling bonus for purchase and sale at shops.]
Vash gruffly explained: "It means whenever you buy or sell items at a shop, you'll lose less and gain more in the transaction, respectively."
"It's perfect," Akira said, giving a happy twirl with it on. "Vash...you've really done an incredible job."
Vash smirked—the lingering venom in his visage still obvious.
"With an effect like that, you'd be foolish to ever send me to do your shopping again," he mumbled, at a tone barely above his breath.
It was a small way he could get back at her, in his mind. Small, and ultimately insignificant.
After all, she'd probably find all sorts of other uses for him besides that.
He sighed, becoming lost in thought while the girls chattered excitedly among themselves. 'You really are so cute, though. And, the way you saw through me like a book just now...'
'I want to say I wish we'd never met, and yet every time I look at you...'
Akira and the others were out the door of the hut faster than he could even wrap up that thought, though, so he dropped it, and quickly followed after.
The time had come, that would serve as a culmination of Akira's efforts in the Macaque Village.
A fighting force of Macaque, garbed in lacquered wood plate armor, armed with spears and sabers, were on the march through the briar forest.
Sugary rode with them, in a golden howdah on an elephant's back. He was staring forward intently, in anticipation of the long-awaited battle to come—aflame with yearning, for a return to the loving embrace of his one true love. Despite all Akira had done to make this all possible, he'd all but divorced his current wife so he'd had no intention of riding with her, as he was already contemplating what flavor to cook all that thick, juicy Squell meat with later, in the event this campaign turned out to be for naught.
Unbeknownst to him, Akira and friends were one step ahead of his aging idiot monkey brain, as they were creeping through the trees to follow the army's advance. So when the army abruptly came to a halt at a large clearing, so did they, as the tension in the air grew palpable.
Akira's company conferred with each other in hushed voices:
"Bali's Kingdom shouldn't be far from where we are now," Kanna said. "Well, it used to belong to Sugary, until he overtook it in a coup, and stole his wife."
"Try to get a look at what's going on," Akira directed Ai, pointing up into a tree.
"Yessir," Ai said, then proceeded to climb it with impressive agility, activating her new and hard-won [Stealth] ability as she did so, just as a precaution.
At this time, Akira could feel a familiar presence looming in the trees behind her.
"It's you again," she said aloud, turning to face it with a glare.
"I am pleased that you made it this far." The shadow counselor said to her, with a slight bow.
Kanna bristled—reaching for her hammer in her inventory—but Akira calmed her.
"It's alright," Akira said to her. "He's on our side. Or at least, I THINK so."
The counselor continued, unabated: "I came to provide you with some information, that shall come in handy soon."
"Bali...Sugary's brother...possesses a peculiar power."
Akira interrupted him: "A power which allows him to partially absorb the strength of any being he faces in battle."
She turned to him with a cocky grin. "Is that correct?"
The White Monkey stroked his beard. By the look on his face, it was clear he was impressed.
"Indeed. But then, how exactly do you plan to fight against a power like that?"
Akira gave a mischievous smile. "I'm working on it."
With that, the Monkey said no more, and disappeared into a puff of white smoke as before.
Shortly after, Ai slipped back down from a nearby tree, bringing a sense of urgency.
"An entire army is standing across the clearing!" She reported. "It must be Sugary's brother!"
Akira exchanged glances with the others. "I guess it's about to begin." She could tell they were all somewhat tense—as anyone would be, in the face of an impending monkey war.
To combat this, Akira brought them all together in a huddle—for a little managerial pep talk:
"Remember, this isn't OUR battle."
"We're only here to make damn sure that Bali dies."
"Because with Bali dead, Sugary gets his stupid wife and kingdom back."
"As I've been told by our white monkey friend, this will benefit us in the long run...and I'm inclined to believe it."
"You see, I once...left someone behind. Someone that sacrificed herself, so that I could escape."
"Her name was Lazuli, and she was actually...kind of hot." She looked down sadly, remembering the gorgeous sight of her ass in that leotard, with overwhelming regret. "That's why...I want to be able to save her someday."
Kanna raised an eyebrow—sharing her love with one other girl was hard enough, but TWO...
Still, Akira continued, as her voice became more and more triumphant:
"Basically, what I'm saying is that we're doing this for the greater good! Not for ourselves."
"We're doing this so that Sugary will stop taking slaves, and I can one day rescue a beautiful girl!"
"But...I can't do it alone. So, I want you to tell me right now—each of you—whether you'll continue to stand by my side!"
Ai gave a decisive nod. "I'm with you all the way, Captain!"
Kanna smiled. "Ara ara, of course I'll fight valiantly at your side, to the end."
At last there was Vash, who'd been noticeably quiet ever since they'd departed from the village.
Feeling all their expectant gazes upon him, he sighed as his frown turned into a slight grin. "I can't very well say 'no' to all you beautiful girls, now can I?"
"That settles it, then!" Akira declared. "Today...we're putting a stop to all this monkey bullshit!"