"Wait, you want to what?", Katsu asks with confusion and tiredness.
"I want to join you!", Atsuko says with an excited smile.
"What, why?", Katsu asks.
"You two are the first humans I've met who actually didn't try to kill me, I mean you did try to collect my bounty, and I tried to kill you, and you were dying because of me biting into your arm, but the point is, I want to go on adventures with you!", she says with persistence.
"No.", Katsu says with a straight face and went back to sleep.
"NO?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO, I POURED MY HEART OUT TO TELLING YOU MY EMOTIONAL BACKSTORY, YOU MADE FEEL LIKE I BELONGED, YOU MADE YOUR FRIEND RECREATE MY BROTHER WITH MAGIC, SO MAKE ME JOIN YOU!!!", she screams at him with fury.
"CAN YOU SHUT THE F*CK UP, I CAN HEAR YOU THROUGH THE WALLS!!!", screamed Hari from the room next door.
Katsu sighs, "Look Atsuko, its not like I don't like you, its because the type of adventures we are doing is actually just me repaying Hari for money I had lost.", Katsu says while adjusting his pillow and sheets.
"Hmm, I see.", said Atsuko
Atsuko started thinking, and then:
"I have an idea! What if I get the money back, your dept to Hari will be repaid, and then I can join you!", she said with determination.
Katsu turned around and said:
"How exactly do you expect you can get the gold back?", Katsu asks.
"Well, you come along with me and get it together, the bigger the group is, the better we can steal it!", Atsuko says with a devious look.
"And why would I want to join you into going through something as dangerous as that?", Katsu asks raising an eyebrow.
"I can convince. Here is an idea, if you come along, you can-", says Atsuko before:
Hello everyone, now you may be wondering what Atsuko was about to say, but as a joke, I will censor what she was about to say and make you think about what it would have been >:)
"Fine, but first, we need to have a plan.", says Katsu completely convinced with Atsuko's offer.
30 MINUTES LATER
Katsu and Atsuko snuck out through the window and snuck near the entrance of the Royal Guard Base.
"Okay, we have to be very careful as to not get caught, you remember the plan?", said Katsu in a whispering tone.
"Yeah I remember.", said Atsuko.
They both got close to the wall of the base and then:
"HEY YOU TWO, WHAT ARE YO-!", a patrol guard said before:
"SLASH!!!".
Atsuko kills the guard with her claws, and gave a thumbs up to Katsu with a smile.
Katsu looks at her with a nervous smile and a thumbs up.
"I don't think seeing this many people dying in front of me is the healthiest.", Katsu thought to himself as he follows Atsuko inside the base.
"It's really dark in here, I can't see a thing.", Katsu says as he's adjusting his eyes.
"Wait, I got it!", says Atsuko.
"FWOOSH!!!".
Atsuko covered the whole room it flames.
"There we go, is it good-?", Atsuko asks before:
"AHHHHHH!!! TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH, TURN IT DOWN!!", screamed Katsu, who is on fire and rolling on the ground.
"Oh, whoops!", Atsuko says as she cleared all the fire.
"SNAP!".
She snaps her fingers making all the fire disappear and creating a small flame in the palm of her hand.
"Much better, also can you heal me?", says Katsu covered in burns and soot.
A few minutes later, they are now wandering around trying to find the room.
"Where is this room anyway?", Atsuko asks impatiently.
"Its this way, I think?", Katsu says in a confused tone.
"You think? You mean, you don't remember where the room is?", asked Atsuko with disbelief.
"No, I remember, its just that its so dark.", Katsu says without trying to look lost.
"Uh huh, sure.", Atsuko says with doubt.
"STEP, STEP, STEP".
"Wait, I hear foot steps, hide!", Atsuko says in a whispering tone.
"There is nowhere to hide!", Katsu says in a confused tone looking around.
"Hide in here, quick!", says Katsu in a whispering tone.
"Ugh, I can't believe he hit me with a glass vase, my head is killing me.", said a familiar voice.
(Concept art using AI Generator)
"Sh*t, of course it has to be him!", Katsu said in whispering tone.
"You know this guy?", Atsuko asks.
"Yeah, long story short, he's bad news and very stupid.", He says annoyed.
"Shh, he's coming!", Atsuko says.
As he walks by rubbing his head, he suddenly stops and looks at Katsu and Atsuko who are inside suits of amour.
"Hmm....?", said Matsumura.
He then adjusts Katsu's helmet and kept walking.
"That was too close for comfort.", Atsuko says with a sigh of relief.
They both started walking away and after a long search they eventually found the room.
"This is it!", Katsu said with excitement.
"Okay, now lets find the gold, you can pay Hari, and I can finally join you guys!", Atsuko says.
"Oh right, I honestly forgot that's the other reason why we came here.", Katsu thought to himself.
As they both got close to door and entered, the bag of gold was on a pedestal under the light.
"This is it, we found it!", Atsuko said as she started getting close.
"Wait!", Katsu screamed.
"What why, its right here in front of us?", Atsuko asked confused.
"What if it's a trap!?", said Katsu with concern.
"How could it be a trap? Its right there in front of us.", said Atsuko.
"I mean look, there are barely any guards, it was easy to enter, and ITS ON A PLATFORM UNDER A MYSTERIOUS LIGHT, it has to be a TRAP!!", said Katsu with frustration.
"OR, they may think we will ignore it for being a trap, BUT It's the ACTUAL gold?", said Atsuko as she got closer reaching out for it.
"NO DON'T-!", Katsu screams before:
"CHING, CHING!".
The bag of coins made as Atsuko shook it.
"Wait, it wasn't a trap?!", Katsu asks really confused.
"OH THANK GOD!!! I honestly was expecting something bad!", said Katsu with relief.
"You could have gotten us killed, what would have happened if that triggered some sort of alarm or bomb or something even worse, you dumbass!!", Katsu says angerly grabbing Atsuko's ears.
"OW OW OW OW OW, I'M SORRY, I WON'T DO THAT AGAIN, PLEASE STOP PULLING MY EARS!!", Atsuko says with tearful eyes.
"Well anyways, we got the gold, now let's get out of here!", said Katsu.
As Katsu opens the door, Matsumura is stood in front of the door making eye-contact to Katsu and Atsuko.
"Eh?", Katsu, Atsuko and Matsumura said at the same time.
Silence was made between the three of them for a few seconds until:
"EEHHHHH!?!? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?", Matsumura screamed.
"RUN!!!", Katsu and Atsuko said as they ran out.
"YOU GOT A LOT OF NERVE COMING BACK HERE, HARI ASHIKAGA!!!", Matsumura says chasing them.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, IM NOT HARI!!", Katsu shouts running down the hall.
"Why does he think you're Hari?!", asked Atsuko confused towards Katsu.
"You will have to read the earlier chapters to understand, but we don't have time for that!!", says Katsu while running.
"I guess you were right about him being stupid", Atsuko says running next to Katsu.
___________________________________________________________
PART TWO
For about 15 minutes, they have been chased all around the base, cutting corners and close calls of getting caught by Matsumura.
"THIS GUY DOESN'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT, DOES HE?!?!", Atsuko says running getting exhausted.
"IN HERE!!", Katsu says running towards a room, Atsuko follows shutting it behind.
Matsumura turns the corner and kept running.
"I WILL CAPTURE YOU, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME!!", screamed Matsumura as runs past the room.
A FEW MINUTES HAD PASSED, THERE WAS ONLY SILENCE
"Is he gone?", Atsuko asks whispering.
"I'm not sure, I don't hear him. Let me check.", Katsu says as he cracks the door.
He looks left and right at the empty hallways.
"It looks clear.", said Katsu as he walks out.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings.".
Katsu looks at the ceiling to see Matsumura's face sticking out of it.
"WHAT THE F*CK!? HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?!", screamed Katsu.
"DID YOU NOT REALISE THAT THIS BUILDING IS MADE OF METAL?!", said Matsumura with a menacing and sadistic look.
"EWWW, THAT'S SO CREEPY!!!", screamed Atsuko.
"It is NOT creepy, this a useful technique that I have taught myself with my metal manipulating ability that none of you insignificant fiends can even comprehend!", said Matsumura with an insulted tone.
"Oh my god, we don't care about YOUR METAL-BENDING!!", Katsu said shouting angerly and annoyed.
"How DARE you speak back to a guard with such attitude, AGAIN!!", Matsumura says as he climbs out of the ceiling and lands on the floor on his feet.
"Now you will get EVEN MORE PUNISHMENT!!", shouted Matsumura as he grabs pieces of the floor and turned it into a sword.
"I'm sorry...", Katsu says as the color drained from his body.
Katsu knowing the fact he can't possibly get away from this maniac, he grabs his sword.
"I'll have no choice but to-!", he says until:
"*GRUNT* Why isn't it *GRUNT* COMING OUT?!", Katsu says as he tries to draw the sword, but it didn't budge even the slightest.
"Why aren't you drawing your sword, ARE MAKING A FOOL OUT OF ME?!", Matsumura says as he rushes towards Katsu.
"WHAT, NO!!", Katsu said before:
"CLANG!!".
Matsumura swings his sword at Katsu, but he blocks him with the sword still in its sheathe.
"Why are you not taking the sword out?!", Atsuko asks as Matsumura pushes Katsu.
"Believe me, I would taken it out long time!", Katsu says pushing back Matsumura.
"KATSU I'M GOING TO-!", Atsuko says before.
"CLANG!".
Matsumura touched the walls and made chains cling onto Atsuko's arms and legs.
"You stay where you are, you demon!", Matsumura says as he pushes Katsu to the ground.
"You will be put away for a long time, but before I do that, I might as well teach of you a lesson, starting with YOU.", he says to Katsu as he raises the swords about to stab him, until:
"FWOOSH!!".
Large flames shoot towards Matsumura.
"What the-!", Matsumura says as he blocks it creating a shield with the sword.
"Katsu, are you okay?!", Atsuko says with molten metal dripping from her hands and legs.
"I see, so you control fire and so you melted the metal to escape, quite impressive from a horrible disgusting monster!", Matsumura says with a smirk.
Katsu then pushes Matsumura off him and he falls to the floor.
"We got to go NOW!!", Katsu says as he grabs Atsuko's hand and started running.
"You won't escape, not even with your LIVES!!", Matsumura says as he raises his hand and slams his hand on the ground.
Suddenly the entire hallway is getting covered in metal spikes as it gets closer towards Katsu and Atsuko.
"KEEP RUNNING DON'T STOP!!", Katsu screams as he is running as fast as he can holding Atsuko's arm.
"THERES THE EXIT!!", Atsuko screams.
They jump out through the door, nearly gets impaled and escaped.
They both, back to the floor, panting and heart racing as they just barely escaped death.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!", Katsu starts laughing.
"Why are you laughing?", Atsuko asks.
"I'm just relieved we made it, with our lives and Hari's gold!", Katsu says still laughing.
"Okay, but why are you still laughing?", Atsuko asks again.
"I'm right now trying not cry, because that was the scariest thing that I have experienced!", Katsu says laughing with tears.
Katsu then sits up, and sighs, he then looks at Atsuko and said:
"Atsuko, welcome to the team.", he says with smile.
FUN FACT:
The name Atsuko means "Sincere, kind child", and Saki means "Blossom, Hope".