After leaving the village to start their journey, Takumi couldn't wait to get into his first serious fight so he was so excited that he didn't stop to examine where he was going and Ichika noticed and made him snap out of his trance and asked if he knew his way out of humour.
"Ah ah ah." Takumi answered, "I know that all we have to do is follow this path and we'll get there in no time."
As Takumi beamed with arrogance, Ichika felt even more satisfied at breaking him down. She told him that it was a long journey and they couldn't get there in a day, Takumi's exuberance was slightly lowered after hearing this but reached it's lowest when he found out that they would meet someone and train further along the way. Ichika, who looked very pleased with herself with temporarily dismantling Takumi's arrogance took the leading role of the journey.
After what seemed like too short of a time period, Takumi was once again cheerful, "so who's this person we're gonna meet?" He asked.
Ichika felt annoyed but still replied reluctantly, "she's an elder dragon host and her name is Luna Hashurama, that's all I'll reveal for now,"
Takumi's mind stopped processing the information at utter of the word 'she', he was looking forward to them meeting due to the fact that she was female and this presented him with another chance to test his skills of swooning.
"Looks like you have some competition for my love, dear" he teased Ichika but she had a look of not caring which puzzled the conceited Takumi but nevertheless they just continued their journey with a unusually small level of conversation.
Takumi was still thinking about meeting Luna and what she looked like and her personality but each time he looked over at Ichika's dull face, his thoughts stopped. He then decided to put his other matters aside and try his best to care for her needs, which was very unlike him.
"Is there something on your mind?" He asked sincerely,
"Oh, what do you care?" Ichika answered without even bearing a single glance at Takumi.
He further told her that he actually cares a small amount for her and that comment seemed to melt her cold emotions away and she responded with a smile as bright as a newborn baby's that she was okay and that it was just a rare surge of emotions. Takumi was satisfied with her answer and put forward a somewhat idiotic grin which made Ichika chuckle.
The rest of their journey to Ichika's friend was filled with laughter and joy, their friendship seemed to grow with every passing minute, they got to know each other better and learned how to tolerate each other's flaws.
In the time that seemed to fly by in a matter of seconds they found themselves in front of a medium sized hut with very antique decor. Takumi quickly realized that this was the abode of Luna which he was dying to meet.
"Aye Luna!", shouted Ichika, "get your ass out here and let us in!"
A small child, slim build and perky cheeks with long flowing green hair with matching eyes stepped out, a ruby coloured dragon mark for fire flowed down her arms and she looked quite exhausted.
"Who's this?" Takumi asked looking very intrigued.
Ichika told him that the girl was Luna who they were going to stay with Takumi was overwhelmed with confusion and slowly stepped to the youngster, he then knelt down and rubbed her head.
"I'm shocked but a little kid might not be so bad,"
But before he could even introduce himself properly he felt extreme pain from being thrown to the wall of the hut and then pinned to it by Luna.
"I'm pretty sure I'm older than you by decades so watch your mouth!" She said enraged.
Takumi fearfully asked Ichika to explain the situation and she told him that Luna was from the Gaikotsu clan and the reason she looks like a child was that the members of her clan's energy is so pure that it's slows their aging.
"Oh, so she's a loli," Takumi said joyfully but the two females stared at him in confusion so he explained that a loli was a term in his world for people who look like children but are actually adults and they seemed to understand.
Luna quickly calmed down and invited the two into her home where they continued the introductions, Takumi learned that Luna was actually 114 years old and her birthday was coming close. He also learned that she was quite a calm woman who loved men very much and only got angry when someone commented on her child-like state.
Takumi's arrogance was impossible to ignore as their conversation lenghtened, Ichika added that it was Luna who taught her how to shapeshift and she demonstrated by showing how she transformed into many mythical beasts such as a Pegasus and so on and promised to teach Takumi how to do it another time.
During their enjoyable conversation, Luna saw the looks of affection which Ichika had towards Takumi that she tried so desperately to hide. Luna mischievously told both of them to have some time to themselves while she prepared a special meal and as they went through the back door, Takumi took a backwards glance where he saw Luna wink at him.
They found themselves in what seemed like a garden behind the hut, beautifully assorted with orchids, roses and many others.
"That Luna is quite a woman," Takumi commented.
Ichika looked at him in a short glance and turned away replying, "I guess."
she then asked Takumi if he really liked Luna with a very shy look on her face, he then smiled at her then held her hands,
"My dear, there will be many women that go by that will desire my attention and I'll try to get them off my back by any means necessary, but in your case I wouldn't dream of that."
Ichika somehow saw past the conceited words and saw the sincerity in him and smiled fully.