Light slowly retreated behind the skull above, casting a shade over us and our surroundings. Birds and small aerial monsters chirped, joining the bellowing of boat bells. Town Criers wailed, sweat ran down workers' brows and freshly caught fish stunk.
This culture was something I was familiar with. Its nostalgia was suffocating.
"I reckon... if I make a shield underneath my feet and you do that Airburst thingy a few times we could get across by like, double snowboarding on the water"
Ask stupid questions I guess
Connected, yet separated from 'The Jaw' was an area built for commerce, business and transporting via water vessels.
A large collection of wharfs spanning the entirety of both sides of the river within Dragon Mort's near-indestructible walls. Downriver, we could see the golden brown roofs of the Craftsmen district, whilst upriver lay the purple covers of an area deemed fit for merchants.
Smack bang in the middle, lay the Docks and Jaw, which houses buildings of blue tops.
This led me to ask myself why Enda didn't call it the Cauldron District, although that might imply they were cooking its residents and using them in potions, so probably not a great idea.
On the right side of the river, just outside of the city lay a dense forest with trees that grew ever bigger with the incline, and on the left, it slowly cleared into plains of fertile, mana rich lands before becoming a steep slope up into snowy mountains.
The energy continuously emanating from Dragons Mort was both a source of pleasure and pain, in the form of lands rich in nutrients, and monsters born of misbegotten power.
Fae's cuisines owned and operated a farm relatively close to Dragons Mort that it could be seen from the viewing areas above, slightly further downriver, just outside the forest. Plenty of crops and animals, but their main export was cheese and wine.
"Well, there's also, like people, that will ferry us over for a fee"
Noticing my hesitance, Ota spoke up offering another solution, with sadly one problem.
"I'm out of money..."
At least the food was good
"Then we can either go back round the long way, or cross the fun way"
"...Something tells me the fun way is a bad idea"
Ota enthusiastically pointed at the two mills near the middle of the docks on our side. Powered by dual water wheels, it was filling up a single large transport vessel with three masts. Those massive beams of wood stood no chance at passing under the bridge at Tyrants Rest, and it wasn't the type that allowed it to fold down.
As I began to ponder where such a strange might travel, a Galley pulled by oarsmen from the Eternal Empire, red and gold painted all over its extravagant hull. Coincidence or not, it felt like I had received my answer.
"We time it right, climb it, then jump boat to boat across"
"What's the Empire doing here?"
"Um, probably to try stop the paper from being published"
"I thought they'd pushed it out by now. Wait, how do you know?"
"You were asleep, but Enda like, prep'd a whole bunch of Journalists to see what happened. Ru took em' after they interviewed me. It sucks because they couldn't use my name"
"Shrewd of her"
"Bet ya there gonna blame it on the Aux. That's probably why they wanted my side of the story. I mean, they only really lost like twelve thousand or something? A bunch deserted though, which is kinda funny"
"Did you tell them? About- you know"
"There are some scars even I want to hide..."
Shit, shouldn't have asked
"Here. I got you this. I mean I got some help to get it-"
"Heh, it- it's fine. Thank you though, for trying to cheer me up"
"Woah, no-no-no, this isn't some two-Slate distraction! I bought it because... You- you're pretty you know? So I wanted something to get people to see that..."
Stupid body! Why can't you be immune to embarrassment!
With a small smile and slight blush mostly hidden by her light coral skin, she took the small box wrapped in a red ribbon.
After eagerly, yet gently opening the package, she looked back at me with her beautiful deep purple eyes. They shined as brightly as the night right before dawn, full of life and love, eager to accept the light.
Without saying a word, she clipped on her new pearlescent black and red earrings on the tips of her pointy Oni ears, followed by the extra pieces on the helix under the tip.
"Th- thanks"
"There's more- under that paper thing"
Ru separated the box's contents with layers of ricepaper. Underneath the small sheet lay a black choker with crisscross velvet weaving to complete her stunning outfit.
"Could you- um, put it on"
Ota turned her head to the side as her cheeks and ears grew increasingly more vermillion by the second.
As a lovestruck fool, I gladly accepted a request entirely achievable without my help in a heartbeat. Even if I knew the ambush awaiting me, it would not deter my chosen path.
Bending my knee slightly and fiddling with the strap to make sure it wasn't tight, I found myself attacked by her soft warm lips. Like a Siren's song, her body enchanted mine, drowning any chance to escape.
Today I learned why poets describe interconnected emotions as 'bliss', and why such pleasure was addictive.
It lasted as long as time permitted, and slightly more, before we each slowly peeled away, quickly wiping the mess left lingering as a clang rang out beneath our feet.
Two odd objects had fallen out of the box, or so I thought.
A tiny black metal sword and a strange sterling silver comb with a folding lightwood handle.
Ota picked them up, unbeknownst to the purpose of one of the trinkets.
I should have expected it, sooner or later, but a part of me wanted it to desperately believe otherwise.
War had left his symbol of a sword, as Conquest once left her horse in my drawer, alongside directly gifting such a thing to Arisu. The way they presented each of their symbols probably played a far greater role in their meaning.
The sword burst into flames before I could say a word, and the Empire's numerals; II, revealed themselves on Ota's new necklace, matching the back of her jacket. If I was to guess who got her that matching piece of clothing, Dr Blitz would be my number one pick.
"Touji?"
"Red chose you, as Rider chose me"
The horse never sparked, but her sword is burning… Is Red looking to retire?
"For what!?"
"To be his 'apprentice', although I doubt he'll force you"
"I- Why me?"
"Probably because you have potential"
He's desperate to find his kids as well. Maybe that's his plan after finding them, or he's thinking it could be dangerous
Her gaze returned to the comb before a distant pair of pointy white ears, barely visible above a crowd of dockworkers, followed by a hand with fair, yet somewhat sickly looking skin giving the 'Okay' sign.
Arisu had dropped the strange metal comb in the box without disturbing our wet embrace.
Not in a sprint, or with any speed, only a regular walk, as to not strain her body further. Her fake internal organs did their work to keep her alive, but they would not last. A mistake I would rectify as soon as possible, by whatever means necessary.
Next to her, somebody else looked back. Another Kitsune with black hair and similar white eyes to what Arisu once had, up until last night. It was barely a glimpse before they disappeared into the passing crowd. Most likely the one-armed Nyx's daughter.
"I think- this is yours"
"Why?"
"Um- I have like uh- brushes and files at home, ya know? Plus it's metal, so it's- for like guys hair and stuff. Probably use the front prong for dirt too..."
But what's the point of the nail file part? It's easier to clip them
"Sure... Does that hurt?"
Ota's bewildering ability to ignore the burning miniature weapon in her hands began to intrigue me. Not just for her safety, rather, for what she and I might achieve. If fire aided her with regeneration, then I needed to figure out what lightning, or storms, could do for me.
"Oh, uh no, its warm, but like nice, like a mug"
Looking down, I analyzed the odd gift I received. Its single line of metal bristles and flip-knife design was not the only questionable choice, as the bristles had been slightly shortened to allow a smooth and coarse nail file on either side above it.
Quickly running it through my scalp, I came to the conclusion it wouldn't work well if I had let my hair grow. At least it folded nicely and sat in my overshirt's right breast pocket with ease, acting as a counterbalance to my wallet.
After our little moment, I felt rather invigorated.
"I'm not sure if it'd work, but I want to try something with your first idea. Uh, to cross the river"
"Water snowboarding?"
"Something like that"
"Alright, but you're gonna have to trust me when I tell you to do something, okay?"
"Well yeah, sure"
"Right then, let's go!"
Ota grabbed my hand once more and sprinted down to a nearby jetty. My heart pounded with newfound motivation. Fatigue still clawed against my body, but I fought it, pushing past what was dragging me down.
"Hold on when I jump!"
"Okay!"
Nervously, I shouted back while preparing a spell in my right hand.
A thought crossed my mind last night on how I could maintain momentum. Learning a new spell seemed redundant, as simply adjusting my cast might be more efficient.
Something normally handled with a well built Wand or Staff. Too bad I left my Relic at home.
"Now!"
"For Brux sake!"
We jumped and Ota grabbed my waist. With one hand I mimicked her grip, and with the other, blasted a spell the moment the shield under our feet hit the water.
It started as an Airburst, then I transformed it back into an open ended Vortex, and finally, a continuous pressure cyclone, pumping air in erratic bursts like storm clouds conducting thunder. Needless to say, the spell needed work.
Same could be said about our coordination and balance. By ourselves, we might have been able to achieve the stunt together. Sadly, it's harder to course correct with two people at once, and we started veering to the left.
"Crap-crap-crap-crap-crap!"
Ota shouted out at our imminent failure, however, I remained unconcerned. Wind in my hair, the river water splashing against my arms, the murmur of the docks with my girlfriend by my side, everything was perfect.
We crashed into a small fishing boat being pushed by an old man with a very long stick. He was amused as we came tumbling across the side and landing our asses. Luckily nothing was damaged as we landed in some loose nets sitting on the deck.
"You kids almost managed to pull it off"
"Ow, my butt..."
"Come on, we can jump over to the next one! Quick!"
Ota instantly recovered and pulled me to my feet while pointing at the next target. A longship full of cargo similar to the one we rode in last night, pulled by a pair of Waterborne.
We tried, we failed, now we mix it up and go again. One way or another we would cross without paying and with haste.
"I don't think I can make that"
"Ya gotta try to know how far you can jump!"
"Good luck haha"
The old grey fisherman nodded, encouraging us forward while enjoying our shenanigans.
As the longship closed in, Ota swung her arms back and forth, preparing to jump. Enthusiastically, she leapt, clearing the two and a half meter gap, over the ships side rail with a bit of effort, and landing perfectly on her feet.
It didn't surprise me, given how I first met her after she leapt down several stories half dressed. She'd always been agile, something I could only surpass with a heavy heartbeat.
Come on! Beat you stupid heart! Beat!
Unfortunately, that innate power was easier thought of then used.
Using what little wiggle room I had, I lunged across, smacking into the hull of the boat but holding on to the side. It was embarrassing to be pulled over by Ota, as from my knees down had been soaked in water.
"Up ya get"
"Dammmiiiit!"
"Aren't you supposed to be fast and stuff?"
I angrily punched the deck after rolling over the guardrail of the boat and sat back.
Once again, Rider was right, I needed to work on my body. That and get more rest, as pushing past the pain didn't mean it no longer existed. Not only did it pissed me off that I was almost certain that with one night of good sleep I could have pulled it off.
The most frustrating part was knowing I could have avoided it entirely with magic, or my Relic, or my Draconic traits if I could control them at will.
Just like last night when I attempted to block the Paladins longsword with my own, instead of mimicking Arisu's Relic again, I forgot to think. It wasn't panic, it was my brain locking down.
"Fucken' borrowed power"
Ota could easily tell my foul mood came from a place of annoyance with myself.
"Mmm, can you explain it a bit? Rider mentioned it, but I still don't like, get it"
"Whenever I'm in danger or need to move this stupid heartbeat thing happens and time slows down, that's basically it. The more it beats, the faster I can go, but I have no control over it"
"Yeah? So you've always been able to do it?"
"No. Remember when I cut through Riders quarter-staff at her workshop? That was the first time"
"Wait, so not when I like, tried to stab you after our duel?"
"...No?"
After that fight I was in a coma for an entire season. From halfway through Harvest, to the middle of Winter. During that time my new Relic constantly fed off the mana in my body, resulting in an unconscious workout as Ota took care of me.
It was only after that, when I had the body to support it, I managed to pull it off.
Not only that, but the heartbeat and Relic were separate, yet worked together well. Maybe that's why I had an easier time using it? My body, mind and weapon all worked to achieve my own sense of justice.
"Looks like you figured something out"
"Yeah"
I was starting to lose count of how many times she had grabbed me by the hand and helped pull me up.
At the time, I didn't know it was something that friends did, supporting each other, no matter how deep the relationship, or how hard the turmoil.
"Alright, ya gonna have to trust me again. I jump first, then you follow real quick after, you'll land on my shield thing, grab my hand, and pull me across the last little bit"
"Got it"
"Ready?"
"Yeah"
"Remember, only like, half a second after me"
"Uh-huh"
"Wait, why does 'uh-huh' mean yes, but not 'uh' or 'huh'-"
"Pfft, just go"
A chuckle escaped my mouth as I nudged Ota forward, and she smiled back.
"I like it when you laugh"
My heart skipped a beat when Ota spoke earnestly. As I foolishly entertained the question of if I was a narcissist by enjoying the compliment, she started running and leapt off the boat, launching herself using the side rail.
Without hesitating, I chased after my girlfriend, slightly slower than what was intended.
In life, things don't always work out the way you want. Not every outcome can be calculated, which means sometimes things can be unexpectedly worse, or, a discovery may be made that expands on what was thought possible.
Ota created a mix between a large Aspis and Kite shield, creating a teardrop of wood and metal that skipped across the water's surface like a smooth stone. Landing on the shield induced momentum, allowing us to travel further than expected. Surprisingly, we did not sink, despite not following through with a jump myself.
"Woah~"
We gilded across the water and eventually crashed onto a small wharf.
For whatever reason I wrapped Ota in my arms as we fell against the raised wooden planks. She certainly didn't need protection, as she was already tougher than me, with the ultimate defense Relic to boot. And yet I did it anyway without thinking.
What confused me the most was not the Oni lying on top of me, but rather, the shield that landed next to us, no longer directly connected to its creator.
"Um..."
"Just- a little longer"
Today I learned Ota enjoyed being hugged, and that sometimes, she liked it when I took the initiative, although she may never admit it.
"That's not the problem"
"What do you mean?"
She propped herself up in the most dangerous way, unaware of where her pelvis was. All I could do was groan and try to calm down.
But some things are beyond self control.
"What's... Oh! Um..."
My girlfriend quickly shuffled off, noticing the danger. Our actions had attracted some eyes from passing boats, alongside those walking on this side of the docks.
"Sorry about that..."
"It's fine. Just- just give me a minute!"
Using hiding position one by holding my knees to my chest, I made some small talk to pass the time as things calmed down.
She had a history of teasing whenever such unavoidable things happened in the hot springs hidden above the Clock Tower, yet at a time like this, the fact she avoided the subject had me a little worried.
"Hey, uh, I meant to ask you this earlier, but when's your birthday? I never really celebrated one myself, but thought you might"
"Isn't that what the presents are for?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's like, tomorrow. Two, seven, one, that's the date"
"Oh... got any plans or a birthday wish or something?"
"Yeah I got a wish"
"What is it?"
"Can't say it or it won't happen"
Ota smiled at me while a finger hovered over her lips to show she would remain silent as a subtle blush swept over her cute face.
The large shield devoid of its owner cracked and splintered as it slowly evaporated into shiny rainbow dust before completely disappearing.
Emotions were key to fuel Ota's Relic, like mana to magic or muscle to might. It seemed that the strongest emotion she could call upon was love. Or at least, that was my observation that I refused to utter in front of her.
"Do you think you could make a shield just to throw?"
"Yeah, but like, it wouldn't be that effective. Well, not till' I'm stronger ya know"
"Really? I guess there's not much you can do at range then..."
"Nah, there's a few things Rider was telling me about. One's was a 'Coil Launcher' thing with like, a spring steel windup thing that could shoot bladed shields"
"I'm guessing it wasn't very popular"
"It was kinda like a party trick, but it worked at the cost of the shield. So maybe? I can't make anything original with this though... Just like, change how big it is or small things like if it has straps or a handle"
"Then all you have to do is make something then right?"
"I tried that. Don't work unless someone else makes it without my help. It's dumb"
"Oh"
Her Relic is a bit more restrictive than mine, but it seems to always be about protecting and working with others, so there must be something she can do… There's got to be a book or something on previous wielders
"I can make this though!"
Ota made a mini discuss with two small round shields, no bigger than her hand and skipped it along the water a few times before sinking to the murky depths.
Hearing about how her Relic worked really got me in the mood to eventually experiment with creating a shield to see if she could copy it. Rider taught me everything in segments already. I knew how to forge weapons and armor, but never got the chance to do a full project by myself.
One day, I'll make you something good
***
With a steady heart and a body free of danger, we made our way into the area known as Bridian Square.
It was an entire area dedicated to the first person to be deemed a 'Magus' in the eyes of the people. Bridian; a regular human that lived over two thousand years ago, and the founder of the Adventurers Guild.
Arranged as, well, one big square, Ota and I found ourselves smack bang in the middle of a very crowded commercial park standing next to a central water feature with a polished Blackstone monument depicting many different heroes of old.
A unique feature of the point of interest was a ring of iron around the statue that automatically adjusted accordingly every day. North, South, East, West, all became irrelevant as Irminsul's destruction destabilized the ley lines to the point it interfered with the natural magnetic poles, at least according to Enda, who tutored me every night before dinner.
This was all part of her basic level of knowledge wished for me to achieve.
And beneath the ring, integrated with metal into the paved roads itself, was the true bearings of each direction before the destruction of the world tree. It differed by about thirty degrees from the road, like an off center eight sided star.
True East was more towards the Craftsmen's District, with all their golden brown roofs, on the opposite side of the city to the Merchants District. For some reason, while the tops of each building were certainly separated by district, their colors often shifted hue.
On the farthest side away from the river, an enormous mansion was built from colossal tooth to colossal tooth, surrounded by, what looked to be, hundreds of different flags on tall white poles from all around the world, although we were too far away to see any much detail.
Needless to say, the building was so massive, they made way for a main road to pass straight through it, whilst remaining connected above. Built out of a mixture of marble and corrupt Destroyer scales, it was truly a sight to behold.
It was the headquarters of the entire Adventures Guild to be fair, so no wonder they spent a little extra. I found the fact there was so much greenery and rocks integrated into the buildings around us to be rather fascinating as it mixed the outdoors aspect of Adventuring into the sector's aesthetic.
Despite all of the traffic around us with stalls and whatnot set up to sell monster parts alongside other adventuring goods, it was only a single line of buildings away from the docks. The sounds and smells of each space had been perfectly masked from each other.
Once again, large scale magic was involved.
"Where are we going!?"
"WHAT?!"
Ota and I couldn't hear each other thanks to the nonstop bellowing of voices attempting to sell wares. People from all walks of life had gathered round in this one spot. Clearly a Dryad had to be involved with maintaining the grounds or the grass would have perished long ago.
Beast-Kin, Yokai, Humans, Waterborne, there was at least one person of every single race I knew walking around.
Signaling back, I pushed through the crowd towards the Guild's 'palace', for the lack of a better term.
"Reat's Recommendations! Check out the latest issue!"
"Grab your guide to the new 'Notes'. Retain your wealth and lower the weight!"
"Preview Extra!: 'Righteous Defense' or 'Death Valley'?! Find out what really happened at Tyrants Rest!"
Preview?
I found myself drawn to an unusual site of several kids standing on boxes peddling books and newspapers, supervised by a grey Wulf girl around our age with an odd pattern in her hair. That of a single midnight-blue upright ear that bled down her back, like it was dipped in mana-ink for scrolls and left to dry.
"Hey! There's barely anything in here about that! This is a scam!"
An old lady in a brown coat with hair so old that the concept of color had run away, crumpled up her paper into a small bat and waved it around threateningly at the small Sylph that sold her the news.
I recognized him as someone that was recently adopted from the Orphanage. His black hair made him hard to mistake for anyone else as it was exceedingly rare for the fair skin, pointy-eared race to be born with. In fact, it was for that reason the Sisters feared he'd never find a home.
Alas, Enda did what Lord Holgata refused, providing assistance through tax breaks and extra funding to those willing to accept children into their family. Almost as if she knew how to run a fucking city unlike that shit-for-brains Lord.
"Owners of the preview will receive the full follow-up extra for free!"
"That's a lie! You'll run away like the rest of you black haired Wis and keep the money!"
"Please miss, I just sell the papers!"
His plea's were in vain as the old lady attempted to strike him with deep seated hatred in her eyes.
This was the reason why the Sisters feared he would never be adopted. His black hair was a considered bad omen by the superstitious, or perhaps it was simply ignored by the ignorant.
Either way, three different hands reached out to stop the ladies' assault on the unassuming kid; mine, Ota's and the Wulf's.
He was brave not to cower, or perhaps he had simply not felt the sting of pain yet. Famine, he may have known, but not wrath, for that was not part of his youth.
Judging by the Beast-kin's movements, she was rather skilled for someone roughly the same age. Silver hair was seen as a noble trait thanks to the forgotten hero, however, her's was tainted by the strange blotch of midnight blue.
Rider was right, it was the Wulf's actions that put to rest any doubt about her appearance. Yet I would use its oddity to remember this incident. In that way, simply being unique allowed her to stand out greater than anyone for her effort.
Refusing to be defeated, the lady spit on the Wulf's scared face as guards arrived.
They took one look at the situation, partially Ota, before arresting the old woman as she screeched like a fowl Harpy in protest. I already knew my girlfriend had a history with the Guardsmen of Dragons Mort, and was beginning to believe that was for similar situations like this.
Unfortunately, they didn't arrive on time when she needed them most, probably leading her to step in instead of waiting. Her past dictated her future.
"Hey, thanks for that. My names Ebas, this little squirts-"
"-Lonce right? I didn't mean to interrupt, but we grew up in the same Orphanage. I heard he got a name"
"So then you used to live in Tyrants Rest right?"
"While back yeah, but Enda took me in before last Winter. Anyway we got to go, bye"
"Oh… alright. Thanks again by the way"
"No probs. Catch ya round Ebby. Oh, I'm Ota and he's Touji, see ya!"
Wishing to leave in a rush, the Oni pushed me forward, both hands on my back, mumbling something about avoiding filling out a report.
***
Four hours, three of which were waiting, all to fill out forms we didn't need, health evaluations they wanted updated, and a small portrait to be painted for the record.
Last time Ota ranked up from E to C, she was missing a horn and covered in scars, while the description that Enda gave while I was out cold was of brown hair and navy blue eyes.
Needless to say, radical changes required approval from somebody higher up, hence the wait time. Thankfully a very sleep deprived mature clerk with glowing yellow halo's in her eyes gave us both a look over and confirmed everything without the need to cause a fuss.
Leaving the building at midday with no money on either of us, we had to come up with a plan, and so we stood looking back out to the square.
"What is it? Fourteen o'clock now?"
"Yep, lunchtime. Errgah!"
While I took in the sights and thought of ways to make a quick Mark, Ota started stretching her arms and legs.
"We could go back home and beg for money"
"Nah, my mum will laugh at me for forgetting it"
"Well, what about a quick commission?"
"Nope, I've got a better idea"
"Really?"
"Yep, we are gonna ask my fellow Oni in arms at 'The Leaderboard'. Fol-low me"
'Fellow Oni'?
Ota raised her leg as if she was about to start a military march, then twisting left, and led us towards one of the many large buildings purpose built to aid in the growth of Adventurers. A line of buildings consisting of equipment stores and facilities for training.
Funnily enough, this zoning was deliberate, as the opposite side, or 'True South' of the square, was littered with buildings offering rather luxurious accommodation.
Whoever was funding the area was clearly loaded and shared the same overall goals as Enda. The 'Old Bones' probably. On my list of people I wished to meet, the master of the Adventures Guild was at the top.
"Here we are. You know 'Broken-Blade' Fort? Same Oni clan owns this place, or I guess their great-great-great blahdy blah kids run it"
"They stayed after the riots?"
"Well… I heard they have a cool castle thingy in the mountains, but they're all Blue Oni, ya know? The clans all basically hated my grandad too, so they didn't really do anything after all that jazz"
The 'Leaderboard' was a large three story building made almost entirely of unpainted bricks and metal supports. Large open wooden doors on every corner gave me a glimpse inside to the bright and welcoming atmosphere.
"But- from everything I've heard, he was a good guy"
"He was a hero that was hated for his ideas. It's kinda taboo for Oni to mix with anyone but our own kind, and even then it's supposed to be Red with Red, Blue with Blue, all that crap. I still remember being called a 'Fake-Horn', even though they had no idea who my grandmother was when I visited other clans"
"Man, that must have been what? Ten, eleven years ago?"
"Pretty much. Boring stuff, isn't it?"
"Not really. I like hearing about it, I just wish I something to tell you about my own"
"Hey, I'm here to listen. If ya wanna talk about it, I'll keep it secret. Cross my glowing heart and hope to die"
"..."
Her earnest nature clawed at my gut, trying to spill my secrets. In due time, I'd take her up on that offer and share my secrets in private. Her life was already in danger when I was near, last night proved that without a shadow of a doubt.
"Ota? What's going on?"
A cheerful light blue Oni girl in stretchy skin tight black workout clothes walked up to us as she drank water out of a tankard and pat herself down with a towel.
It was like looking in a mirror opposite of Ota, minus the height, as she was roughly six foot one inches and slim, but apart from that; white twin-tail hair with baby blue streaks, horns with pinkish tips, and yellow eyes set her apart yet joined them together.
If I didn't know the fate of Ota's family, I could have seen her as an older sister. The most surprising thing was her lack of well defined muscle. She was fit, just not buff. She was probably tall due to her age, rather than strength or power.
My guess was that she was around twenty.
"What happened to your scars?"
"Oh! You know that thing my gramps could do? I can do it too!"
"Hmm, impressive. He always said you'd do great things"
"Thanks Maemi"
After throwing her towel over her shoulders, the Blue Oni patted Ota on the head in praise. They seemingly enjoyed each other's company.
"If you don't mind me asking, who named you?"
"My mother did. Apparently it means my smile brings truth and happiness, or something like that. Are you her friend?"
"Umm-"
Given what I now knew about the perception of other clans and what was considered taboo, I didn't wish to damage Ota's reputation by blurting anything out, nor hurt her feelings by downplaying what we were.
"He's… you know"
Quick to pick up on her blushing, Maemi immediately shifted into sceptical mode, narrowing her eyes and glossing me over.
I'm so sick of this
"She means a lot to me. If you have something to say, then just come out and say it"
"So it's not just a one night fling?"
"Mae!"
Ota pouted, and gently hit Maemi on the shoulders.
"Whaaat? I've seen plenty of people do it these days, least of all my Bro's. What's your name?"
"Touji, Touji Himura I guess"
"You guess? Well that's certainly something. How can I help you two?"
"Mae, we're hungwy, pwease feed us"
An artery threatening attack, directly to the jugular, as the tall Oni could not help but find my girlfriends talking adorable. In other words, a critical success persuading Maemi to give us food.
"*Ahem* I'm sure I can find some things, BUT, you'll have to beat your bench press record"
"Aww, but we're both still sore from last night"
"HMMM!?!"
Dammit Ota
"Nothing happened! We we're at Tyrants Rest and had to fight some people-"
"I mean, you broke my curse when we kissed, so that's not nothing"
"Yes but… what you said sounded like, you know"
"What did I say?"
That Blue Oni is enjoying this too damn much
"Forget it. What's your record?"
"Umm, ninety kilos I think"
The inside of the building was slightly windy, as summoned wind spirits cooled down the occupants hard at work. We passed a small white reception desk on the way inside, staffed by a buff Blue Oni man talking to a human female.
Contraptions of iron occupied a large open space with easily over thirty people using various exercise equipment. Surprisingly, the floor was bouncy, as an inch sponge like material covered the ground corner to corner.
Almost all three stories of the building were completely open outside of a single smaller area to the side above the reception that led to offices and a smaller one-on-one private classes zone.
On the bottom floor to the left, they had dedicated changing rooms for each gender and a sign pointing towards a back door extension to a 'sauna', with an odd warning underneath stating 'No Sex'. Once upon a time I heard warriors often got 'in the mood' after battle, I wondered if the same effect occurred after a workout.
"As this is your first time here Touji, let me explain a few things. The name is inline with what we do here. Our motto is 'Break records with the Broken-Blade'. Each rank has its own records we keep up on the wall above, see them?"
Above all the equipment, just under the vertical skylights, boards with interchangeable sections highlighted the greatest of each rank, all the way to 'S+', for each activity, and more interestingly, general stats the Adventures Guild grades people on.
Typically, from rank to rank, they use a five star system that resets after ranking up according to what is needed each time. All of which is recorded down with five stats on a typical Adventures Guild card.
Each Guild had their own style of grading, respective to the professions under their umbrellas. Both Ota and I needed to return tomorrow to get our updated cards.
"Hey, check it out, V and Warren are up there"
"Yeah but what's that? The symbol next to them?"
"That symbol means they surpassed the limits of what they can do here. Most S ranks and above are like that. Usually the only reason they'd have to beat the 'feat of strength' is a membership to whoever they choose. On the house of course"
Might be a good idea to ask Rider about that later
"Anyway, this one's free. Touji, spot for her"
"'Spot'?"
"Make sure that if she fails, you grab the bar and rack it back up so nobody gets hurt. Is this your first time at a gym?"
"Yeah. I didn't even know what a gym was before today"
"Well, there's a first time for everything. Feel free to pop in and talk to us if you have any questions or want to sign up"
I responded with a simple nod and got in position as Maemi set up the equipment.
Everything in the building was made of metal, wood, or foam padding. Ota took off her jacket and positioned a long bench to lie down on. It was a relatively simple setup with two reinforced metal beams on either side with a shallow cup to hold a steel bar as various weights were added on either side and held in position with a metal peg.
"So how much would I need to lift to reach A Rank?"
"If you want to use melee weapons and not ranged, then roughly two hundred kilos is what I would try to achieve for a single lift. Ota will need to target three hundred herself as a tank. Beyond that, S has a strict cutoff with an assisted one ton lift"
"So magic is allowed for them?"
"Not just magic. Techniques, skills, you name it. Ready?"
As we talked away, the Red Oni prepared by stretching her arms across her chest and above her head, building up her focus while she did so. The way in which everything was positioned made me a little nervous and embarrassed as her horns poked into my thighs, brushing over other undesirable places.
Maemi gave me a professional look that said 'It happens' and not to worry about it, so we soldiered on.
"Good to go"
"Alright. Ready Touji?"
"Yep"
After adjusting her grip one last time, Ota lifted the bar and planted her feet into the ground. The veins on her arms and legs rose to the occasion as she lowered the weight to her chest.
Grunting and hissing through teeth, she pushed up, getting louder and louder.
"C'mon!"
We waited roughly five seconds of a slow push before Maemi nodded upwards to get me to help.
"Shit"
Using my legs, I grabbed the bar in a way that I thought would be the easiest and together we lifted it back into its hold as my Oni girlfriend sweared under her breath. Sweat had formed across her brow and arms.
Disappointing in herself, she rested her arm over her eyes.
"Maemi, yesterday we fought Alameda and barely survived. Today we were told to rest, but went running around anyway. Ota can do it, probably with even more weight, just not today. We're pretty sore still"
"Excuse my interruption, is that Mizz Ota I see?"
A bald and extremely muscular middle aged man with triceps thicker than my skull walked up in a tank top drowned in sweat, twirling his stylish thin dark green mustache. His deep, yet charming voice came from a place of refined elegance.
While adjusting his steamy monocle, he called out addressing the Red Oni.
"Hey Wenzel, come to laugh at my failure?"
"Far from it. Who is this stunning young man you've brought?"
Kill me
"That's Touji, he broke my curse"
"Oh-ho-ho. Then what a fine gentleman he is. I do wish you'd have brought him over on your many dates, it's been to long since you last visited my dear"
"No- today is our first date Wenzel, it all just kinda happened, plus I couldn't get a reservation for at least a week so I gave up"
"Nonsense! Are you both free tonight? I'd love to host your first dinner date"
"Wait really!?"
Ota shot up from the bench, demanding a confirmation with excitement in her voice.
"Yes of course! Amya always wished her daughter would come to enjoy our hospitality once you were older, as she once did with Keion. It would be our honor in doing so, and I'm sure Master Anzo would very much approved"
So that's her parents, but who is Anzo?
"Sure! I mean- um, do you have like a suit or anything you could wear? It's-a really fancy place, velvet curtains and everything"
Ota turned to me with stars in her eyes. Clearly she wanted to go, so who was I to deny such a request?
"I'll talk to Enda, she could make me something"
"Uhhh, if you're positive…"
Why is she worried?
"Yeah it'll be fine"
"Excellent! I shall book you both in for eight-o-clock under your names"
***
After a few minutes of catching up, Wenzel left, and Maemi stood up. She was angry at Ota from the bench.
"So this is a rest day?"
"Yeah… but like, we've got no money, and you know… we got stuck in the Guild for four hours-"
"Enough. Working out now will only make things worse. I'll get you some food on one condition. Both of you come back tomorrow or the day after and BOTH of you better lift one hundred or more. Got it?"
"You got it Mae!"
"I'll try…"
"Good! Now follow me, we got a fancy ice box upstairs"
Clearly, Maemi was well versed in training. She understood wanting to push the limit, but refused to go beyond and allow someone to break their body in the process. For that, she earned my respect.
***
And so ended our first date, for now, as we would later reconvene for a night to remember.
But before that, I needed two things. Advice from Arisu, and a suit from Enda.