A week has passed since Takara's addition to the household. She settled in pretty quickly and became accustomed to the human world in her own way. With that being said, most of her knowledge came from watching morning anime with Shurai and manga that she had mistaken for actual guidebooks. Despite her prideful disposition, the other members of the household discovered that the Lindworm princess was very vulnerable to outside influences. How did they know? Well for the past three days, there had been constant deliveries being made to the house for her. And those deliveries were all "As Seen on TV" products that were advertised in between the breaks of whatever she was currently watching at that time. When Tatsuya finally found out what they were (useless and needless products such as a five-setting hair dryer, a knife set of double-bladed knives, a glow-in-the-dark flashlight, an exercise watch that beeps every time you go over your calorie intake limit, and a cuckoo alarm clock), he exploded. Takara attempted to justify her reasons for buying the products by quoting the salespeople on TV, which of course didn't do much to help her case. However, with the aid of her ever loyal servant, Draupnir, whom Tatsuya had learned to be very careful around, Takara managed to still get away with needlessly spending on worthless products and hoarding it all in her room.
The discovery of her tendency to buy whatever she was persuaded to buy made Tatsuya ask two questions: 1.) Where did all of her money come from? 2.) Is it just a Lindworm's nature to act like this? First of all, Tatsuya hadn't really given much thought as to where the dragon princesses get their earnings. He had only focused on his own money and spending that he was completely oblivious to how his housemates manage to survive in the human realm and purchase their necessities. When he asked this question to Ingrid, he received a very thorough but simple to understand answer.
Apparently, the princesses all have access to the royal family's wealth, as they should, and receives their "allowances" each month. Ever since the reopening of the gate for dragons to cross over to the human realm, banks were established to allow for the exchange of currencies between the two realms. And it is through this system that the princess get their earnings, which are picked up by their servants and brought to them at the beginning of each new month.
The answer to his second question was a little more varied. According to Shurai, Takara's behavior was somewhat connected to her identity as a Lindworm. Aika also concurred with that answer. Sunaji, on the other hand, told him that not everything about her behavior is characteristic of the tribe and that a majority of it stems from her own independent self. Arashi simply told him that the Lindworm princess was, "A stupid idiot."
The straightest answer he got in answer to this question was from Umi. She told him that since Lindworms preside over the element of luck, they are also patrons of wealth and fortune. They are characteristically a greedy, prideful, and selfish bunch with an eye for treasure and can be easily swayed by whatever it is they have chose to focus their greed on, whether that be money, jewels, clothes, collectibles, or toys. Similarly to Dracos, they become very passionate about the very thing that catches their attention and becomes their sole motivation in life. However, Lindworms are very determined and ruthless to get whatever they want, and they are not above cheating to do so. They love challenges and gambling and are not afraid to put their own life at stake for whatever it is they covet. Being very prideful and arrogant individuals, this is only natural for them. However, despite all this, they are also a very shrewd and economical bunch who are very well versed in the art and science of business and trade and preserving wealth.
Learning all of this helped Tatsuya to understand a little bit more about the different tribes. As of now, he knows the following: Dracos are extremely passionate people with an equally fiery temper to match; Nagas are controlled by their emotions and are very susceptible to quick and extreme mood changes; Quetzalcoatls are always in constant search for amusement and will do anything to get a reaction out of the people around them; Druks possess a dual personality that is governed by how much energy they currently have; Pythons project a very elegant image despite their country upbringing and are very stubborn and petty; and Lindworms are prideful beings with a superiority complex who are always looking to satisfy their greed.
Yesterday, Tatsuya got to see just how greedy and spoiled Lindworms are and how far they are willing to go to get what they want. This week had been very hot and humid and the entire household, except for Aika and Ingrid, were getting really restless and antsy about it. By chance, Takara had been watching TV in the living room and saw an advertisement for the summer opening of a public pool in the city. Immediately swayed by the happy pictures and persuasive words of the advertisement, she immediately requested for Tatsuya to take her there ("request" being a very big euphemism). Tatsuya ignored her at first and then told her no the second time she appealed to him. Takara wouldn't take "no" for an answer and pestered Tatsuya for two hours straight like a spoiled child. She whined, she cried, she engaged in destructive behavior, and she wasn't afraid at all to use her powers to put Tatsuya through hell. One such example is how she would somehow made Tatsuya get hit by a pan from the kitchen. Her constant whining and incessant nagging and abuse of power quickly forced Tatsuya to succumb to her desires. He eased her temper tantrum by planning a trip for the next day. Satisfied with that answer, Takara stopped and quickly reverted back to her original self like it was nothing.
And now, Tatsuya, Mika, and the other princesses are at the city's public pool. Draupnir and Umi also came along to provide additional aid, if needed, for the group. Ever since Tatsuya's announcement yesterday, the other princesses and Mika were ecstatic and couldn't contain their excitement for the pool. Now that they are finally here, everyone could finally take a break from the hot and humid day and cool down.
The public pool was very busy with families, friends, colleagues, coworkers, and more enjoying the cool waters and having fun to ignore the excessively hot day. The place itself was an outside establishment with three big pools, each with different water levels and equipment and divided by swimming experience. The pool closest to the entrance was a small pool with low diving boards, two slides, and water levels between one to three feet—intended for kids, seniors, and beginners. The second pool behind it was the biggest one in the entire place and was the size of two high school indoor pools; it had medium to high diving boards, many slides of various sizes and colors, and water levels between three to seven feet—this pool is for everyone regardless of swimming experience, though some experience is recommended given the water levels. The last pool behind it was a medium sized pool with very high diving boards, intricate slides, and waters between four and ten feet—intended for very experienced swimmers and typically often only used by professionals and school athletes. The place also had hot tubs for public use and a small food court near the entrance that sold ice cream, lemonade, and other cold summer treats.
"Ah, this feels so nice!" squealed Aika cheerfully.
"Finally! The pool!" shouted Takara like a giddy child.
"Let's get changed and get in," suggested Tatsuya.
The group walked over to the dressing room to change into their swimsuits. Tatsuya entered and began to change. In the room next to him, Draupnir also changed into a pair of swimsuits. "Listen here, Owatatsumi-sama, I don't know what you are planning, but you better not defile my princess with your plebeian eyes," said Draupnir coldly. "She is an elite lady who is not fit to become the fiancé of a plebeian like you. Yet—," Draupnir let out a very sharp breath of dissatisfaction, "she decided to make you into her groom. Though I vehemently oppose this, I can not offend my princess and undermine her decision. My princess' words are final. However, don't think that you'll be safe from my wrath just because you are my princess fiancé. Before you both seal your union through ritual, I will treat you as a I see fit." He said that last sentence a little too satisfyingly. "If you somehow decide to break it off with the princess or...disappear...well, there is nothing we can do about that."
Tatsuya was silent the entire time, too afraid to engage in conversation with the intimidating butler. He simply changed into his swimsuit without a word, all the while listening to the butler's words with unease. Hearing those words really made him feel uncomfortable as if he was being admonished by a very condescending uncle who pointed out each and every of his faults for the fun of it.
"Know this, Owatatsumi-sama, I will not do anything to upset my princess," said Draupnir. "That being said, you better watch your back when you are alone. For today, I will play my part as aid and protector of the princesses. But if I see you give my princess even the slightest of dirty glares, I will not hesitate to punish you for your transgression. Is that understood, Owatatsumi-sama?"
"Yes!" yelped Tatsuya in answer.
Tatsuya finished changing into his red swim trunks and waited for the girls. Draupnir had changed into a pair of bronze swim trunks and stood right next to Tatsuya with cold and spiteful eyes. An atmosphere of unease settled above Tatsuya and he silently prayed for the girls to hurry and finish so that he can escape this psychological hell.
The girls finished changing and exited out of the dressing rooms. Aika wore a very beautiful hot pink bikini that further enhanced her sex appeal and a matching towel wrapped around her waist. Kanjomizu wore a modest blue one piece with seashell designs that outlined her curves. Umi had on a very attractive light blue two-piece where the top was designed to look like seashells and the bottom looked like it was made from fish scales. Arashi wore a green string bikini top and a very revealing green thong that made Tatsuya's heart jump. Shurai wore a cute electric yellow halter-top bikini and a matching skirted bottom with electric eel illustrations. Sunaji wore a very elegant chocolate brown bikini that was the perfect mix between sex appeal and modesty, the perfect choice for a lady like her. Mika wore a very risqué silver bikini that consisted of a rather revealing bandeau top that covered only the center of her breasts and left the top and bottom open, giving the impression that they are bigger than they really are and drawing attention to her chest, and an equally revealing thong. Lastly, Takara wore a very kiddish golden tank top bikini with a teddy bear picture and matching shorts.
"Darling! How do we look?" asked Aika, posing for Tatsuya.
"You all look very good," Tatsuya told them with a smile.
"Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Of course!" said Takara arrogantly. "It is only natural for an elite like me to always look good in everything I wear. My sense of fashion is beyond the comprehension of mere commoners. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"Says the one wearing the teddy-bear top," quipped Tatsuya to himself.
"Well then, shall we go enjoy ourselves?" suggested Umi happily.
"Darling, let's go in the pool together!" quickly announced Aika, grabbing tightly onto Tatsuya's right arm.
"Hey! Who gave you the right to put your hand on my Boyfriend?!" shouted Takara jealously, tugging at Tatsuya's other arm.
"Now, now, wouldn't you rather spend some time with me like old times, Tatsuya? It's been so long since we went to the pool together. We've both grown up pretty big, don't you think? Want to find out exactly how big I've grown?" suggested Arashi sexily.
"Oniichan!" shouted Mika, throwing herself onto Tatsuya and latching onto him like a koala. "Let's go swimming together!"
"Mika, but you don't really know how to swim, right? What will you do if you drown?" asked Tatsuya.
Mika simply answered him by puckering her lips and saying, "You'll give me mouth-to-mouth, right?"
"Like hell I will!" angrily protested Tatsuya, shaking her off.
"Enow of this embarrassing display!" snapped Sunaji. "You girls are nothing but malapert queans! Morally inept strumpets! Fie, I say to your shameless behavior!"
"Says the one making a big embarrassing show out of it now," quipped Aika in a low voice.
"Country bumpkins will always be country bumpkins no matter how you look at it," added Takara.
"How do you expect other people to treat you like a lady with a bold and graceless display like that?" joined in Arashi.
The three dragon princesses snickered between themselves like three mischievous children. Sunaji heard their comments, despite their low voices, though it was kind of obvious that they were meant to be heard, and fumed. "Dun think Ah din 'ear ya!" she shouted at them, unconsciously changing to her native accent.
"Oh, were we that loud?" said Aika mockingly.
"I thought we were being pretty discreet about it," added Takara.
"We didn't mean for it to be heard," joined in Arashi, rolling her eyes.
"Now, now, why don't we go have some fun?" suggested Tatsuya.
"Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you, My Love," agreed Kanjomizu.
"Of course," said Takara smugly. "After all, an elite like me wouldn't be caught dead taking part in such a petty argument." She then flashed Sunaji a pair of smug eyes with a matching smile.
"Wha, Ah oughta put ya in yer place," fumed Sunaji.
"Ah? What was that? I'm sorry, but I don't speak country," mocked Takara.
"Wha ya—!" growled the Python princess. Both dragon princesses looked about ready to battle it out in a public place. They both stared daggers at each other like a pair of lions ready to fight over territory.
Tatsuya couldn't let this continue any further. He stepped in between them and said, "Let's calm down for a bit. We're all here to have fun, so let's do just that."
"Hey, you may be my Boyfriend, but that doesn't give you the right to stop me whenever you want. Learn your place," Takara told him coldly.
"An Ah ain't afraid ta mess ya up good too if ya stick yer nose where it dun belong," snarled Sunaji.
Those words really hit Tatsuya hard and he felt like shrinking into the background. "I-I'm sorry," he told them.
Shurai tugged his arm and said, "Tatsu-kun, you need to be stronger. If you let them fight, we'll be kicked out and I won't be able to try all of the ice cream flavors at the ice cream stand."
'So you're only here for the ice cream, huh? Could've figured that out right off the bat,' thought Tatsuya to himself. But he knew that Shurai was right. Everyone came here to have fun, and after enduring painful hours of psychological abuse by the Lindworm princess the day before, Tatsuya couldn't let this become a fruitless endeavor. He couldn't let all of that torment that he had to suffer for this day to come true to be all for naught.
He saw Sunaji and Takara standing pretty close to each other with their faces only inches away apart. Determined to right this wrong before it all blows up, Tatsuya squeezed in between them again and held his arms out to split them apart. "Enough of this," he told them sternly. "Let's forget about all of this and have fun. Just blame this on the heat and move on."
"And how much fun do you suggest we have?" asked Sunaji, reverting back to her elegant self. Her tone of voice was scary and dangerous like a bomb ready to go off.
"What do you mean?" asked Tatsuya, turning to face her.
"It appears that you are already having fun yourself," said the Python princess with murderous intent.
Tatsuya finally became aware as to why she was angry at him, and it wasn't for his meddling either. His hand was casually resting on top of her right breast. In a panic, he immediately let go and shouted, "I'm sorry! I didn't realize where my hand was!" He backed away and bumped into Takara with his other hand.
"Oi, just because you're my Boyfriend doesn't mean that there aren't steps to be taken first," threatened the Lindworm princess.
Tatsuya turned to her and realized that his right hand was on her chest. He retracted his hand and let out a small sheepish chuckle. "Sorry about that," he apologized.
"What the hell kind of reaction was that?!" exploded Takara angrily.
"Eh?!" exclaimed Tatsuya in bewilderment.
Takara was heavily offended by Tatsuya's obvious lack of tact when it came to girls like her. "Do you have to act that way? What? You can't at least react the same way you did to the country bumpkin? Is it because I don't have the assets to make you go 'Whoa'?! Is that it? It's not my fault that I don't big melons like that cow! Then again, an elite like me do not care much for such superficial and petty reasons. But I still believe that I'm at least entitled to a bigger reaction by my Boyfriend! You worthless perverted udder-loving plebeian!"
"Wait a minute," said Tatsuya, waving his hands in front of him and shaking his head. "I said that I was sorry, didn't I?" he told her, "We don't need to resort to name-calling now, do we?"
Both Sunaji and Takara's bodies shook with fury. They then unleashed a powerful joint uppercut at Tatsuya while shouting out in unison, "You stupid fool!"
Tatsuya shot up into the air like a cannonball. He came crashing back down a few feet away and his entire body shook with pain upon hitting the floor. He sat up and rubbed his head. Suddenly, a very intimidating dark shadow loomed over him. Tatsuya looked up and saw Draupnir glaring at him with murderous eyes. "Remember what I told you, Owatatsumi-sama?" said the butler darkly. Tatsuya could tell that there was no way he could escape this. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and waited for whatever is coming next, all the while thinking to himself, 'Shit!'
The group were now at the second pool. Kanjomizu and Umi were happily swimming in the cool waters and taking a much needed respite from the intense summer heat. Shurai sat at a table with an umbrella roof near the pool and was gorging down on a giant sundae equivalent to twelve two-scoop ice cream cones. Arashi laid down in a sun lounger on her stomach and basked in the cool atmosphere of the pool while also taking in the purity of the sunlight shining from above. Sunaji sat at the edge of the pool and relaxed with her feet in the waters. Draupnir stood at the edge of the pool like a club bouncer to protect the princesses from anything that could pose as a danger to them, turning away anyone who dare to get close to him or the princesses with a very unnerving glare.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya was still recovering from his punishment by sitting on the edge of the pool by himself and rubbing his jaw with a sad and lame expression on his face. The bruise on his jaw had become quite big and prominent. Tatsuya silently prayed for his own death so that he can escape this pain and this worthless world. "Why did it have to end like this?" he whined to himself.
Meanwhile, Aika, Mika, and Takara were walking back to join the group after completing their joint venture in trying the slides. They were within range of the group and Aika was about to call out to Tatsuya when suddenly three college boys accosted them. They were very good looking and wore kind and unassuming smiles on their faces.
"Hello there, girls," greeted the middle one, obviously their leader. "Are you girls alone?" he asked them in a gentlemanly manner.
"Say, little ladies, how about you come have fun with us?" asked the one on the left a little more boldly.
"We're hosting a get together with lots of food and drinks," added the one on the right.
"Ah, thank you for the offer, but we can't," Aika told them kindly.
"Exactly," added Takara. "Please don't act familiar with us, plebeians," she told them smugly.
"We have candy too," said the middle one in an attempt to win Takara over.
"Candy?! Are you saying that I'm a child?!" shouted Takara offendedly. "I'm not a freaking child! I'm just as old as her!" she said, pointing a finger at Aika.
"What?! Seriously?!" exclaimed the one on the left.
"So you're a real life loli? Man, I've only thought such people existed solely in fiction!" said the one on the right.
"Who dares to offend me by calling me such a crude name?!" exploded Takara.
"Now, now, we're sorry about that, okay?" said the one on the left with his hands together in an apologetic gesture.
"So, how about it? Want to come join us?" asked the middle one.
The guy on the left boldly walked up to Aika and touched her arm, causing the latter to flinch in response. "I promise that it'll be fun," he told her with a grin.
"Yeah," agreed the one on the right. He scooted close to Mika and rubbed against her shoulder. "With you cute girls in the mix, we're sure to have a very good time together."
"I told you already that we can't," Aika told them more sternly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to return to Darling."
"Darling?" asked the left one. "Come on, you can forget about him for today. We're just asking for a little bit of your time."
"I—," said Aika, but she was quickly interrupted by the guy wrapping his hand around her waist.
"Excuse me, but can I be of service?" came a voice from behind him. The guy turned around to see Tatsuya looking at him with a beaming smile of kindness and politeness.
"Darling/Boyfriend/Oniichan!" exclaimed the girls in unison.
"Please take your hands off the little ladies," Tatsuya told the college boys in a polite voice.
"Who the hell are you?" asked the left guy rudely.
"Trying to play the hero in front of girls so that you can get them to fall for you? How juvenile. Just scram and get lost already," said the one on the right with a laugh.
"Sorry, but these ladies want to come and join our party," said the middle one with a polite smile.
"Oh, really?" said Tatsuya, still smiling. He then dropped the façade and his eyes became dark like those of a predator ready to pounce at any moment. "Say that to me one more time," he said, his voice exuding danger and intensity and full of intimidation.
"W-What the hell is this?" muttered the left guy fearfully. He and his friends suddenly found themselves being extremely intimidated by Tatsuya, as if they had just approached a pissed off bear that was ready to maul them at the slightest provocation.
"The atmosphere changed immediately," noted the one on the right with a gulp.
"L-Let's get out of here guys," said their leader.
As the three college guys were walking off, Aika and Takara exchanged mischievous glances and decided to teach them a lesson. Aika held out her right hand and pointed at the spot in front of them. Suddenly, the ground in front of them exploded and the three college boys found themselves jumping back in fear. They looked around them in a panic, bewildered by what just happened. Takara took this opportunity to snap her fingers. Suddenly, a pool employee walked up next to them with a tray of sundaes and then suddenly tripped on his own two feet, crashing the sundaes into the three college guys' swim trunks. Everyone took quick notice of the incident and laughed at the dark spots that formed in the middle of the college guys' trunks. The three guys quickly jumped into the pool to escape embarrassment.
Takara and Aika exchanged high-fives. Tatsuya was genuinely surprised by what had happened, but was otherwise satisfied with the punishment dished out at the three guys. After all, they deserved it for trying to prey on innocent girls. "I'm glad you're all fine," he told the girls.
"I knew that you would be here to protect us, Darling," said Aika giddily, shaking her body like a lovesick schoolgirl.
"Actually, it was Shurai that told me you girls were in trouble," admitted Tatsuya. 'I was too busy sulking to realize it myself,' he added mentally, embarrassed to actually say it out loud. "Anyway, let's go back," he told them. He turned around and then bumped into someone without looking. The person he bumped into fell to the ground. Tatsuya bent down and held out his hand. "Are you alright?" he asked them.
The person was a very cute mousy-looking girl with long almond brown hair in a hime cut, chocolate brown eyes, and a light brown skin complexion. She rubbed her head and said, "I'm sorry too. Man, that smarts." She took hold of Tatsuya's hand and was pulled up. Upon getting a good look at the person who saved her, the girl quickly let out an earsplitting shriek and ran away in a hysterical manner. This sudden unexpected development greatly disturbed Tatsuya and the girls. Everyone else near them also expressed uneasiness and discomfort over the girl's sudden manic episode.
"What the hell was that?" Tatsuya asked himself in bewilderment.
"Oniichan," said Mika, pointing to something on the ground in front of him.
Tatsuya followed her finger and picked up the object of interest: a bracelet of leaves and stone. He hypothesized that the bracelet must've fallen off during the fall. "We got to return this back to her," he told the girls.
"Do we really have to?" whined Takara.
"You girls head back first. I'll be back in a bit," he told them. And before they could say a word to stop him, Tatsuya took off after the girl. He followed the same path that the girl took and arrived at a hot tub right near the back of the pool, hidden away from the public eye with the aid of tall bushes. Tatsuya was at first hesitant to enter through the foliage and assumed that he had come to a dead end. But the sound of voices on the other side prompted him to enter.
Four people were relaxing in the hot tub and chatting amongst themselves. The girl's sudden appearance and excited babble drew their attention and they all stopped their conversation to hear what she had to say. "He's here! He's here! He's here! I saw him!" she announced to the others like an excited dog. "It's really him! It's really him!"
"Who?" asked one of the hot tub occupants.
"The Messiah!" announced the girl with widened eyes.
"Really?!" shouted the occupants in surprise.
"He had orange hair like the flaming sun, bright azure eyes like beautiful diamond stars, and a scar under his right eye like the mark of a celestial warrior!" described the girl like she was describing a rare animal.
It was by this time that Tatsuya and entered through the bushes. One of the occupants pointed a finger at him and asked the girl, "You mean like him?"
"Um, excuse me," came Tatsuya's voice from behind the girl. The sudden announcement of his presence made the girl jump up with a squeal. She turned around and drew in a sharp gasp upon discovering who it was that startled her. The girl suddenly dropped to the floor like a limp noodle. Tatsuya rushed up to her with worry in his eyes. "Oi, are you alright?!" he asked, bending down to make sure that she was okay.
"You can leave her like that," said one of the occupants. "She's just in shock. She'll recover soon enough. Besides, it's kind of nice to have her be quiet once in a while."
"Um, okay," relented Tatsuya. He glanced down at the girl one more time and then quickly drew back in surprise when the most unexpected thing happened before his very eyes. The girl's ears became rounded and furry like a raccoon dog's and a giant striped furry tail sprouted from her behind. "W-W-What the—," uttered Tatsuya in disbelief.
"Ah-ah, her magic has run out again," groaned the same occupant.
"It's bound to happen since she's unconscious," reasoned another. "But what I'm more surprised by is the Dragonborn's reaction."
"W-Wait, Dragonborn? You know who I am?" asked Tatsuya.
"Of course," replied the occupant. "We've heard inklings before about your existence here in the human realm. But it wasn't until the aftermath of the battle against the Yellow Terror that news of your victory spread far and wide and we learned that you were the real thing. The hero who defeated the Yellow Terror, the one called the Dragonborn, a hero with orange hair like the sun and bright blue eyes like shining stars. But of course, your very presence before us is enough for us to know that you are are not a regular human."
Tatsuya didn't know what to say to that. "W-Who are you guys?" he asked them.
"Our magic works against humans, but seeing as that you are not one of them, I am deeply surprised that you cannot see our true forms," said another one of the occupants in an intrigued tone.
"Maybe try blinking your eyes a few times," suggested another.
"How would that work?" asked the one before.
"It wouldn't hurt to try, right?"
Tatsuya blinked his eyes a few times and then his entire vision of them all changed. Now, instead of seeing humans relaxing in a hot tub, Tatsuya saw something even scarier. Each of the occupants were literal monsters. Tatsuya felt like he had entered some kind of horror movie. He recognized each of the monsters from books, pictures, and the like. "Y-Y-Yokai!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
The first occupant, the one who explained to Tatsuya how they heard of him, was a human-like old man with leathery dark red skin, piercing eagle-like black eyes, long shaggy grey hair, and a long nose like a metal pipe. Behind him was a pair of black feathery wings. He was a tengu.
The second occupant, the one intrigued by Tatsuya's inability to see them, was a humanoid young man with bright ocean green skin, a protruding yellow duck-like beak, glittering green eyes, and a giant green shell on his back. Atop his bald head was a small blue crown. He was a kappa.
The third occupant, the one who told Tatsuya to leave the girl alone, was a giant human-like man with wild black hair, bright blue skin, shiny electric yellow eyes, and a mane-like beard that stretched to his hairy chest. Two giant upturned horns protruded from his head and two terrifying fangs protruded from his bottom lip. There was no doubt about it—he was an oni.
The last occupant, the one who suggested Tatsuya to blink his eyes so that he can see them, was a human-like young woman with fluffy crimson red hair with orange highlights, two fluffy foxlike ears with white tips, a light rosy complexion, a fang protruding from her upper lip, and a giant fluffy red tail protruding from her backside. She was without a doubt a kitsune.
"Greetings, Dragonborn," said the tengu humbly, "I am Sancho, a tengu."
"Hello there, I'm a kappa. My name is Tsunami," introduced the kappa politely.
"Raimei. I'm an oni," said the oni gruffly.
"And I'm Kazan, a kitsune. Nice to meet you!" greeted the kitsune cheerfully.
"And that over there is Sakyu, a tanuki," informed Sancho, referring to the girl on the ground.
"T-This is a dream, right?" asked Tatsuya aloud. He blinked his eyes a few times, but found that every time he did, the image stayed the same—a group of Yokai relaxing in a hot tub and talking to him. That's when something Mr. Urushihara told him before echoed in his mind: magical creatures exist in the human realm, albeit in small numbers. Remembering those words calmed him down a little. And now that he was seeing it with his own eyes, Tatsuya felt a little more at ease about his current situation. "S-Sorry about that," he apologized to them, bowing his head. "I've never met Yokai before, so it was kind of a surprise to learn that they exist. I'm sorry if I offended you all in any way."
"That's quite alright," said Sancho with a chuckle. "In fact, we're the ones who are supposed to greet you in a more venerable way as befitting your status as the Dragonborn." They all then got up and was about to exit from the hot tub when Tatsuya quickly stopped them.
"That's quite all right!" he told them. "Please, enjoy your relaxation. There's no need for such formality." The Yokai listened to his words and returned back to their positions in the hot tub.
"It is nevertheless a great honor to meet you, Mr. Dragonborn. We are humbled to be in your presence," said Sancho.
"Please, Mr. Dragonborn, sir, why don't you join us? It would be rude of us not to ask," said Tsunami.
"He said that we don't need to be formal with him," quipped Raimei.
"Hey, you don't need to so rude, Raimei! You're speaking before the Dragonborn after all," chastised Kazan.
"It's quite alright," said Tatsuya with a light chuckle.
"It is absolutely not quite alright!" protested Sancho. "You are the Dragonborn! Please, forgive the transgression of our colleague. He did not mean any harm."
"Sure, sure," said Tatsuya quickly.
"We thank you for your forgiveness," said Sancho. He then turned to Raimei and said, "Thank him." When the oni didn't move a single muscle, Sancho smacked him behind the head.
"Alright, alright," groaned Raimei, rubbing his head. "Thank you for your kindness," said the oni with a bow.
"Sure thing," replied Tatsuya. He then threw his hand behind his head and rubbed it. "Actually, I'm kind of surprised to find out that you all would know about me."
"Of course! You are the hero who defeated the Yellow Terror and the Messiah destined to lead us to a new golden age!" said Sancho.
"You're the new hottest topic of the century!" added Kazan. "Everyone in the Yokai and magical community is talking about you. Even our friends on the other side told us about your ceremony not so long ago."
"W-Wow, I didn't imagine that I would be so popular among Yokai," admitted Tatsuya bashfully.
"You're the talk of the universe!" said Kazan grandly. Tatsuya could only answer with a bashful chuckle. Kazan then took notice of something in Tatsuya's hand and asked, "What's that in your hands?"
Tatsuya glanced down at the bracelet in his hands and remembered the reason why he was here in the first place. "Ah, she dropped this when I bumped into her. I came here to return it," he told them.
"Ah, many thanks, Mr. Dragonborn," said Sancho. He held out his hand and Tatsuya handed over the bracelet. "Sakyu would be happy and honored to know that you brought back her bracelet charm," said the tengu humbly.
"Well, anyway, it's nice meeting you all," said Tatsuya. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my friends."
"Of course! We apologize for taking much of your time," said Sancho.
"It's fine, really," reassured Tatsuya. He turned around and was about to leave when the tengu stopped him.
"Mr. Dragonborn," called Sancho. The tengu's voice became grim and serious. "Before you leave, I would like to impart to you some information we've received." He paused before continuing. "A war is coming, Mr. Dragonborn. There will be much bloodshed and good men will die. Please, prepare yourself for when you are called to arbitrate this meaningless conflict. Mr. Dragonborn, the fate of the lives of countless men will be in your hands."
Tatsuya listened to the tengu's words. He wasn't exactly sure what they meant, but he concluded that the reason the Yokai must be telling him this is because it must've concerned him in some way. After everything that Tatsuya have been through, this was the only logical explanation for this. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"The time for war approaches. You will see soon enough," replied the tengu. "That is all I have to say. Forgive me for taking more of your time."
"Sure thing," said Tatsuya. He left the Yokai and walked back to rejoin the girls.
Once the Dragonborn left, Raimei turned to Sancho and asked, "Oi, are you sure about this? I mean, he'll learn of it eventually. But don't you think we're overstepping our boundaries a bit by telling him beforehand?"
"He is the Dragonborn," replied Sancho. "We want to prevent this war more than anything. If he learned about it eventually, who's to say that he will stop it in time? And besides, I only gave him a few hints. But a hint is better than letting him go in blind. This is for the benefit of everyone." He turned to look Kazan, who had her face turned away. "We must prevent this war from happening. And only the Dragonborn can make it a reality."