𝅘𝅥𝅮
"Wave-san," Arata paused scanning the empty room. "Where is everyone?" he muttered, glancing at Esdeath who walked into the common room. "General, where are the Yeagers?" she glanced around the room, her brows shooting up as she replied, "It seems they've headed out for the celebration."
"...celebration? You mean the mid-year festival?"
"I don't believe there's any other celebration at this time of the year, Arata-sama," Esdeath smiled smugly. Arata sighed, looking at the paper in his hand.
"Is there a problem?" she asked, glancing from the paper to his eyes.
"I had a discussion with the emperor and apparently the location of a lost relic was found..."
"Relic?" she asked, brow raised.
"Yes and in order to prevent that rotten Prime Minister from getting hold of it first, I accepted the search request."
"And you have no clue as to how to get to the relic?"
"No clue at all," Esdeath face-palmed with an exhausted sigh. "You must really hate the prime Minister," he looked at her briefly returning his gaze to the paper in his hands.
"Very well, I wish you luck on your endeavor," she said, turning away.
Arata reached for her hand, flinching and stopping halfway as he called out to her, "General Esdeath, would you be willing to aid me in my journey?"
She turned around with a smirk, closing the distance between her and Arata, "I almost thought you'd have me call one of the other Yeagers."
He rolled his eyes with a sigh, holding the door open for Esdeath, "Let us be on our way then, General."
...
A set of knocks rapped on the door catching Hijiri's attention. Drying his hair, he raised a brow at the door wrapping his towel around his waist as another set of knocks caught his attention.
"Hm?" he open the door to a tall man who stood before him. He had apricot skin, blue hair and blue eyes and appeared to be in his 20s. Hijiri's eyes moved up to the two bison-like horns protruding from the sides of his head.
Ah! "My bad Susanoo," Hijiri smiled apologetically.
"It's no problem," Susanoo sighed, "the boss called for a meeting so I came to let you know."
"Oh thanks, I'll be out in a bit," Hijiri nodded, shutting the door as he turned away. He sighed in exhaustion, wincing as he puts on a plain black t-shirt and shorts.
He stared at his bandaged right arm slowly opening and closing it. Not yet huh? Hijiri exhaled tiredly running his hand through his wet hair as he walked down the stairs. He entered the common room to meet Night raid already having conversations amongst themselves.
Looking up from the group, Najenda noted Hijiri's presence, stating, "Now that's we're all here I wanted to let you all know that we will be taking some time off for the upcoming holidays." The group cheered in response while Hijiri and Susanoo remained silent.
"Finally, I really needed a vacation," Leone kicked back, the back of her head resting on her palms. "So Boss," Tatsumi turned to Najenda, "any particular destination?"
"Well I was thinking it'd been nice if we could visit the hot springs..." The rest of Night raid whooped in celebration as Hijiri rose silently, turning away.
"Nii-san's getting away!" Kanae yelled, diverting the group's attention to Hijiri. He stiffened briefly, taking off in a sprint as the others gave chase.
"Who the hell needs a hot springs anyway?! I can just heat up a lake or something!" he complained as Tatsumi and Lubbock latched onto him tightly.
"It's times like this Hijiri-san acts like an old man," Akame stated with a deadpan as she nibbled on a chocolate bar.
"Right, he's really a buzzkill, this nii-san of ours," Kanae stated, nodding in agreement with Akame's statement.
"Oi!" Hijiri exclaimed, sighing as he turned around to face Najenda, Lubbock hanging from his right arm. "I'm fine without any break thanks, plus there's a shit ton of fights we need to win."
Najenda leaned forward, lighting a cigar and placing it in her mouth, "Hijiri-san," he flinched at her tone, his eyes narrowing, "if you continue to resist I'll just have to share with our comrades the details of the purple hibiscus mission."
Hijiri's eyes slowly widened, a yell escaping his lips, "O-oi! I'll go! I'll go! Damn it!" Night raid turned from Hijiri to Najenda, extremely surprised at his outburst and her smug smile.
Mine was the first to speak up, "W-what's the purple hibiscus mission?"
"It's something you don't need to know!" he barked, turning to Najenda, "I'll go get ready, so don't you tell them anything, Najenda."
Najenda smirked, holding up her hands in surrender, "Don't worry I won't as long as you comply."
"To think you'd agree so easily, Hijiri-san𝅘𝅥𝅮" Leone leaned forward, with a taunting smile.
"The purple hibiscus must have been really embarrassing right, Hi-ji-ri-san," Lubbock hopped from side-to-side taunting the fuming Hijiri.
Najenda clapped her hands catching the group's attention, "Alright Night raid, begin preparations for our vacation!" the group cheered once more in response, each heading their separate ways leaving behind a sighing Hijiri.
...
The wind whipped through his silver hair, his creased brows contrasting the excited expressions of his colleagues. "To think you'd go as far as requesting another manta ray for the trip, Najenda," Hijiri ran his bandaged right hand through his hair.
Patting his back with her mechanical arm, Najenda chuckled, "you should ease up you know, even warriors need their rest."
Hijiri sighed...again, it seems like that was his signature expression for the chapter. "I'd rather help move bases again than be here," Hijiri muttered, wincing as he took off his t-shirt in the changing room.
"Hijiri-san," he glanced at Susanoo who called.
"What's up?"
"If I may ask, why are you so against the vacation?" Susanoo asked, his expression that of earnest confusion.
Hijiri exhaled, wrapping a towel around his waist. "Jitters I guess, especially after the last mission..."
"Yo old man, quit being such a buzzkill and enjoy," Lubbock stomped, comically past him a bath towel his only clothing clinging tightly to his lean frame.
"He's right, nii-san," Tatsumi approached Hijiri, a towel wrapped around his waist and another hanging on his neck, "you should take it easy."
"Alright alright, yeesh," Hijiri waved off Tatsumi's concern as he shut the locker he placed his clothes in.
"Hijiri-san,"
"Hm?" he turned back.
"Your bandages, are you leaving them on?" Hijiri looked at his right arm, snapping his fingers in realisation as he unwrapped the ones on his left.
"Thanks Susanoo," OI BASTARD! UNSEAL ME!
Huh? Why?
I WANT IN
In? On what? The Hot springs?
NO THE VOLCANO. OF COURSE IT'S THE SPRINGS.
Hijiri paused by the door, baffled at the demon's statement. "I really hope you don't pull any weird shit."
JUST SHUT UP AND DO IT, BUZZKILL.
Hijiri scoffed, walking to the male section of the hot springs.
"Ughhh," Lubbock groaned as he settled into the water. He glanced at the other three who stood in front of him and frowned. Susanoo had an outstanding muscular figure, along with the fact that he was very tall but that was understandable to Lubbock after all he was a humanoid imperial arms. As for Hijiri, he was ripped had a pretty boy face because of his white lashes, he's only supposed downsides were the scars that lined his body. Lubbock raised a brow, turning to Susanoo as he asked, "Hijiri-san, its been bothering me for a while now but don't your scars fade when you regenerate?"
Hijiri turned away from the folded bandages he placed on the ground, stepping into the water. "Oh yeah, it was Leone that asked this back in Ch. 7, I think," his voice dropped to a mutter, rising up one more, "well yeah it doesn't so I guess it means I'm still human." He ended with a dry chuckle.
So that's why. Lubbock rested his back on the edge of the spring, his gaze remaining on Hijiri's blackened arm. "Ughhh," Tatsumi rose a brow at him.
"What's the problem?" he turned to Tatsumi, He's from deepening as he noticed Tatsumi's toned form. "So everyone's ripped now eh??" Lubbock said, glancing at his slender body before sinking into the water.
"Huh?" Tatsumi stared at Lubbock with a deadpan, "train more, it's nothing difficult."
Lubbock sighed, moving his gaze to the cloudy sky. "Sometimes I miss being a young master," he muttered, startling Tatsumi with his statement.
"Young master?!!" Lubbock smirked,
"Yeah I was the fourth son of a really wealthy merchant, plus I was totally talented in everything do I got bored easily,"
"...and yet you aren't talented enough to get the Boss's heart," Tatsumi turned away ignoring Lubbock's yell.
...
Arata landed gently before a large cave, looking up as Esdeath landed beside him. "Though I see it on multiple occasions, your outstanding innovations never fail to baffle me," Arata stated, glancing at the fading ice that she had summoned around her ankle and arms.
"For someone as intelligent and capable as me, such simple inventions are nothing," she smirked, walking into the cave.
Arata smiled, shaking his head, "You will not let me live this down, will you?" She turned to him simpering before returning her gaze to the dark cavern. Arata held up his palm, a bright white orb floating above it and lighting up the cave. The two walked in silence, observing the cavern.
Upon reaching a large clearing, the two stopped, Arata speaking up first, "Shall we have a little contest, Esdeath-san?" she smirked in approval.
"Who defeats most of our destruction is here right?" Esdeath glanced at the stalagmites, noting the creatures are crept behind them. "But it'll be unfair since this space is too small to swing a scythe."
Arata unsheathed the broadsword that hung by his waist giving it a few practice swings, "You do not have to worry about that, after all this is more than just a ceremonial sword," he smiled, bright arcs of lightning flashing throughout the cave as the humanoid danger beasts leapt at the two of them.
Arata swung his blade down swiftly, the black blood that hung on it splashing on the ground in a straight line. A tremor ran through the cavern startling the two blue-headed soldiers, a bright light appearing beneath Esdeath. Arata yelled shoving her aside as the light erupted, blinding the two. "Arata-san!" Esdeath called, creating a large frost dome to shield the two as the cave collapsed around them.
Esdeath sat back exhausted, from her calculations she and Arata had been caved in for 4 hours and most of that time was spent searching for a safe point to escape from the cave without bringing it down on them. Another thing that worried her was that ever since Arata shoved her from the light, he hadn't woken up. He was still breathing and his vitals were good, but for some reason he remained unconscious despite her efforts to wake him.
...
His eyes slowly opened and someone shuffled closer, the voice muffled. He blinked slowly, his mind yet to interpret anything he saw.
"Damn my head feels like shit," he muttered, holding his head as he slowly rose.
HM? DEMON, WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Huh? His cerulean eyes widened as he looked up, "Esdeath?! The hell are you doing here?" She visibly flinched surprising him even more. The Esdeath he knew didn't get startled by a simple yell.
He glanced down, noting his white trench coat, black trousers and shoes, raising a brow in confusion. Esdeath stepped back, his reaction surprised her and as illogical as everything seemed, she didn't want to take the easy way out.
This can't be the Arata I know, so it could be amnesia or, she snapped her fingers recalling her experience when she drank the demon gods extract to gain her imperial arm. "Could you be the storm dragon?"
"Alright I get the gist of it. Oh no, Esdeath, I'm definitely not that haughty bastard, no," he chuckled at her statement. "You've probably come up with another conclusion and it's definitely wrong if it's amnesia you thought." Gesturing at himself, he continued, "This bastard was way more stuck up then than now, so lucky you."
Esdeath drew her brows together, His speech pattern and gestures...could that?
"I know I won't be able to hide it from you even though it be way funnier so I'll tell you." Tilting his head and smirking in a manner Esdeath had never seen on Arata, he stated, "Hijiri here. And by the bullshit logic, if I'm in this body then..."
...
"So we're doing this," Tatsumi stated unsure, earning a smack on his back from Lubbock.
"Don't be such a pussy, I mean Hijiri even got Susanoo to back off," he whispered parting the bushes to reveal the female bath.
Hijiri's blackened right arm clasped Lubbock's wrist tightly. "What do you think you are doing boy?" he whispered annoyed as he read the situation.
"O-oi! Let go!" Lubbock yelled a little too loudly, attracting the girls.
"I didn't peg you as the peeking type, Hijiri-san," Najenda stated drying her hair with a towel as her black crop top clung to her moist curvaceous body. Akame, Mine, Kanae and Leone stood before the kneeling Lubbock and Tatsumi while Hijiri stood by the side, his arms crossed.
"You know if you asked nicely I could've given you a peek," Leone winked at Hijiri earning a bashful glare from Mine.
He looked at her impassively, turning to Najenda to reply, "I didn't peg him as the peeking type either, Najenda-san."
"Him?" Najenda muttered confused. Looking from Leone to Akame and Susanoo, she confirmed they were on the same page - Hijiri was acting different.
Kanae's eyes widened in realization, "A-Arata-sama?" He turned to her with a soft smile, one that she had never seen Hijiri make. "How have you been, Kanae-chan?"
OI! OI! OI! THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE, LIZARD?!
You are quite noisy. "I sincerely apologize for interfering in your vacation but Night raid, I require your help to fix things and save Hijiri."