A quiet yet lively village was how I would describe the place Maya and I walked into. As we did, I became increasingly aware of how much I hated socializing as the villagers gathered around us.
"Alright! Alright! That's enough gawking at the man! It's not the first time Maya-chan brought a boy here!" I raised an eyebrow as an elderly hunched woman with pink hair swatted the villagers away. They reluctantly moved back to whatever they were doing before. She looked up at me, our eyes meeting and I could feel her assessing me. After a moment, she hummed and turned her gaze to Maya.
"I thought you said the fight with Saga wasn't that bad?" I turned to Maya as her ears turned red. She quickly covered her face and mumbled. "Obaa-chan!"
Letting out a yawn, I rested my hand on Maya's head while speaking to the old woman. "I'm here to see the Shichiseiken with my own eyes after hearing rumors about it." It wasn't a complete lie as I had overheard people talking about it while walking in town and I did want to see it. 'Still unsure if I want to take it, though.'
"Why?" the old woman asked, her gaze sharp.
I hummed as I removed my hand from Maya's head. "You can't simply want to see a sword just based on rumors, so why do you want to see it?"
'Guess a woman's intuition comes with age... or maybe I just underestimated how gullible everyone was after meeting Maya.'
I stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "I have no reason to tell you. If you don't grant me permission, I'll simply walk away."
We both knew that was a lie, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she slammed her walking staff down and gave me a wrinkly smile. "You are granted permission—" she paused, her smile turning mischievous, "—however, you will be accompanied by your guide Maya and some Marines. If that doesn't suit you, the exit is that way." She waved her hand toward the forest.
I gave a small smile in return. "Sounds fine to me. When do we leave?"
"Ushashasha, you'll leave tomorrow morning." With that, she walked off, leaving Maya and me alone again.
"Uhm—" Maya began, turning to me. She gestured for me to follow her. "There's a guest hut not far from here. You can stay there until tomorrow."
I nodded and followed her, stifling another yawn.
~Scene Change~
Stars were a beautiful piece of creation.
It was something I had loved whenever I went camping when I was younger, and something that had grounded me while on Turtle Island. As I realized that no matter where I was in this world, the stars wouldn't change.
And it was at that moment, as I laid upon a straw rooftop gazing up at the stars, that I allowed myself to relax while doing one of my pastimes, guessing which star would die out.
While watching the stars, I heard gravel shift as light footsteps walked closer to the hut I was allowed to stay in. The footsteps stopped and the scent of lavender invaded my senses.
"Is there something you need, Maya?" I asked, but received no response. I felt a few strands of straw shift beneath me as Maya tried to climb up to the roof. She sighed, and I sat up to look down at her.
"What?" My voice came out harsher than I meant to, but she had interrupted my relaxation. Maya seemingly embarrassed, softly spoke.
"C-Could you help me up?"
I raised an eyebrow while leaning my head on my hand. "Can't you do whatever it is you need to do down there?"
She opened her mouth to respond but I continued. "Or are you hoping that my guard is down so you can kill me?"
She opened her mouth wide in shock before yelling out to the world, "No! I would never harm you!" Her wide eyes grew even wider as she clasped her hand over her own mouth, looking around in panic. When her gaze met mine again, I had a smirk plastered on my face and my hand outstretched toward her.
"Y-You!" She sighed in defeat before grabbing my hand, and I pulled her up, letting her fall onto the roof. For a moment, I thought it would cave in as it shuttered, but it held.
"So, what do you want?" I asked, laying back down to face the stars. Maya did the same beside me.
"Do you really plan on taking the Shichiseiken?"
I hummed, letting my eyes drift from star to star. "It depends…" I yawned before continuing. "From what I know, the sword corrupts the mind..." 'I'm pretty sure Blood Instinct would offset the curse.' "And it can increase one's own capabilities, which would help me in many ways." Like before I remembered from the movie that the sword had the ability to create fire and if that were true, it would give me a way to fight both at a distance and in close combat with just one weapon.
"What would convince you not to take it?" she asked.
I shrugged before answering her. "If it caused the island to sink I wouldn't take it. Or, more realistically, my mind isn't as strong as I think it is."
Again, while I wasn't one hundred percent sure that Blood Instinct could stop the curse from corrupting my mind, it was still worth a try.
I heard Maya hum thoughtfully, then the sound of straw shifted again. My gaze turned to see Maya leaning toward me.
"Where are you from?" she asked.
I tilted my head before she clarified. "You're odd, not a bad odd but a mysterious one." She gestured with one hand around us. "I'm aware the world is big and because of that, I desire to know everyone I meet's place of birth."
I hummed at her words, then shifted my eyes back to the stars. "A place where the stars shine differently than here..." I raised my left hand until it was in my line of sight. "One very very far away... one I'll most likely never see again."
Sighing, I dropped my arm and heard Maya hum again. We both laid on the straw rooftop in silence before drifting off to sleep under the stars.
~Scene Change
"A pleasure to meet you, Kai-san. I'm Saga."
I looked down at the tanned left hand of a tall white haired man wearing a red coat, his neutral smile greeting me. Raising my own left hand I shook his before letting go and stepping aside as Maya hid behind me.
"Maya, it's good to see you—" Saga started but Maya pouted and walked off, causing him to sigh. He looked up at me and I raised an eyebrow.
"We're working things out at the moment." He explained to which I shrugged a shrug before walking after her. Saga, along with two other Marines followed behind.
"Don't ask me for advice, man. I'm of the belief that women are mind readers and let us suffer when we try to apologize to them." He barked out a laugh at my words, only to choke when Maya turned her head and shot him a glare. I couldn't help but snort.
"Seems she's got you wrapped around her finger." I said with a small grin.
Saga let out a smaller gentler laugh. "I love her deeply."
I nodded as I put my hands behind my head, strolling up the winding path. "Sounds nice."
He hummed in reply before turning his head to me. "Granny Izaya told me about you."
I felt the shift in his demeanor, as well as the Marines behind me. I shrugged nonchalantly.
"She told me to let you take the Shichiseiken and to kill you if it takes over you."
I withheld a snort, but Saga saw right through me and frowned. I spoke before he could respond. "I'm not underestimating you because of the lack of an arm, if that's what you're thinking."
In response, his eyes narrowed and I turned my gaze to the trees. "I'm confident that I can beat you simply because I'm stronger."
There were a few reasons for that. One, being that he's a Marine, which in hindsight, is a stupid reason but it's one I'd bank on. The other was Blood Instinct. It was a skill that, while I didn't want to rely on, was a backup for when things went south. 'Though I still have no clue how it actually works other than what the system says.' And lastly I was confident.
"Hmm, I see." Saga relaxed his posture, then tilted his head toward Maya. "Could I ask you for a favor?"
I looked at him, then at Maya before returning my gaze to him, realizing what he was getting at. I raised my hand with a money gesture.
"How much?" I asked.