Returning to the group that was unofficially titled "Team Ganbaru", we could observe as the four-man cell was still on the move, traversing through the woodlands to their next destination.
Recently, the four Shinkaku members, Kono, Rei, Touma, and Yui, had all been notified of the recent events at the Shinkaku base; Lord Phoenix himself had contacted them, prompting Team Ganbaru to offer their own information in return.
"Stupid Adonai warriors…" Yui muttered, pushing strands of her brown hair behind her ear. "Attacking our lord like that, especially with such ignorance."
"Don't act as if Adonai is the only place in the world where masqueraders like those thieves can be found," Touma said calmly to Yui, his eyes scanning his surroundings as they maneuvered around various pathways and trees.
Rei looked back momentarily, adding in his own few words, "Besides, our lord handled it just fine. Forget about the heathens and think about completing our mission—once we arrive at our destination, we are to make another report to Lord Phoenix."
From the back of the group, the fox-like member of Team Ganbaru, Kono, yawned obnoxiously, both angering and annoying the rest of his team.
"When are we supposed to be arriving at the village, anyway?" Kono asked lazily, looking through the leaves of every nearby tree.
Yui glanced at Kono, not a trace of mirth adorning her features. "No wonder you weren't put in charge of navigation after our last guy disappeared—we most likely still have a few hours before we make it to Buraun! Five at best!"
"Well, considering that we haven't been going by foot the whole way, using the trees and boosting ourselves with our Aura Senses as support, we might get there sooner than you might think," Rei claimed, scratching his cheek in deliberation.
Touma suddenly stopped, narrowing his eyes as he stood taller, attempting to get a better look at whatever he found. Then, similar to what Rei discussed, Touma jumped from the ground to a tree branch in mere seconds.
"Oh," Touma elicited a surprised sound, his curiosity fading.
Rei stood underneath the branch Touma was perched on. "What is it?"
Touma then looked down toward his four-man cell, pointing in the direction he was looking at moments before.
"It turns out that we have arrived at Buraun sooner than we expected."
XXX
Tanjo could be seen walking home, a full day at the academy having finished. This means that the old man must be home by now, cooking whatever meal that was left in the fridge; and knowing the old man as Tanjo does, dinner will be mainly unagi. That's all the old man ever buys due to its cheap price.
As Tanjo was striding home, a smile plastered on his face he couldn't help but think back to his training.
'I had actually utilized my magic successfully! I thought that I was just going to have to make my own type of Genso-Kyu if I couldn't do it the normal way!'
Referring to what the teenage boy had said, not being able to properly form a Genso-Kyu had nearly diminished his morale. But, if he was stumped by a mere tool, then how could he ever become the warrior he dreamed of becoming?
"Mew."
Tanjo came to a halt. "What was that?"
The jet-black-haired boy looked around, only to find nothing but strangers walking past him, almost as if nothing had happened. A confused look grappled onto his visage.
"Mew."
There it was again!
Suddenly, something had caught Tanjo's eyes. It was a tail: thin, black, and coiled. 'What the…'
Tracking the tail, Tanjo soon discovered the body of a black kitten; it was curled up on the ground, meowing as it looked on at the villagers that passed by with a forlorn expression. Upon spotting this, Tanjo immediately forgot about his previous thoughts, his eyes softening.
Tanjo slowly ambled toward the small kitten, dodging the people using the same pathway as him. Once the teenage boy had made it to the kitten, he kneeled gently, trying not to alert the distressed animal lying before him.
The fur of the kitten was black with hints of gray intertwining with every few strands. Tanjo could practically see the kitten's ribs from how malnourished this poor animal was.
"Mew…" The kitten looked up, its eyes gleaming in the sunlight. The yellow orbs of the kitten met Tanjo's indigo blue.
A thought then swam to the back of Tanjo's mind.
'The old man wouldn't mind a new roommate, right?'
XXX
"What the hell did you bring, brat?"
The moment Tanjo entered his home, the old man was standing in the kitchen, preparing dinner just as he had formerly presumed. Tanjo, on the other hand, had his arms curled around his body, concealing the frail kitten in his chest. It did not go unnoticed by the person cooking, Nozomu.
Did the old man buy an apron?
"W-well, I—uh, got something on my way back from the academy?" Tanjo declared, his answer sounding more like a question than anything else.
Nozomu deadpanned. "Uh-huh. And this thing that you picked up on your way home—does it pertain to the stray feline in your arms?"
Tanjo jolted at Nozomu's question. "Wha—?"
"I can see its head poking out," Nozomu claimed, his eyes returning to the coking food before him. And it was, in fact, unagi.
Tanjo's gaze shifted down to his arms, where he noticed the kitten's head peeping out from his grasp, its yellow feline eyes warily surveying its surroundings. "Oh…"
"Is there a particular reason you brought a stray home?" Nozomu questioned, taking off his apron. It was nearly comedic seeing the old man wear something such as that.
The teenager of the Nozomu residence gulped. "I-I had found it resting on the ground. It doesn't look well, so I had hoped that we could take him in." Tanjo proclaimed, his tone sounding more resolute.
Nozomu observed Tanjo for what seemed like hours, his desolate eyes boring holes into him through the black tinted tips of his long white hair. The old man really was terrifying at moments.
"And if I say no?" Nozomu quizzed, watching Tanjo's expression morph from hope to desperation.
"Then… I'd return him back to where I found him."
Tanjo had lied, Nozomu knew that. His desperate face, the nervous tick of sliding his feet against the ground, and the unsure answer were all that Nozomu needed to understand what Tanjo really wanted to say.
"I'd sneak him into my room and hide his existence from you!"
Nozomu sighed. "I doubt that cat food is cheap at the bodega, but I've saved some cash for something like this."
Tanjo jolted at those words, making the kitten jump as well. "Really!?"
"Don't make me change my mind. I see this as a way for you to mature, so you better take care of the runt." Nozomu said sternly.
"His name isn't runt! It's… It's…" Tanjo glanced at the kitten for a few short moments, his mind running a million miles an hour. "... Kit!"
Nozomu frowned. "How creative. Kit the kitten."
Tanjo grinned toothily pulling the kitten in closer.
"Yep! And Kit the kitten is now a part of the Nozomu family!"
XXX
This feels like filler, doesn't it? Well, don't worry. The kitten is also important to the plot! This chapter also revolved a bit around Team Ganbaru's progression with their mission! What will happen now that they have made it to Buraun? Stay tuned to find out!
Have a Great Day!
Peace - Cr1ticalz_