Megumi looked upon her new gloves with pride. "Ahhh~ Thank goodness I have a new pair now."
Megumi sat just outside the clothing store that they were just shopping at. Lucky for her the Reaper, K, covered the expense of everything.
Cider hopped up from behind with joy. "I'm so happy you figured out how to put them on!"
Megumi could only give an awkward sigh before looking at Cider with his new clothes. Luckily, she was able to convince K into purchasing some new good-looking clothes that complimented him much better. It had the bonus of giving him actual shoes to wear. All of it, handpicked by Megumi herself.
Megumi saw that Cider was looking over her shoulder, practically hovering. She didn't mind this however, turning her attention back to her gloved hands.
"Y-yeah, it's weird how you put clothes on. Having to imagine it myself wasn't easy…" she chuckled a little nervously, remembering all the horrible trial and errors she went through for simple gloves.
The Reaper, K, approached from behind. "It could've been much worse. You're lucky that you learn fast. Some people it could take weeks before they are able to change out of their clothes."
"I-is that so?" she replied.
"Most people have a hard time recalling their memories sometimes. In this world, your memory is one of the most valuable assets you could have. Try changing your clothes everyday using your old memories if you can. It'll be good practice."
Megumi side-eyed K, unsure of that idea. "Uhhhh… I'm not sure I'd like to use any of those clothes if I'm honest… I think I prefer something newer like the pair we just got."
"That's fine, just make it a habit for yourself to change often."
"Sure…"
K turned away from the store, ready to leave. He urged Megumi to follow, which she quickly obliged.
"The residence we'll be staying in shouldn't be too far." K noted.
Eventually after some time of traveling through the streets they came across what looked like a tall glass building that stood in contrast with the rest of the building. Megumi couldn't remember seeing a building like this when entering the city, and she's seen a lot of the tall buildings.
"Where did this building come from?" she asked.
"It's out of view from the general public; you can say that it's a secret hideout for other reapers and their constituents."
"Is that so…?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Cider simply looked around in confusion, somehow not seeing the building.
"Megumi, Hold the demon's hand."
"O… Okay…"
Megumi grabbed Cider's hand. This didn't alleviate Cider's confusion as he continued to search for the building in question.
K led the way inside with Megumi following closely behind. To her surprise, he entered the wall like a phantom.
"Okay. here we go."
Megumi held her breath, she felt the wet touch as she entered the building.
Opening her eyes she found a large room with a plethora of people wearing hooded robes. From a distance she can see a pure white service desk with a lady manning and taking other men and women in hooded robes.
Scanning the room more thoroughly she saw that there were some regular people as well as a couple of demons lingering around but were chained up.
"Megumi."
K brought Megumi back to focus. He led the way to the receptionist who stared in shock by the skeleton Reapers mere presences.
"Y-your-"
"We need an escort room for three." The Reaper said, with practiced ease.
The receptionist took a few seconds to register the request.
"U-u-u-h I'm sorry. But you'll have to give us some time. We'll vacant a room for you but It'll take a little while."
K sighed hearing his news. "Alright, that's fine. But please have it ready by tonight."
The receptionist bowed. "Will do!"
"So… Uhhh What do we do now" Megumi asked.
"We'll wait here until everything is ready." stated, approaching the closest corner of the room. In an instant a table and chair were formed which K quickly used.
"How did you do that?" Megumi asked, subtly surprised.
K Ignored her question, pulling a book from his robe, a few new chairs were conjured before them.
"Just sit and relax." K pointed.
Cider gave out a disappointed groan. "That's no fun. Hey! Megumi wanna play a game?"
"No games," K said.
Megumi, unsure what to do, looked around. seeing people waiting patiently as others began to leave.
"Uumm…. Just out of curiosity, how long will we be staying here again?"
K glanced back at Kalika. "Three days, then that's when we'll reach Arc. Why do you ask?"
"I-I was wondering if. Maybe I could… You know…I was thinking about looking around the shops a little more." Megumi as much as she tried to look at the Reaper, averted her eyes many times over. Nervous of his reply.
"We just came from shopping, and now you want to shop more?"
"I-I just want to look around, that's all." She defended. "Since we're going to be staying here for a little, I figured, why not take a better look around…"
"Oh! Oh! Can I come!" Cider happily chimed.
K sighed, then pondered for a moment, thinking about the request.
"Fine… But you have to keep a close eye on the demon if he's going with you."
Megumi smiled happily. "Sure!"
"But only for an hour. After that, I want you to come back here." Suddenly, K tossed something to Megumi. She almost fumbled the catch and gripped on a rectangular looking rock.
"What's this?"
"It's to help you find this place again. See how its glow's"
"Y…Yeah?"
"That's how you know you're close by."
"I see…"
Cider also looked upon the tablet in fascination. "Huh…"
********
Megumi now found herself walking throughout the marketplace along with cider, still looking at the tablet. She watched as the glowing from the tablet faded away as she ventured deeper within the market.
Cider trekked ahead, looking at all the funny little gadgets and trinkets, up for sale. Some of the owners seeing him shooed him away to his disappointment.
"Meanie." he stuck his tongue out in defiance.
"Don't do that." Megumi scolded.
"But I just wanted to see that necklace."
Megumi quickly glanced around the busy marketplace of stands and stores. "Hey, why don't we play a game?"
"a game?" Cider's ears perked up.
"Yeah. I'm looking for something very special…" Megumi closed in for a whisper. The item in question surprised Cider.
"Do you think you can find it?"
Cider quickly affirmed, calling himself the best item finder in the world. Wasting no time, he zoomed around the marketplace keeping an eye out for the item in question.
Megumi also scanned around the marketplace, slowly and calmly. From time to time, she would even glance up towards the roof, feeling as though she was being watched.
She remembered back when K mentioned they were likely going to be observed for a while after the incident with Cider and the other reapers. She presumed this feeling to be connected to that.
She paid it no mind however, continuing forth in the market.
Eventually after some time, Cider gasped, finally coming across what Megumi was looking for.
"I found it! I found it!" he yelled.
Megumi, hearing him, rushed over to him. Pushing through the crowd and looking through the glass panel of a store.
"Yup good work Cider!"
She gave thumbs up, proud of the effort he put in.
Cider gazed back to the panel, presenting a strange looking book. He then pressed himself on the glass panel, getting a closer look. "So, what kind of book is it that you wanted again."
"L-lets talk about that inside."
They both entered the store, beholding the bookcases that lined up like a supermarket. This took Megumi by surprise. She chuckled a little nervously. "T-this is a… Little bigger than expected.
Looking to her right, there was a woman demon manning the counter. Her skin was a pale green and had extra limbs that assisted with the books. Stamping each one with just a glance.
Undeterred, Cider hurried over to the demon lady. "Hey, we're looking for a book."
The woman stopped, glaring at the boy. She then turned her menacing glare at Megumi who shrank into her shoulder.
"W-w-w-w-we're looking for a book, f-f-or romance." she squealed.
"And comic books." Cider added.
After a few seconds, the woman set down the tools and books, and got up from the counter, her figure tall and imposing on Megumi.
Megumi let out a forceful smile, chuckling nervously. Not long after the women circle around the counter, gesturing for the two to follow her.
Megumi glanced around nervously, finding other strange demons and humans looking at her.
She suddenly stopped. She presented an entire long line of books.
"Romance," she said.
Megumi looked down at the huge, long line of bookshelves. "A-all this?"
"Is there a name you're looking for?" The Librarian asked.
Megumi instantly became nervous and blushed. "O-oh. I don't know it was… It was…"
"The knight and the cursed princess Saga." Cider suddenly said.
"C-Cider!"
"Ah…" The demon reached her arm out. Suddenly her arm grew more arms and more arms after that until it grabbed a book. Then it grew another arm and continued grabbing six sets of books.
The woman reeled back her arms, handing the pile of small books to Megumi.
"Huh?"
Megumi, confused, grabs the books in question. She looked, finding that the books she was looking for were all there, as well some of the books she didn't recognize.
Before Megumi could thank her, the Librarian spoke up. "I've added some recommendations for you. Now for that other request."
Not long after traveling they were in a section of the bookstore with a plethora of comics.
The number of comic books she saw was unfathomable. it was like a whole new world entirely.
Cider dashed forth into the books before them scrounging up every interesting looking comic he could.
Oh! This one looks so cool! Hey Megumi! Look at this one!" He happily waved the comic around like a flag
"When you two are done, just see me at the front."
"O-okay." With those last few words, the woman took her leave.
Megumi watched on as Cider flipped through the comics, enjoying all the cool panels of art. Eventually after a little while of looking through the books he picked his favorites from the pile. He presented them with pride in front of Megumi.
"These are the best comics here!" He proclaimed.
"Hah!" a kid suddenly laughed. "Should've known a demon like you would have a bad taste in comics.
Megumi looked on in surprise as Cider turned around just as surprised. A Kid suddenly showed up out of nowhere. He had blue eyes, a fair skin with brown hair that perked out from a train conductor's hat he wore. He also wore a uniform similar to such a job.
"Where'd that kid come from?"
Out of nowhere he proudly presented a more cartoony comic with pride. An old-style comic book named 'Doko Chi-Chi'. It had a strange art style. It was a mix between Japanese art with the old American cartoon style. On the cover was a dog hiding from its owner that was carrying a bat, as the dog itself was ready to pounce with a shotgun in its paws.
"Lame~." Cider retorted.
The kid became indignant. "What!? What do you mean lame!?"
The boy began to Defend his favorite comic with vigor. He began pointing out flaws in the comics that Cider chose and practically made excuses for why his favorite comics were far superior.
Cider listening practically ignored everything he said, calling him 'lame' once more.
Megumi could only watch on in stunned silence. After a little bit of bickering, Megumi decided that it was the perfect time for them to leave.
"Hey Cider. We should get going."
Cider agreed. Beginning to follow her.
The kid, however, bit his lips, still soured by the argument of which comic is the best. Suddenly the only entrance of the comics section closed off before the two, surprising them.
The world around them seemingly began to shift and distort before them.
"H-hey! What's going on!?" Megumi blurted,
"You're not going anywhere," the kid said.
To the shock of Megumi and Cider, the characters from the kid's favorite comic came to life! He encircled the boy, towering over everyone else in that room. The boy's gaze became much more menacing as he looked at Megumi and Cider.
"Not until I prove Doko Chi-Chi as the best comic."