[Day: Thursday]
[Time: Morning]
[Location: Home]
The gentle light of the morning sun began to peer through my curtains, signalling the start of the next day. I felt some movement in my bed, grunting softly as I opened my eyes. I looked around, noticing all five of my Love Demons in bed with me then sighed softly.
"All five of you can't be in my bed...There ain't enough room for all of that," I said softly, trying to sit up but noticed Luckie was laying on top of me in her fox form.
Lustie slowly opened her eyes, slowly glancing up at me. "Good morning, babe..~"
"Good morning, now can you all get off me? My arms are numb as hell and I would like to get the blood in my body back to circulating normally," I said, wanting then all off me as soon as possible.
Lustie chuckled softly then sat up. "As you wish..~"
Lustie got out of bed then walked toward the curtains, swinging them open so the sunlight could hit her sisters at full force. She chuckled as they all groaned and whined in protest to the sun.
"T-Too bright..!" Luckie whined softly, using her paws to cover her eyes.
"Screw...you...Lusella.." Passion groaned softly, turning away from the window to get her face from the sunlight.
"Nngh...you demon..." Talenta complained, getting out of bed to get away from the overbearing sunlight.
Charismari still slept peacefully, her veil perfectly covering her eyes. Lustie walked over to Charismari, raising her veil and causing the sunlight to hit her face directly. Charismari groaned softly as she knew it was time to wake up.
"Why...am I not surprised..?" Charismari said softly, her tone tinged with annoyance.
"Rise and shine ladies!~ We have some training to get to and Shiro ain't gonna teach himself!~" Lustie giggled then smelled delicious food coming from downstairs. "Ooo~ Celene is awake!~"
Luckie's ears perked up when she smelled the enticing breakfast being prepared as well. "Food?~ Suddenly, I'm wide awake!~"
One by one, each girl got off me, finally allowing my blood to flow into my arms once again. I watched as they left the room to see Celene downstairs, but Charismari stayed behind with me.
"Good morning, my dear..~" Charismari said softly, leaning toward me to kiss my cheek. "Sorry for... numbing your arm..~"
I turned toward Charismari, giving her a soft smile. "It's alright, but if you're all gonna sleep in my bed at the same time, at least turn into your tiny forms or something.."
Charismari nodded then got off my bed, straightening her gown. "Oh yeah, today I'm training you..~ I hope you're ready for what's to come."
I sat up on my elbows, giving Charismari a confident smile. "I will be. Karma is counting on me to show up and help them..~ I won't let Naomi and the others down. And I won't let you all down either.."
Charismari's heart fluttered by my words, a gentle smile curling on her lips. She leaned down toward me, landing a tender kiss upon my lips. "I know you won't..~ Now let's get out of here and get breakfast with the others..~"
I nodded, now getting out of bed and left my room with Charismari to go downstairs to have breakfast with everyone downstairs. As we made it downstairs, Lustie called for us to join her at the table. We made our way to the table and sat down with everyone else while Celene prepared out plates with a nice morning breakfast.
Once everyone was sat down, we began to enjoy our meal together. The conversations were mainly small talk, but we also talked about our plans for the day and what Charismari's training would be like. Charismari didn't want to uncover any of her plans so she stayed quiet about it, but mentioned we were going back to Verdant Grove.
After we enjoyed our breakfast, Lustie and her sisters went to the living room to hang out for a bit while Celene and I cleaned the kitchen together. While I helped Celene clean, I still couldn't knock the joyful emotions that bubbled inside from having Celene back at my side. While we cleaned, my doorbell rang; none of us were expecting a visitor.
"I'll get it," I said, setting down my towel.
"Okay, I'll handle the rest while you're gone," Celene replied, her mothely smile giving me a warm, cozy feeling inside.
I returned Celene's smile with my own before going to the door. I was thinking it was one of the girls coming to check up on me since it's been a week since I've last seen them until...
[*BEEP BEEP BEEP*]
I stopped in my tracks and looked at my watch. I knew those beeps too well and knew whoever was at my door was someone I've never seen before. As I approached the door and opened it slowly, my eyes widened with recognition from who it was.
In front of me stood a beautiful woman, her long, dark hair flowing gently in the breeze, and her golden eyes, deep and expressive, filled with emotion.
"Ani..?" I said, my voice tinged with emotion.
Ani smiled shyly, her hands fidgeting slightly as she stood before me. She looked exactly as I remembered, yet more mature, her beauty and grace undeniable.
"Hi, Pepe...~ It's been a long time.." She said, her demeanor still as shy as ever.
"It... really has.." I said softly.
Without another word, I stepped forward and embraced Ani in a warm, tight hug. Ani, feeling my warmth and strength, relaxed in the hug and embraced me as well, tears welling up in her eyes. We held each other for a long moment, the years of separation melting away.
"I've missed you so much.." Ani whispered softly, her voice slightly breaking.
"I've missed you too, E ku'u aloha.." I whispered back.
Ani smiled happily, resting her head against my chest. "No Kau a Kau..~"
I pulled back slightly, still holding her by the shoulders. My gaze never left hers as my mind ran with questions and relief. "How did you find me..? I honestly thought you'd still be in Hawaii..."
Ani looked up at me, smiling shyly. "'Anakē Celene, she told me you were here. She said it was time for us to reunite..."
My eyes widened in surprise after hearing such revelation. I turned and called to Celene, wanting to confirm. Celene appeared around the corner to the front with a knowing smile on her face.
"Are you shocked about my surprise?" Celene chuckled as she noticed my surprised expression.
"You planned this?" I asked, still in disbelief.
Celene nodded, a warm expression playing on her face. "I did..~ Ani needed and wanted to be here with you. It's time for your tribe to come together, and you need all the support you can get."
I turned back to Ani, my expressions softening into a sweet smile. "Come in, there's so much to catch up on~"
Ani nodded, walking inside as I stepped to the side. I closed the door behind her then brought her to the living room. As we entered the living room, Ani froze in her tracks after seeing Lustie and her sisters. Lustie and her sisters looked over at Ani then looked at me.
"Oh shit. She can see us," Lustie chuckled softly.
"Yep..." Passion said, sighing softly.
Ani let out a terrified squeal then quickly reached in her bag, pulling out a Paper Talisman. "Pepe! Get back! You have evil beings in your house!"
"Whoa! What?! Out the woodworks with an attack?!" Lustie asked in shock then turned toward me. "Shiro! Calm her down! That Paper Talisman says Exorcize on it!"
I held Ani back and lowered her arm with an awkward chuckle. "Ko'u aloha, it's okay! They aren't evil like the demon that attacked our clan. They are actually really nice and they are our allies!"
"Then why does that one look so scary?!" Ani exclaimed, pointing at Passion.
"Oh come on! That one seems targeted! You see a literal succubus beside me and you point at the Dragon?!" Passion groaned, lowering her head. "Am I really the butt of all jokes now..?"
"No you're not, but you do tend to want to erase the memories of someone you don't expect can see you..." I said, chuckling softly at Passion.
"You're not helping my case!" Passion whined, crossing her arms and looking away.
Ani looked between me and my Love Demons, seeing how well we got along and how they weren't attacking Ani at all. "S-So they aren't evil..?"
"No they aren't evil despite being demons. Just give it some time, you all will get along..~" I said, my tone reassuring as I rubbed the top of her head.
Ani calmed down a bit, but was still cautious of them. "A-Alright..."
After everyone was calmed, I brought Ani to sit with me on the couch and everyone joined us. My Love Demons were pretty curious about Ani since they could sense a Power Source within her, but they kept their distance to respect the boundaries Ani placed on herself.
Ani and I began to catch up on a lot, spending the rest of the morning reminiscing about our childhood together. Lustie and her sisters could see how close we were despite having been separated for 12 years. It really felt amazing to have someone else from my tribe with me and I couldn't be more grateful to have Ani with me.
[New Woman Registered!]
[Information Acquired.]
Name: Ani Nalanie-Moji
Age: 20
Birthday: September 12th
Height: 5 Feet 4 Inches
Weight: 111 lbs
Nationality: Polynesian
Status: Very Close
Bond: 95%
Title: Tengoku's Maiden
Occupation: Kaika Mahine (Mojisolan Shrine Maiden)
Most Desirable Trait(s): Talent, Charisma, Passion, Empathy, Romance
Least Desirable Trait(s): Disloyalty, Dishonesty, Betrayal
Libido: Conservative
Favorite Gifts: Books, Flowers, Jewelry, Tribal Gifts
---------------------------------------------
[Day: Thursday]
[Time: Afternoon]
[Location: Verdant Grove]
We all arrived at a random part of Verdant Grove and I looked around, wondering where in Verdant Grove we were in. Charismari walked ahead then closed her eyes, summoning four pages around her then opened her eyes.
"Alright, my dear, we are starting day two of your training. Today you will be Learning Angelic Source and how to use a variety of Angelic Abilities," Charismari said then raised her hand, the four pages scattering around the forest.
I watched the pages scatter around then returned my gaze to Charismari. "What are those pages for?"
"Those pages contain hints to your final destination of today's training session. Your final destination will be a Church hidden within this forest named Verdant Temple. There will be four demons within this forest, each one guarding a specific page," Charismari explained, holding her arms over her chest.
She continued her explanation, "The pages have been infused with Divine Energy in which you can sense with your Crest of Charm active. Each page will also grant you a certain power, just like Luckie's Talismans have done."
I nodded, understanding Charismari's explanation then noticed a large cross appear in front of me. I stared at it for a moment before grabbing it and grunted as I picked it up, surprised by how heavy it was.
"Today since you're using Angelic Abilities, it's only fitting if you use an Angelic Weapon. It's only until you've reached the church. It's called The Savior's Cross or as commonly known in Esoria as St. Kieran's Will. It has three modes: A close range mode, a mid range mode, and a long range mode. It also comes with a Defense Mode, just in case you need to block certain attacks." Charismari explained before stepping backwards.
"All of your attacks with that Cross will have the same effect that Heavenly Impact does. To explain, Heavenly Impact is a Blessed Attack. Blessed Attacks deal double to near triple damage against demons and other malevolent entities. Blessed Attacks are the only way to truly defeat and even kill a demon. Use your cross to your advantage," Charismari finished before warping away.
"Be careful out there, Shiro!~ Just like yesterday, if you get into too much danger, just give us a call and we'll shut down this entire operation until the next day," Lustie said, floating off.
"We also know that you can handle your own~ You've got a strong will power, however don't let that stop you from reaching out!~" Luckie giggled before scurrying away.
I watched as everyone left, but noticed Ani stayed with me. "You stayed?"
"Well...I didn't want you going alone... y'know with wild demons on the prowl even if this is training," Ani answered softly.
I smiled at her then awakened my Crest of Charm, angelic energy flowing throughout my body. I held my hand out toward Ani, giving her a confident smile. "Well since you wish to join me, I want you to stay close alright?"
Ani's eyes sparkled and a memory of us flashed in her head. She happily took my hand, a smile curling on her lips. "Okay!~"
Together, we began to wander the forest hand in hand. As we walked together, I began to tell Ani about the situation between Feleti and I, noticing her expression darken as if she already knew of his betrayal. I could tell his betrayal hurt her as well when she figured everything out.
"I still can't believe he would do that...I can't believe his dad could do the things he did. Afu didn't deserve to die...we all looked up to him..." Ani said softly, her sadness evident in her tone.
"Yeah...but I will avenge him. I made a promise that I would make Feleti pay...no matter what it takes," I said, gently squeezing Ani's hand.
Ani gently squeezed my hand as well, her nerves calming down in my presence. She felt safe around me, almost like nothing could hurt her. "I know you will, Pepe..~ My faith in you has never faltered..~"
I smiled at her then let go of her hand as we approached the first page near an old shed in the forest. "Thank you. Now let's show these demons, how the Mojisola Tribe gets down!"
Ani nodded, preparing herself by summoning multiple Paper Talismans around herself. "Let's go!"
The demon guarding the page looked at us then immediately got into action, clapping his hands together and launching multiple black tendrils at us. I rushed forward, activating the Defense Mode of my Cross and deploying a blessed shield to block the tendrils.
Ani dashed forward and grabbed one of her talismans, saying a tribal chant before letting out her Tribal Howl and unleashing a powerful bolt of blessed energy toward the demon. The demon noticed the bolt of light then disappeared into the shadows, using the shadows to rush toward us.
The demon appeared behind Ani, attempting to possess her but was stopped when I swung my cross at him, launching him away through the forest. I grunted softly as I looked at the cross, noticing how much it slowed me down.
"I'm sorry, Mari, but this Cross is slowing me down...but I think I know what to do," I said to myself then ran toward the first page and looked at it.
{Find the sacred waters where the sun and moon are reflected during it's zenith.}
{Obtained Divine Attacks.}
I nodded my head then looked at Ani. "Ani! Let's go!" I called out then ran toward the lake the page mentioned.
Ani nodded her head then ran behind me. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to Verdant Lake. It's the place this page mentioned," I said as I looked at the page.
As we ran, the demon we encountered chased after us swiftly. He lunged toward me for a swift blow, but I blocked the attack then launched him back with a flying Superkick. The demon rolled backwards before recovering onto his feet then launched himself back toward us.
"Oh you really want this ass beating huh?" I said, a smirk stretching on my lips. "Alright, let's play.."
The demon swiped his claws at me, but I dodged his swift slices then used my Cross to block his next attack. Ani snuck to the side of the demon, landing a powerful strike to his jaw before knocking him upward with a high reaching kick. I changed my cross into Long Range Mode, causing the cross to transform into a railgun.
"You're finished," I said with an arrogant chuckle before pulling the trigger, unleashing a beam of blessed energy to smite the demon.
[One demon dead, three to go.]
[Shiro, if you want optimal usage of your cross, deploy it in Mid Range Mode. I will handle the rest.]
I smiled at Lust-E's suggestion then nodded my head. I deployed my cross in Mid Range Mode, the cross standing upright on the ground then Lust-E manipulated the cross in size, having it float behind me.
[Alright, in Mid Range Mode, you'll be able to fire rays of blessed energy at your target and it can also deploy barriers if you need it. Now you can use your Gauntlets and St. Kieran's Will at the same time.]
"Whoa, your watch can talk?" Ani asked as she peeked her head over my shoulder.
[Eh?! She can hear me?! No one other than the Love Demons and Ardor could hear me..]
I chuckled softly then looked back at Ani. "Yeah, she can talk but I'm surprised you can hear her as well. I'll explain who she is later, for now let's get those other pages."
"Okay!~" Ani nodded, smiling brightly at me.
The two of us continued forward, soon reaching Verdant Lake. I looked around for the second page until I noticed sparkles above the water. The page was floating above the lake and left us confused on what to do.
[Remember Shiro, Charismari is an Angel before she's a Love Demon. Her entire thing is Faith and you are prophesied to be the next St. Kieran, the next Savior. Have faith in yourself and St. Kieran.]
I nodded then took a step forward, planting my foot on the surface of the water. A faint blue energy surrounded my feet, allowing me to walk on the water. Ani's jaw dropped as she watched in disbelief. She watched as I walked down the lake to get the second page.
Once I got the second page, I heard Ani's terrified scream. I whipped my head around, noticing the second demon held Ani by her hair. She taunted me and held her sharp nails close to Ani's neck. Ani watched as the demon held her nails to her neck, tears of fear streaming down her cheeks.
"Pepe! Please, help me!" Ani cried out, her fear causing her voice to become shaky.
"Should we stop this..?" Passion asked as she watched. "Ani's trauma could be triggered from this...and these are wild demons..."
Lustie watched me then smirked as she noticed my Angelic Energy flowing around my body. "Nah, just keep watching..~"
I dashed toward the demon and my Crest of Charm shone brightly on my arm. "Let her go..."
[Golden Tongue Activated (1/10)]
The demon grunted as my command affected her, forcing her to drop Ani. She shook her head, regaining her composure and letting a devious smirk play on her lips. She dashed toward me, going for an attack at the same time as I did.
Our fists clashed, causing a slight shockwave to generate around us. We began to go blow for blow, neither of us letting down the pressure. After blocking her next attack, I knocked her away with a powerful Destiny Flash then launched multiple rays of blessed energy at the demon.
The demon swiftly recovered then evaded each ray of blessed energy before running off into the forest. I stopped the pursuit, going over to Ani and helped her off the ground.
"You okay..?" I asked, gently holding her chin to inspect her face and neck.
Ani's cheeks became a soft red as she noticed how close we stood to each other. "Y-Yeah..."
I nodded my head, a soft smile tugging the corners of my mouth. "Let's push on ahead then..~"
Ani nodded in agreement then both of us rushed back into the forest to head toward the next page. I looked at the second page then read what was on it.
{A fork in the road. Will you go down the Right path or go back to what you Left behind? Your answer lies within the Heart and Soul instead of your Eyes.}
{Obtained Divine Sense.}
"A fork in the road? Oh yeah, I remember seeing that fork on our way to the lake. Let's hurry along.." I said, putting haste in my steps.
"Mhm!" Ani nodded in agreement, picking up her pace as well.
Once we made it to the fork in the road, I looked at the page once again before looking at the two paths before us. I was stomped on the Heart and Soul part, not knowing if I was supposed to hear a voice beyond the trees or use my own. I could sense the next page, but the energy was coming from both paths.
After a bit of thinking, an idea finally hit me.
"Reveal yourself.." I said, using my Golden Tongue.
[Golden Tongue Activated (2/10)]
After my command, a trail on blessed energy was revealed, going down the right path. Ani was quite impressed with my skills and abilities, giving me a bit of praise from my showcase. It felt nice hearing her praises and it only boosted my ego even more, my need to impress her gradually increasing.
We ran down the right path and noticed another fork in the road. Now that I had Divine Sense, my Crest of Charm had a better time sensing the page and I didn't need to use my Golden Tongue for it anymore. We continued down multiple paths before noticing two pages on the walls of an abandoned building that had moss and vines around it.
I walked toward the two pages and grabbed them both. I looked at them and noticed they had the same clues but the wording was different on each one. I read them both, so I could gain their ability and know where Verdant Temple lied.
{The Temple of Veridian lies between the Sacred Grounds of Sanctuary.}
{Obtained Purification.}
{The Temple sits at the very edge of Destiny's Heart.}
{Obtained Salvation.}
"What? These hints give two different locations!" Ani exclaimed as she looked at the pages with me.
"No...these make perfect sense. It's time for a little Geography Lesson," I said as I looked at Ani with a smile.
Ani nodded, listening closely to my words. She watched me with attentive eyes, her eyes flashing with curiosity.
"There are three main areas of Destiny Islands: Destiny Central, where we currently are, Sanctuary City, and Heavenly Bay. The two pieces of information that was given to us states that Verdant Temple lies between Sanctuary and at the edge of Destiny's Heart. There is one city that lies between Sanctuary City and Destiny Central. That city is Twilight City," I explained.
"Ohhh!~ I get it now! But...how are we supposed to know where to go? We're in an entire forest.." Ani said, looking around curiously.
Before I could answer, two demons ambushed us from both sides then the third one emerged from the bushes in front of us. I quickly sprang into action, pushing Ani out the way and allowing the three demons to attack me.
"Pepe!" Ani called out, quickly getting off the ground to rush to my aid.
I let out my Tribal Howl, my angelic aura pushing the three demons off me then I got into my battle stance. "Ani, follow my lead.."
Ani stared at me in awe, seeing my own father within me then smiled confidently. "Okay, Tribal Leader!"
I smirked at her acknowledgement then looked at the three demons. I lunged myself toward the first demon, landing a powerful Destiny Flash to her face. The demon let out a pained screech as she was blown away from the impact. I sensed the second demon appear behind me, but Ani was kick to defend, landing a powerful flying kick to knock him away.
Together, we began to fight off the demons, our attacks calculated and synchronized. The way we fought together made it seem like we were soul bound, as if we were never apart to begin with. We defeated the first demon then the second, and all that remained was the last demon.
I noticed the demon running off and I quickly chased after him. "Let's go! We're not letting him get away!"
"Right!" Ani said as she ran behind me.
We chased after the demon, both of us hot on his trails. The demon looked back then pivoted around, launching multiple bolts of demonic energy at us. I immediately deployed my blessed barrier, blocking the bolts of demonic energy that were launched toward us.
Ani rushed forward and held her hands together. "Maluhia.." She softly chanted, Tribal Tattoos slowly forming on her arms.
Ani let out her Tribal Howl, her angelic energy surging across her body. She launched multiple Paper Talismans at the demon, but the demon evaded each one and taunted Ani. Ani was already in the zone, the demon's taunts not even phasing her even a little.
The two clashed and entered a fierce hand to hand combat, neither side giving up an opening. Ani managed to block the next strike before countering with a palm strike to the demon's chest, launching him away. She looked up, noticing a barrage of blessed energy rays raining down on the demon. Each ray struck the demon, chipping away at his stamina.
I let out a roar as I crashed down on the demon with a stomp, a burst of light erupting around the area. Ani grunted as she guarded herself, her eyes sparkling with amazement as she watched me.
"Whoa! Did you see that?! Shiro and Ani are really doing their thing!" Lustie laughed, watching from the air.
"Yeah... I'm surprised that they are working so we'll despite being apart for 12 years. You can really tell that she truly acknowledges Shiro as the Head of the Tribe.." Celene said, sitting on Passion's back and watching from the sky as well.
The light faded slowly and I stood up, my stamina dropping down significantly after the energy output I used on the demon to smite and send his body to Salvation. I huffed softly, catching my breath.
"Oh yeah... that's a new move there ladies and gentlemen~ Heavenly Rain combined with Heavenly Crash~" I said, crossing my arms.
[Locking that in. Your bag is running deep now~ Now you can stop spamming Superkicks in every combo.]
I chuckled at Lust-E, rolling my eyes then looked at Ani, who was approaching me. I could see she was physically tired, ready to get out of the forest. "Ready? The Temple is just up ahead."
"Yeah, I'm ready to get this over with.." Ani said, a soft smile playing on her lips.
The two of us walked together toward the temple that was slowly coming into view. Once we made it, we walked inside and noticed Charismari standing in front of a massive golden cross, praying to St. Kieran and the Heavens above.
"You two have made it far..~ I am impressed, but Ani I would like to have this spar with Shiro alone. You've done enough. Please, take a seat and enjoy the show," Charismari said, turning around with her signature charming smile.
Ani looked at me then noticed my nod. She nodded back then walked to the side, taking a seat on one of the benches.
"You have reached the boss of this training session after enduring four battles against full blooded demons. Now it's time for you to take on... Lucifer's Other Half.." Charismari said, spreading her white wings and her energy and pressure began to slightly overwhelm me.
I grunted softly and guarded myself, trying to use my own Presence to fight back, but her Commanding Presence was more powerful than mine. I closed my eyes tightly then my tribal tattoos began to faintly glow.
"Maluhia..!" I chanted then let out my Tribal Howl, my energy growing stronger to overpower Charismari's presence then I launched myself at her.
Charismari smirked then uncovered eyes, dodging each of my strikes. She began to parry each of my attacks before launching her counter strike toward me. I parried her attack, grabbing her arm and flipping her over my shoulder.
Charismari landed on both feet then struck my stomach with a back kick to stagger me. She pivoted into a clean roundhouse kick before stomping on the ground, causing a bolt of divine energy to fly up from under me and knock me in the air.
Ani watched with anticipation, holding her hands close to her chest. 'C'mon Pepe, you got this...'
I quickly recovered then dodged Charismari's next attack then spun around her next attack, landing a swiping chop to her stomach and staggering her. I followed it with an uppercut to knock her in the air then palmed her stomach, launching her away with a pulse of wind energy.
Charismari grunted as she slammed into the wall then fell to her knees. She slowly stood up and chuckled softly. She felt her legs grow weak, realizing I landed a critical hit on her.
"Stay down.." I commanded.
[Golden Tongue Activated (3/10)]
Charismari grunted as she was forced into one knee. She smiled then sighed softly. "Alright, alright~ This is just a sparring session after all..~"
I chuckled and rubbed under the bridge of my nose then groaned softly as I fell to my knees. "I'm...glad you listened because no way was I going to continue after running hands with four demons.."
Charismari chuckled softly and stood up walk, walking toward me and helped me up. "I knew you'd be too tired to fight, but your own will brought you thus far..~ I'm proud of you, and you passed the moment you walked into the temple. I was only a plus..~"
I smiled at Charismari, leaning on her for support. I looked at Ani, giving her a thumbs up. Ani looked back at me then nodded, a happy smile playing on her face.
With Day 2 out of the way, only three more days remained and I knew I had more difficult challenges heading my way. Next up was Passion, and frankly I was not excited because I know her training was going to be sadistic. I was hoping she would refrain from letting her obsession with me get in the way of actual training...only time will tell if she does either or.