In this fucking place…..in the world that I called 'My Own', the only world that solely belongs to me, owned by nobody except me…

…..there was fucking Doremy.

I thought I had fucked her brains out already but nope, she fooled me. That wasn't actually her. That was my version of a Doremy. She had me in a dream cage, preventing me from ever getting lucid.

Well, she tried. I noticed what she did and I broke out, and right now I'm face to face with the confirmed REAL Doremy. Considering I had already fucked the first one, I've had enough of the same type. It only got me in a mood to simply, you know, murder her.

There had been moments of me trying to kill her in this world, in every way possible. I saw her get eaten by lions, dogs, insects, even cannibals—I watched it all in gruesome detail. I got my hands dirty too, trying to bite every kind of meat she has on her bones off her, massaged her insides while her belly was cut open, everything else I did to my past victims….Then again, they were fabricated Doremys of my mind too. It clearly translates that any desire I make in regards to killing her in this place becomes a dream, which is something in her domain to manipulate.

Simply put, I can't kill her. But I still can violate her. Won't do it now though, I already did. In my NDE, I only need to usurp her rule in this place, only then will I able to put her away for good.

Not in the mood for that though.

And right now, after all that bullshit of me, we were down into a conversation that came out of nowhere.

[Start explaining.] I began, my form completely naked and deformed into something….visceral and ugly. [Why should I stop taking over?]

"I can't let you, okay?" She answered firmly, creasing her forehead. The language she used is clearly Japanese, it even sticks out in this world. It never does for language before. "My role in this place is a lot more important than you think!"

I glared at her. [For the last 19 years, I lived my entire life knowing that only in dream time do I ever get to do what I want. Ever since learning how to lucid dream, I became a god.] I grabbed the small body of a young girl and bit into it, ripping out a few innards before suddenly disappearing. There was no taste in my mouth but I do feel the fleshiness in my tongue. Arousing too. [I governed the hell in this place. I created the things here. I did whatever I pleased with everyone I've met, even the monsters in my nightmares. This place is my bitch. Finding out that my dreams are governed by somebody else is just….wrong.]

"I-I understand your point but—"

[And when I try to reclaim it, you just run over and try to kill me off!] I yelled, and half the world around us churned like the inside of a blender, the scene of a woman getting ripped limb from limb beside me ensuing. Something else morbid is happening behind Doremy, not that she paid attention to it. [Forget killing me! Why won't let me rule over my dreams again!?]

"That's because things will go horribly wrong for everyone in Gensokyo!"

[Not the answer I want!] We were falling upwards, and what's up in the sky is the ground. We're still talking normally but I can see the panic in her eyes. [Why should I stop trying!?]

"If you take over, you end up manipulating the dreams of every Gensokyan!" She screamed, "If you rule it with the kind of dreams you usually have, everybody will never get to sleep because of the nightmares you'll give them! Not only that, their dream selves will potentially escape into the real world and go on a rampage! I fear for your dream self to come out! You have rabid hidden desires of the flesh! If a version of yourself with no restraint and sense of consequence comes out, alongside the fact that you are all-powerful, many innocents will suffer because of you, especially women! You're going to become an enemy of Gensokyo! I'm the only one capable of keeping them contained in this place!"

[THEN WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A DREAM WORLD TO BEGIN WITH!? DREAMS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FUCKING PRIVATE! YOU ARE JUST A FUCKING JOKE-EXISTENCE THAT ONLY EXISTS TO MAKE SENSE OF WHY PEOPLE EVEN DREAM!]

"Even though I am born of human imagination and superstition, I don't like being called a Joke-Existence! I exist for a reason!"

….That's it, I'm breaking this place apart.

"WHAAA!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? STOP! STOP!"

Everything was falling apart. I couldn't even describe how it was falling apart. There was disintegration, collapse, melting, crumbling—destruction in all forms happening all around us. What was making the Dream World is basically dying.

[A reason that doesn't even make sense! But what the fuck do I know!? The villagers are all idiots, that's what I know! Their superstitions are a load of BULLSHIT! THEIR REASON FOR YOU TO EXIST IS ALL A LOAD OF BULLSHIT!" There is no longer any passage from Gensokyo to the Lunar Capital now. It's all gone. The Dream World is still there, just heavily damaged. There's just no repairing it though. "THEY'RE JUST DREAMS! THEY ARE WHAT THEY FUCKING ARE! WHY SHOULD WE EVEN THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT THEM!?]

"YOU'RE NOT IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD WHERE WHAT IS THERE IS WHAT IT IS OR COULD BE EXPLAINED SCIENTIFICALLY!" She screamed even harshly, her eyes literally bleeding like tears at what I've done to her domain. "THIS IS GENSOKYO! ALL THINGS THAT WERE ABANDONED, ESPECIALLY THE DREAM WORLD, RESIDE HERE JUST SO IT COULD HAVE A MEANING TO EXIST! BECAUSE OF GENSOKYO, I HAVE A REASON TO EXIST! AND THAT IS TO MANAGE EVERY GENSOKYO RESIDENT'S DREAM SO THEY CAN SLEEP EASY AND GET AWAY FROM THE HARDSHIPS OF THE WAKING WORLD! IS THAT NOT ENOUGH REASON FOR ME TO BE HERE!? TO LIVE!"

….

…..

….

It would be easy to just erase the Dream World, potentially killing her and returning things to the way it is for me…..but I got a nagging feeling in my head. Doing something like that has consequences….I never cared about consequences in my dreams.

But after seeing it all in my NDE, the Dream World is accessible, therefore making it physically existent in Gensokyo. It's not a fabricated false world my mind made. This place is actually legit, necessary and needed for Gensokyo because people believed in it.

I saw what happens when Dream Selves escape to the waking world. If my Dream Self escapes, then like what she said, things are bound to go to hell.

Reimu will kill me for it.

[Tch….] I shook my head, looked away and raised my fist up before twisting it counter-clockwise. And just like that, the Dream World is fixed. Whatever damage that I made, it's all gone. I can tell. I ruled this place, after all. [Is it possible to separate a small piece of the Dream World for myself?] I didn't open my mouth to say that. The Realm kinda talked in my place.

"Not without consequences." Her voice had calmed, likely because I stopped being hostile now. "People's dreams will still be affected. Be-besides, it's not like you want to manage people's dreams, do you? I'm the only person more than willing to do that, despite the thousands or even hundreds of thousands of sentient beings that exist in Gensokyo. You're the same like everybody else, your only job in this place is to enjoy your dreams or wake up from a nightmare."

[Why should you even manipulate people's dreams?] I asked coldly. [It's simple to leave 'em alone.]

"If I don't, they will realize their capability of unlimited power in the Dream Realm, which will only lead to making other people experience their dreams and nightmares and their Dream Selves potentially escaping."

[Grrrhhhgg….!] I sneered.

"Please, just give me back my right over this place. Even you would understand the significance of my role, don't you? It's not like I'm preventing you from having anymore lucid dreams." She reasoned, her pleading tone clear. "My only offer is that I will not manipulate your dreams in anyway, that's all. You can have free reign of whatever dream you can experience."

[Good.] I waved my hand in her direction and just like that, she has her rule over this place back. I sat down on something—not sure what. Could be a bench, a table, a rock, or someone's corpse. [That fucking dream of me breaking out of your cage was also a dream….good thing you were prepared. Too bad I saw through it.]

"The last thing I want is to be raped by you, Mr. Eman." She told in a pointed tone. "I may be in the Dream World but it's not like I appreciated being submissive."

[What else were you fucking expecting from me?" I asked rhetorically, my tone heated. [This is the only place where I can rape, kill and fuck girls without anyone getting hurt! What, do you want me to do those things while I'm awake!? Being good is not easy, okay!? I NEEDED AN OUTLET! AND NOW IT'S EVEN WORSE THAT MY DREAMS ARE NOT PRIVATE AND ARE NOT MADE BY MY OWN BECAUSE YOU EXIST!]

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP BELITTLING MY EXISTENCE!"

Great, now we're shouting at each other again. I thought we finally made peace. Oh well, it's the Dream World, it makes lesser sense out here than Gensokyo.

[AND I TOLD YOU THAT I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!] I retorted in a roar, [I HATE YOUR FUCKING GUTS, DOREMY!]

"WELL, SORRY FOR BEING ALIVE!" Her tone this time got a lot subdued at the next sentence. "But at least I'm the closest person you have that understands you, next to your god."

The Dream World fell apart again, shattering like a rock thrown on a mirror, images displaced and out of order.

I was at her face this time, staring her down.

[….then tell me. What is it that I want most?]

Her tone was monotonous this time, "You want to destroy Gensokyo and subject everyone in it into a life of torture, because you despise the humans for their flaws and the Youkai for their lack of humanity. You want to eradicate Gensokyo so you can shape it into your liking. You want to destroy the Outside World because the amount of cruelty humans are capable of disgusts you."

She drifted away from my proximity, floating high in the sky as she looked down on me.

"You just want to watch the world burn."

…

….

…..yeah…that's right.

I hate Humanity, so much that I nearly considered our own existence a joke in the world. Always breaking, destroying, lying, never a lot of time to commune with what's right. Some people I've met don't even realize how twisted they are.

Just by turning around, the Dream Realm was whole again. [I've had enough of this place.] I snapped coldly, clenching my fist as I forced myself from getting ahold of Control. [Kill me so I could wake up.]

"Gladly."

And just like that, I was ripped apart, bitten, fucked, mangled, tortured, and eaten. Finally, after such a long time, my Nightmares get their revenge on me.

As I woke up with tears running down from my eyes, the last thing I remembered was a scornful look on Doremy's face.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

I wanted to go back to sleep, my body's too cold and I feel like sleeping for a hundred days, but I was too scared to do so. Doremy's deal is too unsettling for me. I figured I might as well waste some time while I'm restless.

I was able to use my legs again but I brought with me my long cane just in case, so I took an early bath despite being 5 in the morning. I splashed myself with cold water first before heating it up, letting myself relax with the cozy liquid running down my body. There was no tub so I took periodical splashes on my body with a bucket and a dipper while I lied down on the tiled bathroom floor, soaking as much warmth as possible.

Took my time there, lasting for almost one and a half hour before I decided to dry myself up and get out. I still have a fever so the cold air really bit my skin when the warm water evaporated from my body. Good thing I prepared for it and readied my hoody and jogging pants beforehand. After that, I returned to bed to try and sleep a little more, hoping for a dreamless passage. I would do some early chores too but I still feel weak to do so. Fever does that most times.

I was surprised to see Makita now lying down vertically on the bed, taking almost more than half the space while Visente remained in the same spot. But when I noticed her arms splayed out, I only got one thing in my mind: tiger arm pillow~

So, I let myself in, laying my head on her forearm and let her other arm wrap around my waist like a mom would while my back is pressed against her warm underbelly. She licked my hair as soon as I got settled, I patted her cheeks as thanks. It woke up Visente, apparently, scooting a little closer to curl up beside me. I held his paw before sleep easily overtook me once again.

The next time I woke up, I don't know how many hours went past but I do notice that my bedroom window was open, the sun was out, there was now a pillow on my head, and a blanket covered my form. Both Visente and Makita are gone.

Kasen must be back. I can smell food already.

And boy, am I sweating. This hoody sure warmed me up good, too good.

Taking off my hoody, letting my heated body meet the nice cold air provided by the forest environment that's constantly supplying my place with cool fresh air, I put my slippers on before dragging my feet to the living room with my cane. Fucking hell, I still wanna continue sleeping.

I know what it is but the joy of breakfast in bed is lost on me now. I fail to realize how great such a thing would be. I'd rather eat on the table. Yesterday was just an exception, Makita was pinning me down and Kasen brought the food over instead of calling me. Justified but eh. Table is better.

"Oh, good morning, Eman."

I turned to the Pinkette Hermit from the kitchen cooking today's breakfast, {Maayong buntag, Kasen.} I returned the greetings before collapsing on the wooden couch, lolling my head back on the top of the backrest while resting my feet on the coffee table. Jeez, even this position is so comfortable that it makes me wanna fall asleep again.

"Quite the event that happened while I was gone yesterday, hm?"

She must be referring to the time Kotohime and Meira arrived. She prolly asked Visente or Makita for the details. "A don' wan'a talk abou' 't." I slurred, too sleepy to put any effort in forming proper pronunciation for a topic I don't wanna discuss. Fucking hell, it's cold. I'm shaking here. Completely dissonant to the Summer heat that's happening outside.

I was initially terrified when I saw that nutcase right at my property. For whatever reason she has for being around and for how she managed to find out where I live, I didn't want to get involved with her in any way. Had to make her go away as quickly as I can before something horrible could happen because of her.

She should'a just stayed home.

Good thing my NDE allowed me to see Meira as a female on the first meetings. But damn, she's way too handsome for a woman, real attractive-type that would have warranted my jealousy pre-NDE (rare thing to happen). It leaves a completely different impression when I see it with my own physical eyes unlike when I was dead. Her voice was too androgynous as well, no distinction to indicate which gender.

And while I wait for the food, I'm gonna enjoy my 6th sense for some:

Now, where we at? Oh? There's something long and coiled lying on top of the roof, did somebody throw a thick bundle of rope there?

Oh wait, never mind! It's prolly Snakey, taking in some sunlight to cool down a cold-blooded body in the place with the most exposure without obstruction by trees no matter the angle of the sun. I don't feel Visente anywhere, likely going out hunting for today or visiting his family. I see Makita lounging in the clearing, likely under a shade. There are other living creatures but I think they're just regular birds, vermin or others. I could barely feel the insects though, I could only feel the ones crawling around my home.

I then get out of my 6th sense, reorienting myself with the physical world. Everything around me's a little yellow in color for closing my eyes for too long.

Huh….so I can already feel the environment without focusing but when I consciously perceive the world spiritually, the 'displacements' like living things and environmental oddities (traps) get visible. This means anyone can sneak up on me only if they move slowly or hold still and simply blend with the environment while it's not activated. I think the only time I'll get to expose anybody is when they move too fast or when I activate it again.

Looks like I found an inhibition thanks to this stupid body. Grr…..

At least it provides a fat load of security. No motherfucking Youkai will sneak up on me anymore, unless they're really patient and wait for me to approach a certain spot before springing the trap.

Sigh….I still got a lot coming my way, it seems. Settling matters with the Youkai-wolf family that's been coming after me for days will take a while. I need to get my body back into good condition again beforehand. The other Youkai with them will be there, it's amazing how most of them won't seem to give up despite being torn apart several times by my Big Boy Wolfo. At least they learned not to bumrush me anymore, otherwise I would've classified them as idiots that deserved to die for their stupidity.

It's surprising that they avoid fighting Visente. It's likely because getting killed by an animal won't bring them back to life. Animals are really special, I discovered in my NDE. We took them for granted too much.

"Breakfast is served."

My eyes snapped open before I realized Kasen had finished the cooking and has now brought the tray of food over. "Thank you again." I remove my feet from the table and she places it there. "You should eat too." Filipino courtesy first, have the person next to you join in.

"No thank you." She waved it off with a shake of her head. "I already ate."

"Okay then." I prayed then dug in. Miso soup and fried fish with rice. I'm glad Kasen put my rice in a plate and not a bowl like the Japanese would do. We Filipinos only use a bowl when we want to measure the amount of cooked rice served to a customer in an eatery. Eating rice using chopsticks, who does that? You're just picking a single grain of rice at a time!

While I ate, I felt Makita enter the house through the door behind me before trotting to my room. She gonna sleep there instead? Did she run out of shade outside? Don't tell me it's already 12 midday….

Oh wait, she came back with my jacket in her mouth. As she approached me and placed her paws on the couch rails to raise up her upper body, I took the jacket off her mouth and put it on. [Good girl…] I'm not worried for any holes. It's enchanted anyway. There'd be drool but she held it in the outside, not the inside.

I then ruffled her head before rubbing her cheek with my left hand. Her pleased expression makes me happy as well. [Salamat kaayo…] I'm really gonna start falling in love with you if you keep doing that. An intelligent creature like you thinking about my wellbeing could not describe how much of an honor that is.

Once she was satisfied with my pets, she went around the couch and settled beside my right leg on the floor, resting her head atop my foot. [Hehe, cute girl.] I patted her cheek again before I continue eating.

"She's so fond of you, Eman." Kasen commented with a smile.

"I reciprocate her feelings." I smiled, taking another spoonful of food before swallowing and adding, "Had she been a Youkai with a humanoid body, I would be more than happy to have her as a companion." She looked cute as a fledgling Youkai and she got white hair with black stripes, how could I not be attracted to that!?

Kasen's expression didn't imply any repulsion, more like curiosity. So she isn't opposed to such a union? "You are willing to have a Youkai as a lover?" She inquired for confirmation.

Well…."If I can wean her from attacking anymore humans, help her develop her own personality and encourage her to simply live off of fear or something else entirely then I would not have any problems with having a Youkai as a partner." I took a drink of water. "Besides, I've grown to look past a person's race and simply look into the inside."

"Did you develop that after your Near-Death Experience?" She asked

"Not really." I shook my head, "I loved Suika already so I never had problems with another's race when I arrived to Gensokyo. It's what we humans are capable of." I said while raising a strong fist, emphasizing the good sides of a human.

She harrumphed at that. "Of course." Alright. I bet she already got that trait in her pursuit for humanity but just in case.

I then continued eating, devouring all of my rice and fish before simply drinking the entire soup out of the bowl. I placed it back to the table with a bit of a thud. "Aah. It was delicious, Kasen." I then downed the last of my water.

"Good to know." She said before giving me the pill bottle of Vitamin C. I took it and popped one into my mouth, enjoying the candy flavor as I chew it. "How are you feeling?"

Clicking the bottle closed, I answered her, "My joints feel rickety and a bit fragile. They hurt in certain motions but I can manage." I then rolled my shoulders, getting myself a surprise crackle on the left one. Damn, that was loud. "Somewhat. I can stand now, that's a good thing. But I still have a fever."

She reached forward with a hand to feel my forehead before feeling my neck. "Looks like it lessened a bit."

"I still want to go back to sleep." But I doubt I'll get shuteye immediately, thanks to having eaten. I guess I'll just enjoy my 6th sense a little more in the bed, see how far it goes while being alive.

Makita raised her head up to look at me. What, you didn't like that your pillow (my foot) is moving away?

"I guess you should." She then ruffled my head, twisting and curling a few strands. "Rest well now." She said before placing the glass on the tray and carrying it off to the sink to wash it.

I guess I'll stand up now. I put on my slippers and dragged myself to my bedroom, using my cane as a third leg just to make it quick. I can feel Makita following after me.

Taking off my sweater and placing it on the backrest of the chair nearby the bed, placing my cane near the nightstand, I then settle to bed underneath the blanket but sat up against the wall. The Tiger sat on her haunches on the floor, looking like she was waiting for something.

Does she want to join me?

"You can join me if you like."

And she does, softly bounding up to the bed beside me and laying her underbelly down with her head still raised up while her eyes are closed, her arms folded in front of her like a house cat. Hmph, so cute. I ruffled her forehead again before scratching the fur on her chest. So fluffy. She laid her chin on my forearm and I leaned my temple against hers, basically hugging her head with one arm.

Okay, here we go: head leant back comfortably with a small pillow at the back of my neck, hands together in front of my waist and legs drawn up just to keep myself secure in case I fall down, and now we commune with the spiritual world.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

Today's Friday and yesterday turned out normally. The thing with the 6th sense time ended with me falling asleep at some point I don't know when. When I woke up, my neck felt like a knife's sticking out of it. Must've leant away from the wall and started hanging sideways or forwards. Besides that, nothing special happened.

But Kasen did get to meet the new arrivals outside the house, particularly the 2 birds of prey and Snakey, whom I shall now call Lakit. Just a hybrid of the two last syllables of Malaki (big) and Maliit (small). Don't know what to call the Crow and the Hawk but I'll figure it out. I doubt that the former would stay around for long, their kind likes high places and they mate for life.

Around dinner, Kasen and I talked a bit about the new animals. While it's easy to assume that they were here because of the Holy Spirit, their abilities were something else entirely. They were actually recently awakened. Lakit's power of shrink and grow was something it earned after getting hit by a holy orb at some point. The Hermit hypothesized that Visente's powerful bite and Makita's intelligence could come from the same source as well.

I was inclined to agree but…how come I didn't know that from my NDE? Did I rely too much on my personal hypothesis that Gensokyo's climate kinda altered every animal's anatomy differently, unlike evolution? It's not a far-fetched theory.

I guess I didn't ask it while I was dead.

As I confirmed from Kasen that Lakit chose my home as her den, she lived underneath the floorboards with a mouse hole through the porch. From what the Hermit told me, all the rats that were once there were now inside the Snake's belly.

Thanks to the new reptile in the family, rodent problems won't be much of a concern in the future. While Makita and Visente can kill intruding rats, they can't do that when the vermin are inside places they can't reach or dig out. Someone who's inclined in tight spaces will handle that for them. Thank you, Lakit.

I just hope no rabbits are part of the casualties.

About the Female Hawk: after a series of tests and procedures, Kasen was able to confirm that it could fly faster than any other Hawk in Gensokyo, by a whopping 150 to 390 mph! Damn! Sounds like a nice plus for a flying predator! From what I've learned, the method that an Hawk uses to kill a deer is by swooping in, grabbing the head or antlers, and twisting the fucking neck from the momentum…! Extra speed could make the task a lot easier.

The Male Crow has a rather interesting gift from the Holy Spirit: to see the Future. If it doesn't get any stranger than that, I don't know what would. I've learned even before my NDE that the future is indeterminate, an ability like this is rather paradoxical. What else it got is that it can foretell that future by speaking it. It's not a secret that crows could speak but the corvid has a very limited vocabulary, barely knew past 5 words.

I probably should just look up to its quirk as an intelligent bird instead of somebody who could foretell the day of my marriage. If its brains are its goods, then good. Crows are quite the problem solvers, emphasized by the story of The Thirsty Crow. I hope to see its smarts come into play one day.

With these birds around, I can trust them to take care of insects that lurk around. I honestly hope they don't eat the spiders. They're helpful and necessary in killing the flies, and I'm a big fan of 'em. It's a traditional template for Filipino young boys to have more than 6 spiders in their matchboxes as pets.

Thankfully, Kasen personally instructed them to do just that. Teaching them to control their consumption not just on spiders but also the ones that are beneficial to the ecosystem happening in the forest I live in. Better than what I have in mind.

And now, my mobility's improved and my fever's dying down. My head's still heating but not as much now, only warm. Maybe 2 or 3 days it'll be out and then I'll be healthy again! Can't wait!

I'm currently sat on my living room, doing some kind of dance with Lakit who coiled into a spiral atop the coffee table in front of me. She grew to the size comparable to a big Burmese python and she kept swaying her raised upper body left to right. Her movements are rather hypnotic, and I find that surprising from an animal.

I'm not really sure what species Lakit is but I could tell that her eyesight isn't entirely great. To compensate, she has pit organs, the strangest thing I ever heard of a snake to have that served as what's practically a second pair of eyes found in the front holes of the upper jaw that sends infrared images to the brain.

If she sees something warm-blooded and moving, she'd bite it in the assumption that its prey like a mouse. But when I employ the Holy Spirit into this, she becomes….amorous.

I move my hands delicately and make circles in the air using holy fire, leaving intricate trails and shapes that somehow mesmerized Lakit. She followed the movement of my hands, making her body curve into an S in certain intervals as her head remained leveled with one of my palms. Waving my hands like a conductor on an orchestra, she would dance at a graceful speed and with an elegant sway. I paint a circle in the air, she would slither her raised body in the air enchantingly. I do a figure eight using one hand, her body starts curling in a very elaborate letter S as her head moves up and down.

[You're amazing.] I whispered, not that she'd hear me. Most snakes couldn't hear shit anyway.

I slowly dissipate the Holy Fires and she shrinks in the same speed until she became as thick as two inches. With hands covered with holy fire, I carefully scoop her up from the table (still scary, not used to it yet) and carry her outside, the rest of her body hanging from my other hand.

Into the sunny clearing of the hour at 10 in the morning, I walk over to her tree and place her there. [Let's do that again sometime.] I told her before walking back to the door. I think that dance lasted for nearly 20 minutes. What an experience.

I don't see the birds or Makita anywhere but I can feel Visente circling around in the forest. He's prolly patrolling or hunting, boy needs his exercise after all. Kasen likely took the Tiger out for hunting practice again, to keep the girl up to speed with how to be a real predator. She's been doing so for the last few days when she's not taking care of me. If she's employing her personal tiger along, that could work. My girl might learn a lot from the Tigger. The birds are probably away to do their own thing, hunting or socializing.

I guess I'll sleep a little more. My mobility's not recovered enough for me to start dancing or tumbling around for the sake of dancing or tumbling. It ruins my sleep pattern though: I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes I wake up too early where the sun hasn't risen yet, and sometimes I wake up before dusk. Each time it's difficult to go back to sleep afterwards, making me have all-nighters without meaning to.

I hope I get a quick shuteye once I hit the bed—hold on; I held the frame of the door just as I was about to walk past it, holding still and closing my eyes, activating my 6th sense.

….

….

…maybe later.

There's people coming over, two of 'em. And it's not Kasen and Makita.

I can feel Visente bounding over to greet these intruders, coming from the side of the forest behind the house, running past the side of it and into the treeline in front of me.

Holy Spirit, go with him. I think it's too dangerous alone. Keep him safe.

A holy orb conjures out of me and flies after my boy.

Focusing within me once more, I hold the Holy Spirit's hand and bring out the arsenal I now regularly used on Remilia. Aside from my hands that were coated with white and red flames like gloves, there were also 8 tentacles coming out of my back, thin little tendrils that glow white and waved majestically behind me. In a certain perspective, it would look like I have wings. I'm not floating or anything but they do serve well in combat, I won't even have to control them either. That's all into Her hands.

In this form, I would take after the appearance of the Archangel Tyrael from the Diablo franchise. I didn't put on a hoody but still. And instead of that cool sword he had, my holy fisticuffs are something of a reference to the word 'Smite'.

I hope this visitor is somebody I know. I really am not looking forward to a fight.

I jogged lightly towards the location, my Tyrael wings remaining in the same swaying movements as if they were unaffected by the wind of my speed. Clenching my fists, their power mounting up into 50 gallons worth of holy energy, my distance to the intruders (plus Visente) quickly closing.

Strange, he's not barking at them.

….

…..oh wait, never mind.

"Ah! Eman!"

It's just Flandre and Sakuya! What the hell am I worried about!? Of course Visente wouldn't bark at them! He's friends with the folks too, especially the Kiddo! Geez, I really gotta get familiar with their presence.

[Come here, you!] I stood in place and spread my arms while Flandre runs towards me, her umbrella discarded behind her.

Of course, since the Holy Spirit is around (who loved Flandre to bits), this happened: the holy tendrils darted forward and wrapped themselves around certain areas of the Kiddo's body (arms, shoulders, waist, etc.) before lifting her up from the ground and smacking her into my chest, which I happily wrapped my arms around and squeezed tightly.

"Ehihihi!" She giggled, muffled as she mashed her face to my neck, giving it a nip (she always does in hugs). I adjust my grip around her, clasping my fingers underneath her bum and parting our chests from each other, then I kiss her forehead. In turn, she kisses me on the nose. Holy Spirit never loosens Her grip on the Kiddo so long as she's within my touching distance, sometimes fiddling with her hair. "How are you? Were you okay without me?"

[Very fine.] I answered with a smile, idly swaying the kiddo side to side. [I was just about to fall asleep. So what gives? Why'd you and Sakuya come around to visit?]

"We heard you got sick so we came to visit and give you some healthy foods." She answered. "I was a bit surprised when I heard about it.

I'm surprised Remilia even let you out. I mean, sure, there's Sakuya to monitor you but damn. Out of nowhere. Looks like the Kiddo's recovering really well these past few weeks.

[That's kind.] I noted Visente who finished greeting Sakuya and trotting over to get his pets from the Kiddo, bouncing up to her level. Flandre's teasing him by drawing away her hand each time he jumps. Once the boy was starting to whine, she giggled and beckoned him over. Visente stands up on his hind legs and Kiddo ruffled his head as much as she could before he loses his balance.

[Yeah. So, how'd you know I was sick?] I asked.

"Uh—"

"We'll have that discussed in your household." Sakuya interjected, Flandre's umbrella in her left hand and a basket in her free one. "We have a bit of a spectacle two days ago in the mansion."

So I wasn't wrong when I felt the disturbance and assumed that some form of hell happened in the place?

[Hey, Sakuya.] I greeted, walking over and hugging her with one hand around her waist, my other holding up Flandre. She would return the hugging but she got her hands full. Too bad. I part the hugs and begin walking towards the house, still holding on to Flandre with the Holy Spirit. [C'mon, let's get inside. I got some mad stories to tell too.]

"Really?" Flandre asked excitedly, "Like what?"

[You'll see. Oh, and I got a new animal under my household.] I informed happily, [Well, 4 new animals, the 3 coming around just two days ago.]

"Wow! Really!? What are they?"

Hm, [Well, there's an Hawk, a crow, and a snake.]

"Uh huh! And what's the fourth!?"

I smirked, [You'll see. She'll come around.]

"You don't seem very sick, Mr. Eman." Sakuya commented, handing Flandre her umbrella. We're gonna enter the clearing, lots of sun there once we get out of the trees.

[Thankfully, somebody took care of me when I was too weak to even open my eyes.] My face scrunched up at the memory. It's not pleasant, feeling how unfortunate it is to be back inside my physical body. [I owe her a big batch of dango for it. Gimme a couple of days and I'll be healthy again.]

"I see. We'll send our gratitude to this healer once we meet her." Love you, Sakuya. That's a very nice etiquette.

"What's her name?" Flandre asked, fiddling with a holy tendril around her chest.

[Kasen. Name's Kasen. Try not to creep her out, okay, Flandre?]

She looked away, her cheeks flushing but her smile is showing. "I won't…" You sound like you won't hold up to that though.

She then raised up her umbrella above the two of us, shielding our skin from the sun. I look at the eponymous tree and I point to the new reptile of the family. Whoa, when'd she grow up to the size of a log? [Look, there's the snake, Flandre. Her name's Lakit. Say hi. Goodness, she just got bigger.]

"Hi, Lakit!" Kiddo waved enthusiastically at her then narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look at the girl from this distance. "Wow, she's so big! I bet she could swallow all four of me and still have room for more! Why isn't she moving? Is she sleeping?"

Brrr…!

Flandre's morbidity never stops sending the chills, but that's why I love her!

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

[As always, your cakes are just awesome, Sakuya.] I told to the Maid while I took a bite from a slice of chocolate cake with a fork.

"Gracious, Mr. Eman." Came her reply as she dusted the corners of my window with a feather duster. I know that she's a Maid who cleans up the building of her Mistress but I did not expect that it would go this far! She's cleaning up my house! I-I mean, she already done this once last time she visited with Remilia but still! She's chronically prone to cleaning things up, even if they're not part of her domain. Her occupational obligations really ingrained itself to her mind.

"Okay, Visente! Beg." She ordered and the Big Bad Wolfo sat up on his haunches, arms raised in level with his chest while panting. "Roll over!" He rolls on the floor, making a bit of a thud on the wooden floors with his large body. "Smile!" He bares his hackles, "Good boy! Here you go!" She feeds him a non-chocolate cake, which the boy happily gobbled up.

I never knew when did my boy learn to do tricks like that but I'm gonna blame Flandre. I bring him along sometimes when I go to the Mansion. Flandre liked him almost instantly when they met for the first time, loving up the boy so much that they became besties under a single evening. They even slept together on the floors of the guest room I occupied because they got too tired playing all day (I didn't think that was possible, given both their species).

[Eat your slice too, kid.] I elbowed her lightly before taking another bite of my slice.

Mm~ Choocolaaate. Quoted by Homer Simpson.

"Yes, Eman." She takes her fork and takes a slice into her mouth.

We eat in silence, with Flandre periodically feeding the boy some pieces of non-chocolate cake and Sakuya cleaning my house. I ain't gonna start talking about what happened yet till Kasen come's back, hopefully soon so everyone could be in the loop. Right now, we just do our own business.

By the way, I cannot stop looking at Sakuya work. Her every movement is so professional and elegant, it just draws the eye! I can't do it like that!

"Ne, Eman." Flandre patted my arm.

Composure, dude. Composure. [Mm?] I swallowed my cake.

"Where's the Hawk and the…uh…"

[Crow?] I finished for her, [Yeah, they're somewhere. Got better places to be than here. The Hawk, she's probably flying somewhere or hunting. Catching fish or stuff. About the Crow, I think he's with his family or helping raise the kids.]

"Oh, he got babies?"

[Yeah.] I nodded. Wait…. [O-or…uh, maybe. I don't know. Crows are social birds, more family-oriented than most. So if their mama crow lays eggs and new baby crows come out, the big brothers or sisters will come over and help them grow big and strong with the mama crow. Other birds won't do that but crows do.]

"Other birds don't help raise baby birds?"

I shook my head, [Nah. Once they grow old, they'll fly away and make their own nest somewhere, raise their own family, then they get their own chicks, they will grow old too and repeat the same process.] I take a glass of water and drink from it. [Oh yeah, crows are super smart too. Really clever, they even know how to talk.]

"Talk?" She repeated back questioningly, intrigued. "Really? Like Parrots?"

[Yep.] I nodded with a smile. [I read somewhere that they learn just by hearing it once too, unlike when you have to repeat it to them a couple of times. Their voice sounds a bit….deep? Low? Something like that. Their pronunciation is really fluent too.]

"Wow, do you talk with your Crow? Does it say 'hello'? What was its first word? Can you teach it to sing?"

Goodness, [Ohokay. Slow down now.] I pinch her nose playfully and shook it, eliciting a giggle before she draws back. [Yeah. But no, my Crow doesn't know a lot of words. And I don't think you can talk to a Crow unless it's as smart as you or me. It likely won't know how to structure words properly. Even if my Crow knows a lot of words, he'll just speak nonsense if you even try.]

"Aw…"

Oh yeah, I forgot about this! [Hey, Flan.] I excitedly patted her shoulder, [Did you know? Crows can hold a grudge.]

Flandre just stares, "Okay?"

I'll explain to you very thoroughly that you'll learn to be kind to these super smart corvids. [Here's the thing: Crows love their family, and they're smart enough to use tools. And do you know what happens when you're mean to a Crow?]

I can see the interest rising in her eyes, "What?"

I smirk evilly, [They will hate you, and they will tell their entire family that you're a bad person, thus they'll hate you too. When they get new babies, those babies will hate you too because their daddies told them all the bad things about you! They can even remember your face! Other birds can't do that. When they see you again, they'll never stop screaming and maybe swipe at you with their claws!]

Her eyes shined in wonder, "What if I'm good to them?"

I nodded approvingly, [They'll be good to you too. They will sit on your shoulder, they will sit nearby you, they'll even give you gifts.] I neared myself to her ear to whisper something, [Wishful thinking: they'll protect you from your enemies.] I chuckled as I drew away, [But I wouldn't recommend them as pets. They'll just poop everywhere and leave objects lying around for some reason.]

"Hmm." She hummed, then took another bite from her cheese cake. I took a bite of my own cake, leaning back on the wooden couch we sat on. I peek to the side on the floor and I see Visente lounging on his side, belly all bloated up. Is he full or something? Did he eat some prey outside before eating cake? "What's the Snake's name again?"

[Mm.] I quickly chewed the last of my cake, set the small plate down and downed a whole glass of water. [Ahh. Okay, her name's Lakit. I'm not sure if she's a python or a boa or something else but she's a special Snake. She can change size from tiny as your finger to as big as a dragon.] Seeing a gigantic snake was actually the most terrifying sight I ever saw in my life two days ago, especially when it was staring me down with big yellow slit eyes, nearly shit myself, but thank goodness she's tamed by the Holy Spirit. [She's an awesome reptile.]

"She can get bigger or smaller? Really?" Intrigue got into her eyes again. "How big? In your eyes, how big was she?"

An uneasy smile got to my face, remembering the size of that girl. What horrifies me about the Snake is that I'm not sure if that's her limit. I raised my hand up and gestured to the ceiling, [Imagine if she was big enough that the top of her head touches the ceiling. That's only to measure how thick she is. How long her entire body is?] The smile on my face indicated the mixture of fear and awe I had for Lakit, [I'm too scared to know. She's gonna become every person who's afraid of snake's worst nightmare.]

"Well, bring her here! I wanna see Lakit up close!"

Then my face grimaced a little, [I shouldn't. Snakes don't like being bothered, you know? We might get bitten if we annoy her too much. But if she's willing, she'll allow me to hold her. Lemme tell you, she's a really good dancer. You really should look at her go.] I stood up and patted her head, [Wait here. Lemme see if she'll give us a bit of her time.]

"Okay!"

[Just try not to annoy her or move too much, okay?]

"Okay."

[Good.] I pinched her cheeks before heading to the door. Picking up my cane leaning beside the door, I head out and walk over to her tree.

….except she's not there anymore.

Hmm…..in my 6th sense, I don't think I could find her that easily. There's too many animals around, small ones running around the ground, trees and even birds. There's nothing short of insects as well. There's just too many. I look at the rooftop and I don't see her there either. Did she nestle under the floorboards again?

…..nope. I only feel the presence of 3 large entities there. I can feel small rodents down there still. Looks like Lakit's business isn't done yet—!

….

…..now is it me or is that Makita trying to sneak up behind me? Aw, too bad, Kitty. You did went past my awareness because you were moving so slowly that I couldn't notice it, but unfortunately for you, my 6th sense is activated.

I've familiarized the Tiger's presence just enough that I could identify her from a crowd during my meditations. I got Visente's mark too, Kasen included. I could already feel the latter just standing back at the opposite edge of the clearing with an unfamiliar entity beside her. Don't know who it is but I'm sure it's an acquaintance or friend.

And while my Meany White Kitty is trying to sneak up on me, I'm gonna play along like this: do the thinking-pose, whistle a shitty theme song and wait till she's just a meter away behind me. Once she does, I'll twist around and pin her down instead. Hehe, I'll turn the tables at the right moment.

…..wow, she's really taking her time in closing the distance between me and her. I don't even hear the slightest rustle of grass at all. I've seen it in action on TV, they place their hind legs on where their front legs last stepped on, every time. I researched about it and it said that the method never makes a sound, like, at all. To be the receiving end of such a thing is a real profound experience.

It's making me panic a little, and the back of my waist is prickling real hard! The one at the back of my neck is a lot worse! SHIT! These danger senses are really making the adrenaline go high!

But as I've discovered in my NDE: adrenaline doesn't make time slow down but it sure makes your reaction time go above-average. Reflexes go into full-lightning. I'll react fast enough to swerve away from her playful pounce just in time.

And as an extra-incentive, I squat down on the grass, looking like a four-legged prey with its back turned on a predator. Oh yeah, she took the bait. She paced up a bit and she impressively does it without a sound as well. Well done, Makita.

Okay, she's just two meters away from me. Just a couple more steps and she's gonna do it…!

"Oh my gosh, is that a white tiger!?"

[Wha!?] Okay! Flandre screamed that right from the door of my house and judging from the movement in my peripheral vision, her shrill voice scared the absolute shit out of Makita she jumped.

Gotta do something here! [Uh, uh, Flandre! Don't come close, alright? Makita doesn't know who you are yet so you'll end up freaking her out—]

"Here, kitty, kitty!" And she flies out towards the Tiger with umbrella in hand before Makita fucking bolts into the forest, with the excitable Kiddo close behind.

And then I quickly lose sight of them, Flandre's loud cooing resounding from the distance.

….what the hell? That was sudden. I guess there ain't gonna be any wrestling happening between me and the Meany White Kitty.

"Eman?" Oh, that's Kasen. What's up? Whoa, the person she's with is actually her pet tiger. A regular one. And damn, it's a big boy. Once again, seeing it from my own eyes sure makes it different compared to seeing it in my NDE. "Why was the Younger Scarlet inside your home?" She asked, with a bit of hidden nervousness lacing her tone.

I smiled, "Hello, Kasen." I guess she didn't figure it out when she saw me getting chummy with the supposed Monster of the Scarlet Devil Mansion despite seeing me sharing the same space as her at the Hakurei party. "I forgot to mention it before but I'm a family friend of the Scarlets. I am partly responsible for her maturing and recovering mental condition, but not without both sides suffering great damages."

"And the Young Mistress as well as Milady is ever grateful." And there goes Sakuya, standing primly from the door with her duster in hand. "I've been told that you took care of Mr. Eman when he was ill. On the behalf of Lady Flan, thank you for your efforts. We have some cake ready, you are welcome to have a slice. Of course, your friend is welcome as well, providing it doesn't monopolize everything."

"….." I think she's overwhelmed. All this info must'a been too much to take in (I actually forgot to tell her about it but it's not like I had a reason to) and the thought of cake must'a made it worse. I know from my NDE that she's got a taste for sweets. Her tiger's looking at her in perceptible concern. Ha!

I rose up from the grass and loudly clapped my hands, a sharp snap cracking in the air, which thankfully snapped her out of it. "Come. I saved the last two slices of cheese cake just for you." I informed, beckoning her over, "Most of the chocolate cake is all gone, however. Do forgive me, but I reserved at least one slice."

Oh come on, don't you give me that look! Don't judge me for my love of chocolate, Kasen! It's one of the things that kept me alive during those days on the streets!

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

"So, is Makita ready to hunt?" I asked to Kasen seated on the wooden couch while I squat on the floors, scratching her Tiger's cheeks. This guy's fur sure is clean and smooth, I wonder if you trained him to clean himself up everyday. I never actually researched hard on a tiger's sense of hygiene, I'm not sure if they clean themselves up like a regular housecat, and I only read that they swim just for the sake of cooling down. Should'a looked it up while I was dead.

"Somewhat, I think?" Why do you sound unsure? "I'm not sure if she's insecure because of her white coating or she still has much to learn."

Makita, a tiger, feels insecure? Did my girl just develop self-doubt? Since when? I know she's a smart kitty but I didn't expect it to go this far, to actually learn that kind of complex emotion.

"Ignoring her white coating, she pretty much learned everything she needed in order to be stealthy and what are the best places to bite on. During practice, she had impeccable performance but when on the field it looked like she wasn't putting any effort into it. She's not even trying to outpace her prey. I even made sure she was hungry beforehand as well."

Hm….

I stood up, wiping my hands on my shirt, "Maybe because she realizes there's no point in doing so anyway?" I pointed out with a question mark, now frowning a little. "She's a highly-visible predator and I get the feeling that such a trait for her species undermines her self-esteem. I can safely assume she's upset. I might have to lighten her spirits once she comes back, poor thing needs some support and consolation."

Holy shit, I sounded like I'm her concerned daddy for a second there.

"Hmph." Kasen chuckled, "You sounded like her father for a moment there."

Seems like the case here.

"If she thinks of me as such, then it's an honor to be her daddy. Someone as beautiful and strong as her couldn't be anymore signifying of how lucky I am." Ah, whoops. I think I forgot someone. Let's not break his heart here, now! "Not that you are any less of value, my sweet boy Visente. You are as precious to me as a brother. If it weren't for you, I would have look over my shoulder every second of my life."

Those fucks will never leave me alone if you weren't around.

Visente still carries a blank stare as he looked at me but when his tail started wagging right after I was done talking, I think that says something about whether he understood me or not.

I slap both my thighs and open up my arms, [C'mere.] And he bounces up to his feet, nails clicking against the floorboards till he stands up and places his paws on my chest, licking my face. Scrunching up my face, puckering my lips to make sure his spit doesn't go in, I lovingly rubbed his fur while I tried to hug him. He's a strong boy, kept me back because of his hands. So, I lift them up till his arms are above my shoulders and I embrace him properly.

The sound of jingles and little steps (audible footsteps from a vampire? That's new) arrives from the door, Flandre comes in looking a little pouty, with some leaves or little twigs sticking to her dress. I see a stick hanging from your waist bow, Kiddo. You didn't catch Makita?

She turns her eyes my way and her mood brightens up instantly, "Ah! I want in too!" And she takes Visente's side, her cheek snuggling his fur with her little arms around his bulky form. "I love you, Visente~"

Kiddo read my mind. Hehe. That's why I love this little Bloodsucker.

Patting his back, I lower him down to the ground and Flandre quickly hugs his massive head. While I ruffled his body, I asked, [Did you manage to find the white tiger?]

The down mood comes back to her face, arms still around Visente's puffy neck. "I didn't. She got away."

You're supposed to be faster than all the creatures around here, Flandre, and your eyesight should be something to help you find her, that includes your hearing as well. And yet, you lost Makita?

Um, Kasen? What was that you said about lacking any heart in on-the-field applications of stealth and hunting?

I see you're just as surprised as me.

Oh well, that's outside our concern for now. And right now, there's something to discuss. "Now that everyone is here, should the discussion start?" I turned to the Hermit, "Kasen, it is sudden to ask this of you but would you kindly handle telling everything that happened to Sakuya and Flandre?"

"Eh?" She's surprised, understandable since I'm giving her all leeway to dispense info regarding how I died to other people. She either doesn't trust them or simply don't know them that well, "N-not that I mind but is that really okay with you? It is a….sensitive topic, after all."

Yeah, there's that one as well.

"That's the idea." I told, "If I was the one to tell, I would not be able to stand it." I can talk about all the times I nearly died, I'm fine with that if you simply asked. But talking about being DEAD in general is beyond my strength. It's not pleasant. Not at all. "However, you can exclude the part about being 'knowing'. I like to keep that irrelevant for now." Instead of winking, I just nod, but at a point where I was actually looking upwards to my forehead as I looked unwaveringly at Kasen. It meant that I was serious.

No one should know. Not even Flandre, just not yet.

Understanding crosses her features, grimaced and nodded.

I smiled and pat Flandre's shoulder. [I'll head to my room, okay? Just gonna sleep some more. I'm still sick after all. If it gets boring, you can play with the other tiger over there.] I gestured to the big cat, who turned a 'what?' look at me.

Hehe.

I faced Sakuya, who suddenly appeared out of thin air to sit down the separate wooden couch across Kasen. [Sakuya, pay attention to every word, okay?]

"I will, Mr. Eman." She answered politely, nodding to my direction.

I then walked over, standing behind the Maid and placed hands atop the backrest of the wooden couch that she didn't lean on, lowering my head down till it was level to hers and she turned to face my grimaced features, [Listen until the end.] I told, my tone matching my current body language.

She regarded me quietly and calculatingly, ice-blue eyes staring back at me while I waited for a reply. Then she said, "Judging by your tone, this must be a rather serious matter."

I nodded, patting her shoulder. I rose up and walked towards my room, "I will head to bed, Kasen. If the need to emphasize your words by shouting ever comes, please keep the volume to a minimum." I sneered uneasily, hating the thought of it. "I don't want to hear any of it. None of it."

I fast-walked to my room, delving into the cool temperature of the passage until I reach my room, where it totally feels air-conditioned. Since there's a crawlspace in the ceiling to filter the heat coming from the roof and an open window to let the fresh air in, it's a good natural perk when you don't have electricity to power an AC.

Hm? Just as I was about to close the door, I felt somebody following after me.

I turn to the person, [What's up?] It was Flandre. She had a troubled look on her face. She must've read the atmosphere back there.

"Did something happen?" She asked, worried and her tone a bit upset.

I looked down and nodded after a few seconds. [Yeah.] I take her hand and led her in, locking the door behind us. [But it already passed so I don't care anymore!] I said cheerfully, keeping my voice down as I lift her up and spun her around for a bit, making her giggle. Later coming close to the bed, I hugged her tight, keeping her head close to my chest, let the back of my knees hit the bed's edge and land my back on the bed with a bounce and an audible squeak in the bedsprings.

Letting the dizziness wear off as I patted her head gently, she slid herself forward till her face was right above mine and placed her cold but soft little lips on mine. Slowly, her hands snaked forward till they held both my cheeks and she slightly deepened the kiss, just slightly.

I, of course, reciprocated. I didn't resist, because why? I wrapped an arm around her waist and placed a free hand on the back of her head. This kept happening whenever we were alone and it's always by her initiative. I rejected her, but she still loves me. She's such a strong and heartfelt girl. The description never left my mind whenever. Whether I like this or not doesn't matter. If she wants this, then I'll give it to her.

Lines are still drawn, however. And that means the obvious: No sex. We never went far beyond kissing and fondling.

She then parts, looking down on me with rather amorous eyes. I decided to just let out a touchy question. I never had the balls to do so before…but considering the things I've seen, I figured it don't matter no more. It's time to let it out. [Tell me honestly, Flandre. When will you get a partner? A real partner. You know, the one who can love you for real? The one who's gonna marry you because he loves you for who you are?]

She smiled mischievously, pinching my cheek lightly, "Until you get a lover. But until then, you're my lover, and I'm going to keep kissing you until a cute boy comes for me." Then she rolls us around, with me now on top and she pulls me for a kiss again, nipping my upper lip and sucking on it.

So you're going for cute boy instead of handsome man? You better not consider me 'cute'. I'm beyond that description. I didn't even recognize my own face when I died and all I saw was a guy with a facial structure implying a lot of work done for a while (specifically two years).

Still…if this cute boy actually comes, I gotta muscle into the guy the proper mindset when he's about to be with a vampire. Chief among them is the willingness to look past her species. Flandre deserves the better out of things….

…...yeah, much better things.

Knowing that she won't let me go unless she really wants to, I didn't part from her lips and instead moved my body around until I knelt beside her instead of hovering over her before scooping her up bridal style and resting her to my lap. Then I scooted backwards till my back is against the wall. In this fashion, it's more comfortable.

Then she shifted, changing her position so that she straddled me, her poofy skirt covering my legs entirely. I relaxed my arms around her waist, she decided to hug my head fully and deepen the kiss even further.

My. She's taking it up, and we didn't even duke it out and tried to kill each other yet. As I have discovered in one of my weekly bullshit fights with Remilia and/or Flandre earlier, battle really girds up your loins for the hot stuff, especially if you won it. Each time the Kiddo wins, either before or after lunch, she would carry me off (sometimes literally) to bed and take me for herself just to sate that after-battle sensation. I don't get to feel it much since I commonly eat carpet or ornate floors before I could get a win.

It'd be a blessing if I actually beat the absolute shit out of Remilia and win. The first time felt orgasmic, I want it again!

With a small pop, she parts the kiss and drew just slightly back while I took back my oxygen without looking like I needed it really badly with practiced ease. I'm used to this, so much that my heart doesn't throb as much anymore.

She didn't do much afterwards, she simply held my face from both sides and looked at me with half-lidded eyes, sometimes squishing my face or rubbing her thumbs on the cheeks or squeezing them. I don't know why she does this most of the time but I think she finds a bit of entertainment by doing this.

Then something phenomenal happened: she looked away and faced the door. She never actually breaks her gaze away from me before, even when her sister or Maid is knocking from the other side about to enter. I panicked due to the compromising position we were in the first time, she didn't give it twice of a shit as her sister entered.

I was only glad that Remilia passed it off as Flandre having a 'moment' with her 'favorite' before starting to tease if I enjoyed her sister. Pissing me off at any chance, that bitch.

[Is someone at the door?] I asked in a small volume, fiddling with the bow behind her waist.

She didn't answer, still fixing her gaze at the door, her hands slowly laying down to my shoulders.

Guess there's no speaking out of her. I'll just close my eyes then. That kiss alone done me in. I'm actually really sleepy right now. Thanks, Kid!

Though, past experience told me that she'll kiss me anyway even if I was sleeping. Not that I'm opposed to it, of course. She's even respectful enough that she'd either leave me be and sleep next to me for the night or just be really gentle in her advances whenever Remilia really messes me up that the automatic wound healing of the Spell Card System isn't not enough to not leave any aches or pain all over me in the night as well as the next morning (getting used to them is impossible).

Goodness, I hope she lets me sleep. I really, really need it.

A few seconds later, I felt cold lips nip at my neck. I nearly shook at how ticklish it felt. That likely made her think I liked it, so she did it again at another place close to it. Her arms slipped under my own and embraced me from there, tightly. She's now pressed into me, her soft body against mine. Wordlessly, I returned the gesture, hugging her head. Just for the hell of it, I gave a kiss to her neck just because I couldn't give one to her cheek in this angle.

Her hold suddenly tightened again, then warmth and comfort came from it. A loving feeling. A very pleasant feeling. I like it. I began scratching her hair as thanks.

Sigh…..this is nice….

…...

[….!] Hrk!

Her tongue! So fucking cold! It's like it's made of fucking ice! Why'd you lick me!?

She giggled at my reaction, so she gnawed on me even further. Her mouth wide open, laying on the crook on my shoulder, and she suckled on my skin there. The sensation itself was electrifying. I'm not sure if it's happening or not but I think my body's trembling real hard. Can't say I enjoy it, but I don't hate it either.

Kid? What's with ya? Did something ha—

[Hck!]

Her hips! Her hips! She's grinding me! She's pressing it into me!

Ow! Ow! Owowowow! Her hug's tightening even further! Ease up, Flandre! Ease up! You're gonna break my ribcage to shit!

I slapped her back repeatedly; let go! Let go!

She detached her lips from my neck with a loud pop before drawing away just slightly, "I'm sorry." You don't sound that sorry, though, Kid. Your face doesn't even look like anything close to guilt. You look heated; just look at your red cheeks and glistening eyes.

[Be gentle, will ya?] I chided her. My voice isn't really scolding but if she doesn't take my rubbing my side as me being in total pain because of her being too intimate, I'll be extremely surprised. [I told you. I'm still sick, and my body isn't so strong like before right now.]

"I'll be careful." She placed a hand over my eyes and her other one held my chin. That tiny flexible flesh made out of ice breached into my mouth a second later, a wet chilling sensation on my lips before it reached my own tongue.

Are we really doing this….!? The last time we kissed like this, it was when we made out for the first time and I was being hers for a couple of hours before we slept together in her bed trying to recover from rejection and a lot of pain, both physical and emotional—!

She's grinding me again….! What's gotten into you, kid? You're making me spike!

"…mhmm…."

Don't make those sounds too, you're making it worse…!

….

…...

She's stroking my head. Very gently too….so good. Her sharp nails add up to the sensations as well. There we go….

She tends to do this too, as she noticed quickly that me being petted in the head turns me into a pile of jello. It became a habit for her in our private moments eventually, whether kissing or just simply lying in bed with me when I can't sleep. Her hands are getting skilled each time, finding one right spot after another just to make me ease up very quickly and go to sleep. That, and she liked its silkiness.

In this fashion, she made me unresisting now. My tension's all gone, making me relax against the wall and returning her advances properly. I took the hand that covered my eyes and interlocked fingers with it, keeping my eyes closed as both our tongues played with each other.

"…nhnnn….mmm…"

Honestly should not make those sounds, kiddo. My heart's throbbing really madly right now, and I'm the one deepening the kiss this time thanks to that.

Slowly, but surely, my body slowly heated up. Someone with a naturally cold body like her would notice. That made her tangle herself to me even further without breaking our interlocked hands. My other arm around her waist, hers around my head, her hips continually shifting and pressing against mine, she eventually began to moan heavily.

My notion to resist those sounds are completely over. There's no way I couldn't get heated even further to that.

I was now starting to lean off the wall, now the one dominating her in the kiss, overpowering her in the battle between our tongues and went inside her mouth, exploring inside and felt her little icy tongue roll around it needily. She detached our interlocked hands and wrapped her now-free arm around my head, pulling me and eventually laying on her back with me on top. She was starting to get rough in the kiss, sucking on my tongue with a wanting vigor and her legs were wrapped around my waist very tightly. Though they were tiny, her vampire strength made me her prisoner, incapable of escaping her embrace. Not that I plan to. Due to her position, her skirt had likely lifted up, exposing her bloomers and those white little limbs of hers. But she didn't care, I didn't care. I indulged her very fervently. I kissed her. Held her tightly. Grinded my hips against hers. This amount of friction made us shudder and desire was starting to kick in. I fought that off, I could feel that she's doing the same. I fought off every urge to undress her and do what I wanted.

I drew a line to that.

I don't know how long we kissed, but she finally allowed me to take a breather. While I took desperate heaves of breaths to get my oxygen back, she simply stared at me with the same love-filled eyes, barely out of breath compared to me as she was likely holding back the urge to continue. She could kiss me forever if she wanted to, but she's a vampire and I'm just a human. I'll eventually need to draw back at some point.

And apparently, I didn't want to stop. I slipped my hands underneath her once again, enclosing her in my arms once again, and I embraced her….tightly. Our bodies were firmly pressed against each other and I was now ravaging her neck, kissing and nipping on her pale skin, even using my teeth but never breaking her flesh. I reached behind her waist and pressed her hip against mine, as hard as I can. Had she been a normal, she would have been hurt as the amount of strength I'm putting into this is not close to being gentle. But she's not, she's so much stronger than me. It's impossible for her to be hurt with my meager strength compared to hers, and that makes things so much better for me.

I could feel it in her. She desperately tried not to return the courtesy, as much as she liked to otherwise. Her limbs laid slack against the bed, forcefully trying to stay limp. She never said it before but I could tell that she enjoyed this sort of attention whenever I initiate it. A part where I was being more aggressive and she remained subservient, taking it without any sort of resistance like a victim. Her body is so small compared to mine, I could easily hide her form entirely with only her arms and legs sticking out, and fucking hell if this isn't so bloody hot. Her audible breaths, little squeaks and moans are just riddling down at my self-control.

Then I felt her hand push my left shoulder.

That's when I stopped feeling it. My lust just sapped to nothing. The moment she moves or resists whenever I'm the one on top, I get the automatic impulse to stop what I'm doing as if she didn't want anymore. As much as making love to her is enjoyable, I always play in the bounds of consent. I care about this kid, and now even more thanks to seeing what she's been through in my NDE. Her happiness takes precedence over mine, and I will not do anything to her that she didn't want.

Her face was completely flushed, her cherry red eyes glazing over completely that they are starting to glow while her mouth looked like it was about to drool. Her other hand brought my face close to her and gave me a small kiss to the lips. A very modest one in comparison to what we just had moments earlier, and instead of heating me up, it was actually heartwarming, especially when she hugged me close to herself afterwards.

It seemed she wants the lovemaking to stop now. If she doesn't want to continue then I will follow. Like I said, no need to force her.

Steadily, I sat myself up without letting go of her with my legs slightly bent close to me. With her sitting on my lap while it's that way, her height is raised up just slightly and allowed her head to rest easily atop my shoulder.

We shared a comfortable silence, enjoying the peace and warmth together. I give her little pats on her back and softly caressing her yellow hair. She didn't do anything in return. Just hugging me. That's fine. Just being close to her like this is enough.

After several minutes (don't know how many), she slowly drew back and leaned her forehead towards my lips. I gave it a kiss, she gave me one on the cheek in return before she leaned close to my neck. I felt her fingernail tracing across the crook on my shoulder. I shuddered slightly. Ticklish.

Then she said, "Just a little."

I suddenly felt something sharp slide across my shoulder. [Krrk!] Do you really have to do that so suddenly just as you say it…? I barely felt pain since being brought back to life, and feeling it again was actually horrible. It hurt.

I kept my voice down even as I made that choking sound. So she wants a drink of blood, huh? It's been weeks since she took some from me. I've no complaint but I wish she gave me a warning first. Ah, whatever. Easy on the Holy Blood, okay, kiddo?

I prepare for the pain by holding on tightly, clenching my fists so I don't let out a sound this time. I hope I regain my pain-tolerance soon. I'm a danmaku-practitioner, it's an absolute must, especially with Remilia occupying my weekends.

A gentle blow of air…

"Haaaa…."

…..then she bit me.

It fucking hurt.

Even though she made a slit wound already, she still had to use her teeth to make the blood come out.

The moment she starts drinking, all the fight in me just left. Gone, like my body is forced to relax out of my tense state. What kind of chemical did you secrete in me with those fangs, kid? A relaxant? Bet that made your victims incapable of resisting, doesn't it?

Vampires, man….

Just as she promised, the amount she took is very little. She drew her fangs away and licked the excess off as well as the wounds, sending me a shiver due to her cold tongue. Drawing back and looking back at me, her eyes began to glow a little yellow. A side-effect of the Holy Blood on her vampiric system.

…...is it me or does she look down?

[Oh what's wrong?] I softly asked, concerned as I took her little hand. Did I go too far? Was it something I did?

She held on to my index finger, rubbing her little thumb on the tip. She then brought it close to her face, kissing the center of the palm before placing it to her cold cheek. As she savored the sensation of my hand, the sad look was turned towards me again.

"Miss Kasen…."

I tilted my head. What about her?

"She said…..you died. Is that true?"

Oh…...

…...I forgot.

It's her hearing….she's a vampire, and her 5 senses are above that of humans. Of course she could hear what Kasen was telling to Sakuya in the living room right now despite our distance to the place as well as the closed door of my room blocking all sounds outside it from reaching my ears.

So that's why she was being too intimate. She could hear everything about happened to me. She was trying to block it out. She tried to suppress everything she's hearing by being more forward with me. Amidst all that, she was hurting. She was trying to deny it. She was making sure I was here, alive and well in this room with her by feeling my presence in every way possible, from being aggressive to letting me have my way with her, confirming my very existence.

And here I was, worrying about losing myself and my fucking self-control. To think that I wanted to get out of the living world and leave it behind….

Fucking…..!

I placed the side of my hands behind her pointy ears, palms facing me, then I said to her in the gentlest tone, [I'm here. None of this is fake. It's all real. I'm alive.] I covered her ears, making sure she hears nothing more of my demise from the living room, and then I give her a small kiss on the lips before I pulled her close, the side of her face to my chest, keeping her open ear clasped. [Just listen to my heartbeat. Don't listen to Kasen. Don't listen to anything else. Just hear the lub-dub.]

I rocked her like a baby, my free hand stroking her head. Her face is out of my sight and I kept my eyes on the door. She might be crying right now. She was genuinely devastated when I died the first time (a product of the Holy Blood's influence on her demeanor after drinking it), and now she's almost reliving the same thing. Thinking about it hurt me as much as it did her.

"So beautiful…." She muttered. I look down and I see her relaxing against my chest, listening to my pulse. Her eyes were, as I thought, wet with tears but apart from that, just…just look at her. She looked so peaceful, so precious. So angelic. She's always been sunny, creepy, or just cute, and now….I'd be damned if anything disrupts this beautiful sight. "I want to listen to this forever."

You say that, even though you could already hear it with that powerful hearing of yours without needing to be this close. If only I could figure out a way to grant that wish, Kiddo. But for now, this heart's all yours to hear. Enjoy it while it lasts.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

We spent dozens of minutes in peace and quiet. Just her listening to my pulses while I sat still, letting her head lie on my lap while I play with her hair. Her hat's cute but sometimes Flandre without a hat is nice too. The roses on it are lovely, brings a wonderful scent everywhere she goes. As of now, it's resting on my nightstand for the moment.

I nearly slept, even offering for her to sleep with me, but inevitably she ended up asking about the details. Didn't want to talk about it, said that she should just get the details from Sakuya once they go home.

…...I ended up telling her anyway.

I held her hand the whole time. When I got to the very gruesome details, she scooted over, pulled my head over to her little lap and hugged it, kissing my temple. Despite her attempt at comforting me, the discomfort was still there. While being held, I continued on until I reached the part where Kasen tried to help me, only to make it worse. I even told about the amount of grief she and Visente suffered.

In my NDE to find out how I kicked the bucket, I was poisoned, but I don't know who or what did it. But I can tell that it was from the village; I got nicked in the fucking neck. What was strange is that it just happened, straight-up out of nowhere. I don't even know how I got that little pin prick. I was infinite as a Soul, and I found no one in the vicinity that day to be responsible. It just happened. And that terrified me.

And I said absolutely nothing about my NDE. To be honest, I'd tell her all about it if it weren't for the certain factors holding me back. For the sake of her safety and mine, she mustn't know about my omniscience.

She asked about how I lived, the Holy Spirit answered for her by coming out. First it were a couple trails of light coming out of my back before a woman of white light manifested itself right behind her and enclosed Flandre in a warm embrace with ethereal arms around her neck. Kiddo was still hugging me at the same time, of course. Holy Spirit's arms simply phased through my head but still sending the same heavenly feeling of unconditional love for me. Normally, I'd be disappointed for being unable to hold Her but the tiny arms around my head were a wonderful loving proxy, amplified by Her presence. The fact that Flandre gave me a peck on the cheek was nothing short of exalting.

I needed that.

Just from this little cuddle bundle, she figured out that my Guardian Spirit is responsible for my revival. I can hear the mutters of gratitude already, her hug on my head tightening but gently.

Slowly, the Holy Spirit was starting to fade away but She tried to last as long as She could for both my and Flandre's sakes. I obviously love the Holy Spirit, Flandre fell in love too, so we both wanted Her to stay until we're satisfied. That silent request was actually complied by Her. By the time She's gone, it was safe to say that our mental states have completely recovered. If we were both muddled with our own individual negative emotions, discomfort and anxiety among other things, the Holy Spirit took them away for us.

With Flandre now in a good mood, she was now inclined to tell me about the 'spectacle' Sakuya talked about that happened 2 days ago. I listened all the way…

…...

…..all the way…..

Flandre tilted her head at me, "Are you angry?"

…..heh…heh…heh….

[Yep.] If my even tone and flat expression says I'm not, you have no idea, Kiddo. [I'm actually mad. Very mad.]

….that fucking woman….Kotohime…motherfucking Kotohime…

...the shit she's done…..I thought her 'exploits' were already too far…..but this…just this fucking thing…..!

She even got Sir Mirino and Sir Akira involved too…..!?

Just….what the fuck!? How far is that woman's mind gonna go for something that barely even happened!?

I gripped Flandre's thighs tightly, barely bothered by it as she straddled my lap while facing me. I was fucking fuming right now, if the rising heat of the room is any indication, [The sooner I get better, I'm gonna go find Kotohime….and thrash her to pieces.] I would have said 'fuck her over in 51 ways' but Kiddo is right in front of me.

"You don't have to." Despite my heating body, she still drew close and hugged me. "I did have fun when she raided us."

It's funny that Remilia got ignored, yes, but what happened to Sakuya and Patchouli is not something I'm going to ignore, you know. They're my friends, even if the former was a bit standoffish and had a small sociopathic side of her. Even if you liked that split-mouth smile, the fact that you were stabbed in the cheeks pisses me off.

[It's still going to happen, Flandre.] You can't change my mind, Kiddo. [Kotohime's gonna pay.] In anybody's perspective, I have little reason to be having any grudges on the Princess, I barely even met her till a few days ago, but I saw the amount of trouble she caused to other people in my NDE. Sure she's done some good, but she still caused misery. They outweighed her righteousness! I'm not going to be a consequentialist when it comes to her! […..I swear I'm gonna kill her…] I muttered darkly.

She looked up from my face and gave me a pointed look, "Are you going to get back at her with a Danmaku fight?"

I nodded; while it happens, I will give her a hell she won't forget. [Yes.] For the very first time in a while, my opponent's actually not anybody in the Scarlet Devil Mansion and Marisa, especially Remilia. Geez, she's getting old as a fighting opponent.

"Then that's okay." Then she returned to lean her head against my chest.

While I patted her head, I asked her, [Is Kasen finished telling Sakuya everything?]

She turned her ear towards the door, then answered, "I think so. Sakuya's now talking about how you…..saved me."

Oh. Then I guess Kasen will be put up to speed with the situations surrounding me and your family then, Kiddo. I bet she's filling her in on how I died the first time.

By the look of anxiety and guilt on her face as she presses herself even further to me, I can already guess that Sakuya's telling more about the explicit details on how I saved Flandre. Me dying to her hand and all, unwittingly fixing her mental state in the midst of a violent combat while I was possessed by demons.

I doubt we'll be leaving my room for a while. So….

[You wanna sleep for a bit?] I asked.

"Mm."

Steadily leaning back till I lied down, I placed her beside me and let her lie her head on my arm. She shifts closer so she can hear my heart very closely, one little white hand clutching my shirt while one leg hooks on to my left. One kiss to her forehead and I take her by the hand to Dream World.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

It is Monday today. And now's the time to get back at that fucking bitch, Kotohime.

After having a seriously delicious feast due to Sakuya's capable hands, she and Flandre eventually had to go home after playing with the animals. Oh yeah, Lakit finally came around. Kiddo got a lot of fun, exchanging tight hugs with the massive snakey. Her girth that day was twice my thigh and I was actually paranoid and horrified when she literally disappeared inside the coil of grey and white scales.

Makita never came back until Flandre was really gone, which kinda disappointed the latter since she really wanted to cuddle up with the Meany White Kitty Cutie. I promised that I'll bring her with me in the next weekend to the Mansion, which she looked forward to. Preeeetty sure Makita's gonna bolt the sooner she finds out where I'm taking her come Saturday.

After earning a few sympathetic words and comfort from Sakuya and Flandre due to learning about what happened, which I gratefully accepted, I sent them off…..but not before a little kiss right on the lips from the Kiddo right in front of Kasen. I could literally see the mind exploding through the Hermit's eyes again. I'm pretty sure this was kinda done to fully cement the credibility of my current relationship with the Scarlets after listening to Sakuya's tale. Not that I'm complaining or anything but really? A hug would'a been nice. We kissed enough in my room.

And afterwards, when they left and my cute girl of white stripes arrived from the door, Kasen had me sit down on the dinner table and made me spill out my side of the story regarding Flandre's recovery. Exasperation ensues. Is it really that hard to believe, lady? I mean I know Flandre was a terror before, yes, but really? At least talking about dying in that Mansion's a lot easier to do compared to the recent one.

Anyway, next day towards Saturday, my health had recovered immensely, like a fucking 87%. I felt awesome that day, even climbed up to the roof of the house first thing in the morning. Never felt genuine invigoration in a long time when I jumped off in a backflip, rolled upon landing, and did a few backhand springs before the 720 corkscrew. Even played around with my boy on the grass, playing a game of Tag while Makita just sunbathes to fight the cool air. While Kasen made breakfast and remarked on my progressing health, I was the one to cook lunch just to see how well I am, including dinner.

Come Sunday, I felt complete. Even told Kasen that I didn't need her to be an escort when I went out to the Place of Worship. She came anyway as a just-in-case along with Makita and Visente. No complaint. Spent like more than 4 hours praying when I reached the place, Kasen told me. Not my best record. I could go for a whole day if I liked. Prayer at night time is just beautiful. The phenomena that happens in that particular hour has to be seen to be believed. One among many is the lights.

Upon getting home, I told her that she's now free to go. No need for her to watch over me and cook for me anymore. I can now return to taking care of myself once again. She agrees, but she decided that she'll visit once in a while just to check up on me and to see how the animals are under my care. It was welcome, you'll never know when you'll need a Hermit's help…...something could happen again. My Holy Blood makes me a walking target sign.

After giving her a hug and saying she's welcome anytime, she departs from my home and I was left to myself that day.

The next day, which is right now, it's fucking time.

Now I ain't gonna walk up to the Burning Basan and just cause a whole lot of trouble with my face in full-view. I represent my fucking workplace, and a lot of villagers are very familiar with my face. That's just asking to have Boss's business look bad if they see me assaulting the place. I'm doing this in a manner that involves a lot of acting…and a lot of reminiscing. Gotta do it in a way that makes me unrecognizable to everyone except the sharp-eyed.

Basically, I'm reverting back into the violent thug on the streets.

But first, a little makeover.

[Is it ready, Sakuya?] I asked as I followed her walking around the edges of the Misty Lake, leading me to the place she set up.

"It is a particularly simple order so it was without trouble." She replied, "I created a small one at first. As I leave it be, the local fairies will play around it, which instead expands the puddle and lessening the amount of work I need to do. Good to see some courtesy in Gensokyo, yes?"

[Yeah. It's awesome.] It's called Idiotility. Utilizing the usefulness of idiots is something to behold, believe me. I bet it's an earned skill when Sakuya regularly dealt with incompetent fairy maids in the Mansion till Jergo and the boys came around. [Is this it?] I gestured to the thing itself.

"I hope it's to your satisfactions."

Before Sakuya left my place, I asked her to ready a mud puddle. Part of my preparations before the job. She made one just next to the Lake. I can see imprints of little feet and hands on the wet dirt, telling of the people frequenting it. I can tell that they were putting more water than necessary that it still has mud water in it despite her saying she made it 3 days ago. There's even other mud spots around this area too. The fairies sure got busy with their 'help'.

[This is perfect. Thank you, Sakuya.] I pat her shoulder in thanks before I unstrap my machete holster off my belt and give it to her, [Hold this for a bit?]

"I would not mind." She receives it, holding it by the middle and the hilt before looking at me, "But what do you plan to do?"

And then I jumped in. [MUD BATH, BITCHES!]

*SPLASH!*

Haven't had one of these in a while…..last time's like when I was 6 to 9 years old, I think. Playing in the rain's a lot more fun as I grew. Going back to the old ways ain't the same. This kinda sucks. These are my best attires too, even my hoodied vest.

I'm gonna be bathing with the faucet outside my house when I get back, laundry afterwards. Never done an outside bath in a while now, I think I'll enjoy it under the sun (strange as that sounds).

[Aarrgghhh aaaggh…..fffffucking hell, this suuuuucks…..!]

And I'm complaining like a bitch, even though I'm rolling all over the dirty liquid with a purpose. I'm even dunking my entire head in as much as I can. Agh! Fucking hell, it's in my ears! Geez, this sucks! Like, a whole lot! It's getting in my shoes! MY FUCKING SHOES! AGH! I HATE THIS! I FUCKING HATE THIS!

"Are you now finished with your business, Mr. Eman?" Asks Sakuya as I literally dragged myself out of the puddle, scraping my legs against the ground while deliberately rubbing dry dirt all over my now-muddy body.

[Somewhat!] I replied heatedly, feeling somewhere between annoyed and indignant. I even feel it under my fucking shirt—ugh! Fuck, I hope my underwear's not breached. I stood, fighting back the urge to shake the excess dirty liquid off myself or even jump into the clear-water Lake that's literally right there! Control yourself, man. You need this! [Okay….okay, all calm now. Alright, how do I look? Do I look like me or somebody else?]

"You would befit a person working the pigsty." Wow, ya really gotta lay it onto me like that? "Other than that, you look perfectly different. Similar to a vagrant on the streets not knowing the slightest lick of cleanliness."

Now that's the way I like it. I'm doing this the way I had 2 years ago, and I fit the bill in the looks too.

I put on my dirty hoody, the collected mud on it suddenly pouring over my head.

Sakuya nodded approvingly. "Even worse." She held out my holstered machete.

I wrap my hand around the hilt and drew it out. Shiny steel.

Then I threw it to the mud puddle. That things gonna get a good polishing when I'm done.

I turned back to her, "Hold on to the holster for a bit? I'll pick it up when I'm done."

"How about I simply deliver it to your home?" She offered.

My eyes widened. [Oh….uh, is..is that okay for you? I mean, it is a long walk from here to my house.]

"I hope you aren't forgetting that I can fly, Mr. Eman."

…...…

I sheepishly looked away, [Ne-ne-never mind. Stupid question, but hey, the thought counts, right?] Did being dead not too long ago have something to do with this lapse of forgetfulness?

She smirked at me, ice-blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I appreciate it." Then modest levity is gone from her expressions, "Do be careful, Mr. Eman. Lady Flandre was already devastated when you died once. You may not have noticed it but she was in turmoil last Friday, especially when she arrived home and slept on her quarters with a sick stomach due to anxiety. She does not even want to think about a third time. She's terrified of it. It took much just to convince her not to go back to you since Kasen assured me that you will be heavily guarded by your animals and the Holy Ghost."

Urgh!

"Value your life and keep it well-guarded at all times. For Lady Flandre's sakes as well as your friends', especially me, you must always be careful. You are the pillar of what she has become, Mr. Eman. If you fall, all the good you've brought ever since you came into our lives will be undone, especially Lady Flandre's recovery. It may be selfish say this but I am a Maid of the Scarlet Family, therefore I value their wellbeing over yours. Without further ado, I shall say it: Live for her sakes more than for yourself."

…...

…...…...

…...…...…...it affected her that much?

The last one was a punch to the gut. I have more significance to their lives than I think? And I was willing to let myself be sent to the Afterlife just for the satisfaction of never being burdened by existing?

Lots of people have mattered to me, especially Doc Christopher, but I never before in my life have I ever mattered that much to someone else. Life outside was too complacent. There's nothing too life-threatening that the significance of a person's presence is never noticed until they're gone. And now here, with my life in constant danger because of who I worshiped, now dead for the second time and back, I realize the worth of my life to someone else.

…...So be it then. I am not going to prioritize my death over her anymore. I never have a high-opinion on myself before but if Sakuya says that I'm basically the crutch to Flandre's recovery, then I'll accept that. [I'll swear to that, Sakuya.] With all my sincerity, I say that and bump my chest with a fist. [The Holy Spirit will make sure that stays true.] I took the machete out of the mud, letting it drip and I began walking towards the village with a faux-stiff gait.

"Happy hunting, Mr. Eman."

Here's a thumbs up for that; Thank you, Sakuya.

…...

…...…...

…... …... …...

[Hhrrrrrrggghhhh…!]

I'm going to fucking kill you, Kotohime…...

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

Weapons were instantly drawn the sooner they saw a dirt-clad man walk into view, his form smoking from the drying mud and walking barefooted with a heavy vibe of ill-intent. The dirty machete in hand didn't help either.

But Akira, perceptive as his gift allowed him, noticed something: the recognizable eyes of hazel seen through the muddy bangs and underneath the dirty hood. "Eman-chan?"

Mirino shot a gobsmacked look to the foot soldier, "What did you say?"

"It's him." He told, lowering his spear and jogging up to his distance. "My dear goodness, Eman-chan, what happened to you?"

The boy stopped walking, his malicious aura disappearing as he looked up to meet Akira's orange gaze with his own. Then hazel orbs turned to face Mirino as he ran up to him, looking over him in concern, "Eman-kun, tell me what happened. What did this? Who did this to you?"

A wry smirk appeared on his dirt-covered face of milky white, a low whisper coated with disdain, "Kotohime."

Emotionlessly, the two guards stared. Stared a little more, then gave each other a glance, before sighing heavily, shoulders sagging immensely. That maniac is not even here and they're already feeling the stress of her presence.

"I swear….that woman…" Mirino muttered, fighting a headache.

Pinching his nose, Akira asked, "Where have you been? We've been worried."

"High fever and a severe headache." Eman answered simply in a low tone, tapping the flat of his machete against his leg idly. "I received word that the Maniacal Princes, Kotohime, attacked the Scarlet Devil Mansion. There was a mention that you two and another samurai were involved, is that true?"

His tone didn't imply anything like appreciation, but Mirino wasn't sharp enough to notice that and the veiled anger. "Yeah. Well, we thought that they were responsible for you being sick—"

"Responsible?" There was suddenly a wave of heat coming from the boy and his voice contained a certain bite in it.

"Uh, yeah. I know. I was wrong." Mirino could notice the incredulous tone Eman carried but Akira could tell that he still failed to see the ire, "But it was Kotohime's idea. I-I admit that I suggested the idea of you being sick because of them but I didn't actually initiate the raid or—"

"You attacked them for no reason! I was just severely ill! They had nothing to do with what happened to me!" It wasn't a shout, merely a harsh hiss but it didn't fail to convey how he felt about it. Mirino flinched from his tone and the hot glare sent his way, the heat of the summer suddenly getting worse. "Because of that accursed raid, the Scarlet Devil now has her attention turned on me because you attacked them on the notion that I was catalyst of the entire thing! What do you think she is going to do to me even if I will not head there next Saturday, huh!?"

Mirino had nothing to say, but he slowly realized the implications. Instead of doing any form of help, they only made it worse. He turned to Akira and the idea wasn't lost on him either, judging from the grimace on his face.

Being the taller amongst the three, it was no effort to stare down Mirino while being at his face, speaking in the lowest growls. "I told you that my weekly encounters with the Scarlet is a norm of my life and it is unlikely to change for a long time. Did I tell you that it makes me suffer? Did I ever complain? No, I did not. Therefore, I did not ask for your help. I did not ask you to attack a dangerous figure in Gensokyo for me. And I absolutely did not ask you to involve yourselves in Kotohime's schemes for my sakes!"

His machete lit aflame, and he moved in a spin, swinging the burning weapon in a downward and diagonal strike. Mirino was quick to draw his own sword to block but the intense heat upon the sparking collision forced him to dash backwards. At the same time, a human-sized Wraith erupted out of the boy's back and threw a molten fist at Akira's position. The foot soldier jumped away before the fiery demon was even conjured and his last position was nothing but a smoking black pothole.

There's nothing but a demonic growl coming out of his throat, "My target is Kotohime. She instigated the fucking thing and I want nothing more than to see her suffer for it." He swung his machete once, the Wraith and the fires on his weapons were snuffed away, like a candlelight being blown, the heat of the summer gradually returning to normal. He stood, still smoking with dust. "You two are merely dragged into it, therefore I will not punish you both as well. Stop me in any way and you will suffer for it."

"Only if you take it somewhere else, Eman-kun." Calmly, Mirino replied him with his combat stance adjusting and ready.

"We absolutely will not allow you to send the village into the fires of your wrath, Eman-chan." Akira himself will not stand by as well, the spear held loosely at his side suddenly lit aflame with spiritual energy. "We may have erred and could only prostrate in forgiveness for worsening your shaky relationship with the Scarlet Devil but if you drag innocents into this, then I have no intention to make amends."

"I am not that heartless, you idiots." He snapped, the offended tone mixing with the anger. His guttural growls disappeared afterwards, "I will declare a duel to her and take it far away from the village. My flames are too erratic for anyone's safety."

"Then good." Akira was quick to accept, relaxing invisibly and placing the butt of his spear against the ground. If Akira accepts it, then Mirino had no reason to make any arguments. "Would you like me to send out a death threat for you? It's the least I could do as an apology."

"It's unlikely you'll get to her that easy with the way you are at the moment. People'd call Keine on you in a heartbeat." The swordsman added, gesturing to Eman's current state as he sheathed his sword. "While I would like a reason why you're like that, do you even know where to find that nutcase?"

"I have my means." Eman began walking onwards to the village, "I know my way around secluded parts of the village. I will draw less attention if I take them."

Mirino watched him go, barely a spared glance sent his way as he walked by the swordsman. He sighed, "Alright, I'll trust ya."

"If you get thrown in a cell, Eman-chan, I will make sure to bail you out." Akira assured.

There's only a grunt before the boy suddenly veered to the right, abandoning his passage to the gate and started sprinting along the walled borders of the village before his feet suddenly exploded the ground in a burst of flames, sending him a few meters into the air and over the wall. What's left him is a trail of dust in an arch before the wind took away the evidence.

Once he was over his shock due to the sudden explosion that freaked out the nearby birds, Mirino finally said it, "Well, that wasn't conspicuous."

"It could serve as a good distraction once he is away from the scene." Akira pointed out the good side, "It will throw off Keine temporarily, if she happens to be nearby."

10 seconds later….

"Hello, good morning." Their attention turned to their former teacher arriving from the gate, flying with her dress bellowing behind her. "May I have a moment with you two?"

"Ah, speaking of which," Akira turned a smug smile to Mirino's direction. From the latter's dry look sent back to him, this clearly wasn't the first time the foot soldier predicted 10 seconds into the future.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

The Burning Basan. A humble establishment of food and drink, adorned by the stuffed head of a rooster that's 4 times larger than a normal one atop the door. From what he's seen in his NDE, it was one of the Youkai that were in the wrong place and wrong time during the Tsukumogami Incident, turning into a mindless animal from the influence. Eman had no pity for it, being young and too wild to earn any sense of self. Not to mention that it took the life of one outsider.

He was right on his luck to hear his target inside during this time of the day, rambling about one of her damn schemes again to somebody listening (likely none). Leaning against the shadowed side of the building, making his form invisible to the inattentive eye, he rekindled the fires of his hatred. He thought of the trouble the woman brought on the Scarlet Devil Mansion. He thought of the times she had done wrong to other people, calling it 'law business'. And he thought of the fact that she lockpicked his door, destroying the common courtesy of knocking while he's ill and sick.

[Hhhrrrrrrrgghhhh…..!]

His form shook, slouching, the temperature of his body rising even further. Teeth gritted, his grip on the machete tightening, and he slammed his fist against the building, creating a loud slam and a burning imprint on the wood before he turned the corner and barged in with his every step a stomp.

Activity slowly drew to a stop. Chat, feast, drinking, or revelry steadily halted as they took in the mud-clad hunchbacked man from the door, barely recognizable due to all the muck on his entirety from his hood to his bare feet, emanating nothing but pure malice. Nobody dared move when they saw the dirty machete in his grasp, especially when his head turned to look over every single one of them. The waitress that's barely 3 steps away from him was close to fainting, barely keeping the tray of orders on her shaky grasp from slipping.

Then his fiery gaze rested on a figure wearing a bright purple kimono seated on a table in the middle of the establishment, her back facing him and barely noticing the tense silence as she continued eating away at her plate.

Found you.

As sudden as a thunderclap, he quickly bolted on Kotohime's seated form, leaving smoldering footprints, and swung his machete right on her head. As expected, she rolled away from her last position, faster than he thought possible before the table instead suffered his wrath, split in half, sending bits of food, ceramics and splinters flying everywhere before the hot blade sunk into the wooden floors. The panicked shouts ensued, those closest to his position scrambling away over each other.

Easily wrenching it off, he spun in above-average speeds before Kotohime ducked under his horizontal swing and caught the second swing with her jitte —

PING!

The machete was suddenly removed from his grasp, spinning in flight and stuck to the wall next to the head of one gentleman, yelping as that nearly went into his skull and cowered under the table, traumatized.

One of the patrons finally decided to run away while—

A small fireball went past his face and struck the frame of the doorway, leaving a burnt spot. A warning shot before a demonic shout erupted from the attacker, "YOU WALK OUT THAT FUCKING DOOR AND YOU BURN! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE, STEP AWAY FROM THERE AND SIT THE FUCK DOWN!" Without any waiting for a compliance, the Wraith's molten arm shot out of his hunched back and went for the man's head. The latter dove out of the way, wisely away from the door before the four claws of hardened lava reached him and instead landed on the floors, raking 4 burning lines back to the caster's distance before it disappeared.

The mud man planted his fiery gaze on Kotohime the whole time, barely looking behind him where it happened.

"Well that screwed up the scenario where he escapes, then we fight, the backup arrive, only to see that I handled everything by myself and I—"

"Shut the fuck up….!" Eman growled, feeling all the itches and the sweat forming on his body. He can already tell that the temperature of this room was rising due to his presence. "I'm not here to listen to any of your bullshit, I'm here to give you a taste of what happens when you meddle into things that do not concern you!"

He lashed out again, abrupt and sudden, quick enough that Kotohime's face nearly grazed his muddy fist in her dodge. Due to its temperatures, she ended up moving further to the side than necessary, aided by flight. "Wooo! That was hot! That would've left a mark if you hit me!" She exclaimed, touching her nose.

Using the momentum of his swung fist, he spun and fluidly swung a haymaker with the same hand. Kotohime moved to block the attack with her forearm, readying a counter to punch his face—

"YEOWCH!" She immediately drew her arm back, blowing on the blackened sleeve of her extravagant kimono's sleeve and rolling it back to check for any injuries on her flesh while she effortlessly moved away from the proceeding attacks.

An intervention finally arrived, in the form of the establishment's master nocking an arrow on a bow and aiming at the attacker's form. "Stop this right now!"

"No! Do not interfere—"

Kotohime's attention drawn away from her opponent earned her a kick to the abdomen, sending her crashing into an arrangement of chairs and a table behind her. The master's grip on the arrow was suddenly loose due to the sight of Kotohime getting hit of all things, the projectile flying towards Eman's head, only to hit molten rock instead of flesh, tissue, bone, and brain matter. The Wraith's arm lashed out to block and the mud man glared at the interfering man, gesturing a slit-throat towards him before returning to his original target.

Staring down Kotohime's form as she rubbed her head, a piece of meat lying on her shoulder and wet stains on her kimono, she glared right back at his gaze as he spoke again, "See me to the fields 2 kilometers away from the Village, South. Be late for 10 minutes and half the village BURNS!"

His form ignited for a brief instant, sending a strong wave of heat in the interior and blackened the ceiling before he moved to take his machete off the wall and stormed out of the establishment while leaving behind smoldering footprints.

Collective sighs of relief were released from the patrons before they relaxed on their seats to compose themselves, some opening the windows to let the hot air out, some moving to help Kotohime, only for her to stop them with a hand. "I'm fine." To prove that, she rose up to stand on her feet in graceful movements, barely any indication of pain from landing her back on the table and chairs so hard they broke apart. Flicking off the meat on her shoulder, she rolled her sleeve back again, revealing only a spot of red on the immaculate skin and no tissue damage. "I wouldn't be surprised if his girlfriend's got a handprint on her ass even if he didn't spank it during sexy time."

Looks of confusion surrounded her, the men unsure how to take what the hell she just said.

"Anyway, looks like I got an unknown nemesis to entertain and a village to save." Then an unsettling smirk emerged on her face, "A chance to beat Reimu to the punch in saving the people! I can't wait to see the look on her face when I tell her about this!"

As soon as she was right at the door, she froze for a few seconds, then turned around. "As soon as I get a good breakfast." Then she swiped the orders from the waitress's tray, who amazingly managed to stay conscious in one place during the entire ordeal before finally collapsing to the floors while Kotohime ate away at an intact table and chair at a hurried pace.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

Visente's bark sent him back to the waking word, nearly flinching as he's sent out of the temporary sleep before activating the 6th sense to detect the presence of two entities coming to his location.

Two entities. He was expecting only one.

[Grrrrrrr…..!]

Opening his eyes and lifting his head resting on the hilt of the machete up, he grunted as he rose to his feet, his shoes now put on, and wrenched his weapon off the dirt, stepping out of the shade of the tree and into the sunlit field of grass and dirt, moments away from become nothing but a desolated field of ash and fire.

There's his target, Kotohime, wearing a cleaner kimono of extravagant colors and the same infuriating smile that doesn't ever understand what she's in for.

Beside her…a handsome face, white hakama and kimono, added with a red vest while long violet hair is tied in a high-ponytail. Meira.

The same person who stabbed Flandre in the cheeks…

Visente's dark growl reflected his mood upon seeing her, barely bothered by the heat of Eman's ignited machete while being right next to it. He maintained the dignity of a strong and loyal wolf, walking in the same pace as his master, slow and deliberate as his teeth were bare and ready, form stiff and coiled in preparation for the command to attack.

"I said nothing about bringing anybody else except yourself….!" He growled, his fiery glare planted on Meira instead of his original target.

"I know, I only brought her with me as a witness to this duel of the century." Something within him snapped upon hearing that. "Since I don't really got the time to invite all the villagers—"

[HAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHH!‼!]

His roar sent Visente sprinting to the attack and Makita emerged from the side of the field, streaming across the grassy plains like a white torpedo of furry violence. The women quickly took to the air, splitting away from each other to have their respective roles as fighter and spectator be realized, only for Meira to panic as the two predators completely ignored Kotohime and went for her instead.

"Hey! I'm the primary target here!" Kotohime shouted indignantly.

The Samurai didn't have time to think that the Princess prioritized her own pride instead of her companion's safety as she rolled away from the wolf's pounce and flew out of the tiger's reach, her sandal nicked by one of its claws.

An explosion and a surge of heat from the side warned her of an incoming attack before she turned to face what it was and was in time to block a burning machete from cleaving into her head with her sword as soon as Eman ejected off the ground via explosion, screaming a deep war cry.

"Oh, come on! You brought me all the way here and you're just gonna—"

Her senses went haywire before she suddenly flew to the sky, barely escaping Lakit's gaping jaw as it snapped at her last position on the grass with a grating hiss, literally appearing out of nowhere as there was no way something as big and as a thick as two logs together could sneak up behind her.

Meira gritted her teeth against the searing heat from crossing her sword against the burning blade before Eman curled his legs and slammed his feet against her chest in midair, sending her back to the ground, only to be tackled by the tiger before she could meet it, landing hard on the ground with the extra weight pinning her—

A pair of jaws began to clamp down on her hip.

Meira let out a pained scream.

{AYAW! DILI PWEDE!} A guttural roar before the tiger removed its jaws from her and backed away from the downed Samurai, choosing to join Lakit's battle. She didn't have the time to check on her bitten area as she suddenly rolled to the side before a machete buried itself on where her head once was. {VISENTE! PALAYO! AKOWA NI SIYA!}

The wolf that was about to make its move on her slid its four paws on the ground to a stop, its sharp jaws nearly inches away from her face before it snorted on her and turned tail, heading to another target, sprinting towards the battle alongside the tiger between Kotohime and the humongous serpent.

She turned back to Eman and she barely blocked another swipe with one hand while her other hand held on her bite wound, unsure if its bleeding or not, skipping a few meters away with the help of flight, "Eman-san! Wait! You and I aren't supposed to be enemies! Why are you attacking me!?"

[GGGRRRRRRRGHHHHH!‼!] That was all the reply she earned before the fiery demon from before erupted out of his back, imposing with its bulky frame and horned head as it swung a molten fist at her. Dashing more than several meters away from its strike zone to avoid the searing heat of its presence and shot a few danmaku bullets at him, only for the ones about to hit him getting slashed apart with one swing of his weapon before he ejected towards her, roaring as the explosion he created at his feet left behind a smoking pothole.

Lakit's body seemed to float in the air as her grey-and-black form trailed behind her assaulting head, chasing after Kotohime's spinning form as the woman evaded every snap. The latter marveled its body strength, being able to hold its massive serpentine frame in the air for so long without even the help of arms and legs.

A distinct growling brought her to look at the source, the white tiger running across the streaking body of the serpent with uncanny grace, balance and agility, showing not even the slightest hint of any struggle before it pounced off with a roar, claws outstretched as soon as it was in reach of its target.

Knowing that there were three animals present, she did not flew down to dodge but up, keeping away from the wolf's killing distance. The serpent, however, didn't have the same limitation as Visente and took the initiative to send another snapping strike at the Princess's back, jaws unhinged. Once again, the latter spun away to dodge—

An acoustic explosive detonated right next to Lakit's head, sending not just her but the other mammals into a writhing mess on the ground for having more than average hearing, her serpentine body dropping to the ground from their floating places in the air.

Before she could celebrate, a sudden heat coming from behind forced her to move away before a molten ball of inferno streaked at her last position and going into the defensive, dodging a patterned barrage of danmaku coming her way. The source was coming from the Wraith sending pellets of fire with every swing of its bulky arms, the cyclone of fire that served as its lower half attached to Eman's back. The latter himself was having a separate battle with Meira, swinging a burning machete with visible experience and training behind it while throwing a few kicks and punches in certain intervals, constantly forcing the samurai into the defensive due to the burning temperature of his person, armed or not.

Kotohime smiled wryly. She clearly should reconsider her views on what she thought was a 'Greenhorn Outsider' into something respectable.

Eman swung his fiery blade fluidly without stop, leaving no chance of recovery for the opponent. Whatever he had in his sleeves, use it all. Kick, punch, headbutt, slash, dice, cleave, flail, flop, and dive. His muscles burned with exertion but it only served to increase the heat of his fires. Everything was utilized. It was the tactic he developed from his regular visits in the Scarlet Devil Mansion, as Remilia tended to graze his shots too easily before she drives him to the floor due to an opening he didn't realize giving. He rectified that error by employing suppression maneuvers; overwhelm the opponent, a successful tactic compared to everything else when his enemies are far more experienced than him by 2 decades and more. It seems to work on this woman too, as she's barely responding with an attack. Even if she had, it was easy to block and counter. The increasing temperatures of the air from his influence might have something to do with that. It has to do with the fact that he kept her in melee range as well, never far enough that she ends up resorting to firing danmaku and keeping her pressured with the heat. Her entire head is damp with sweat, no less her face. Her exhaustion is apparent as well, her eventual defeat a complete certainty.

He swung horizontally to the right, his form twisting along and exposing his back. When Meira took the opening and swung her katana, the flat of the machete that rested on his back as it's held over the shoulder blocked the strike before he swung the opposite direction, spinning like a top as the outstretched machete forced her to defend against three winding strikes before the fourth created an explosive spark near her hand, forcing her to lose her grip of the weapon in a yelp of pain before a hot palm smacked on her abdomen, doubling her over.

Then…

{«PASULONG»!}

At the bark of a chant, Meira's form careened through the air as his palm detonated a small bomb on her gut, rolling on the ground upon landing before colliding her back against the bark of the tree, shaking a few leaves off their branches. There was a moment of her struggling to rise shakily before finally collapsing, now out of the fight.

Satisfaction rolled over his form.

That'll teach you from hurting Flandre ever again.

Rolling his shoulders, a wave of fire rippling from his feet to his head, relaxing the rough sensation on his entire body due to continuous movement, he turned to his original target with a glare. His Wraith glowered similarly, squaring its stance as its hands began to combust in red flames, smoking black.

Kotohime wore a relaxed smile, eyeing him casually as she rolled the jitte in her hand. "Well—"

{«ABANTE»!} Without any warning, his sudden shout sent his form flying towards her via explosion from his soles, his machete now carrying the intensity of 5 bonfires, leaving a long trail of burnt grass under him.

The alarm was very apparent on the Princess's face as her body reacted to dodge before her mind told her to. As soon as the machete slammed the ground, missing her head, creating another explosion from the impact, sending a shockwave, a wave of heat, and a flower of fire sending incendiary projectiles in all directions. At the same time, the Wraith threw an explosive meteorite at Kotohime's dodging form as he was blown backwards from his own attack, flipping multiple times in the air while curled up before landing in a roll. The former moved to fly high up into the air, avoiding both the inevitable explosion of the lobbed firebomb and the petals of the fiery flower.

His rage was instantly spiked when she was too far outside his reach. "NO FLYING!‼!" The Wraith's hands were burning red brighter than before, threatening to overpower the light of the sun before it aimed its obsidian palms to the sky.

The pillar of fires that erupted out of them as well as from his roaring mouth were too slow to arrive towards her, easily dodged. Even when they moved after her, aiming to incinerate her entirely, she wasn't in any struggle. "Haha! C'mon! It'll take more than flamethrowers to get me—"

Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. The air's temperature was rising into Hellfire levels, made even worse by the summer heat.

"AAAAGHH!" Kotohime flew away from high-altitudes and rocketed back to the ground, landing not so elegantly as she tumbled over instead of rolling professionally but at least it isn't so hot on the ground. "GEEZ! I thought I was gonna get baked up there—"

"GRRAAAAGGHH!‼!!" As suddenly as always, his form rocketed towards her once again from an explosion at his feet, the Wraith readying a hammering strike with its claws clasped together into an interlocked fist.

She moved to dodge as he expected, the Wraith is ready to follow after her movements—

She left behind a grenade.

For the first time since the fight began, his face expressed horror.

[HA—!] The explosion was triggered by the heat of his person and the fiery entity, setting them off and he has no way of escaping the blast. His only defense was the Wraith covering his form with its interlocked fingers, barely enough to hide him entirely, and he was blown off his feet, the hulking demon disappearing as he rolled sideways on the ground, holding his head as he lost grip of his machete.

His ears rung, disorientation was attacking him everywhere. But this was hardly the first time this happened to him. Remilia is never merciful in a fight, and his countermeasure was to kick and roll away from the enemy while he tries to recover. Unconsciously, his desperation beckoned the Wraith to come alive once again, erratically swinging its arms in all directions with the intention to keep anything from attacking its creator. One of which is another explosive that Kotohime threw, hoping to knock him out for good. Instead, it was swatted aside before exploding uselessly on the soil.

Kotohime frowned, "For an Outsider, you're a—"

The Wraith aimed a palm at her direction and released a dangerous jet of fire. As she flew out of the way, everything in its path, including the ground, was completely incinerated. The aftermath left behind a smoking and smoldering trench that reached as far as a few hundred meters away, any plant life in the way reduced to ashes. It reminded her of the kind of mess Marisa's Master Spark leaves behind.

"Gods! Are you ever gonna let me finish my sentences—" She was silenced again, by a tiny fireball heading for her face, which she dodged by unnecessarily diving to the side. She would have kept talking either way but the fact that he used a measly projectile when he had been bombarding her and Meira since he began screaming death was enough to give her pause.

Eman had his dirt-covered palm held out towards her, his fingers still lit with red flame and exhuming smoke. His other hand was placed against his left ear, a polychromatic color emanating from the palm as his features indicated that he was easily recovering from his stunned state. When he held up his hands in a guard stance just below the level of his face, the disappearing rainbow fires on his left hand proved her suspicions.

"Healing fire, huh?" She remarked.

He reared his right hand back in response, cupping a ball of fire before he threw it to her direction. Kotohime only had to lean to the side to dodge, using minimal movements against low-tier projectiles. The other hand threw the second fireball, which she dodged by leaning to the other side. He threw the third and suddenly began sprinting, provoking her guard up before he abruptly stopping, spitting out a larger fireball with a bark.

The Princess did the most graceful and elegant twirl to the side as she dodged both the fireball and the firebomb before she slid to a stop, daintily flipping her red hair over her shoulder as soon as the latter projectile exploded on a tree, the shockwave making her kimono flutter magnificently from it. It made her look captivating for a moment. Just for a moment.

Eman made a face at her dramatics before he readied his guard stance again, walking towards her as the smoldering footprints he kept leaving behind since the start of the fight began disappearing after 4 steps, his coat of extreme heat now deactivated.

So he's going mano a mano, huh?

She smiled brightly, readying a stance of her own. "Bring it." She taunted only by those words. She must have learned her lesson for going on tangents or just speaking in front of him.

Once he was 5 meters away from her, she didn't feel any heat out of him, only the present hostility of his person. They began circling around each other, awaiting the other to make the first move. Kotohime's stance was primed and ready, but while Eman's stance holds a vibe of experience, his form was loose, an exploitable factor. The former didn't take the bait, however. She's above underestimating him now.

He stomped. She stiffened her stance. Then Eman suddenly charged at her, his form leaned fully forward before he threw a left jab—not.

He instead threw his entire body forward, executing a flying head butt.

Kotohime's shock was profound, as she was baited into dodging a phantom punch for her head, only for her chest to be guided right into his aim. She had her arms up to block the attack in general, but she was still knocked back on her rear. Using the momentum to roll backwards to her feet and take several steps back, she readied her stance before Eman charged at her again, his eyes pointed at her legs. Predicting his strike, she lifted her furthest leg up as he went low, swinging his leg in a sweep—

She was knocked back as he frog-leapt sideways and slammed his back against her guarded chest. She grunted hoarsely as her back met the hot soil before pushing him off.

Easily rolling to his feet, Eman performed a Webster flip and stretched out one leg to axe-slam her head. When Kotohime rolled away as he landed roughly on the ground, he planted one hand on the burnt soil before throwing his lower body at her, swinging one leg at her guarded chest, and landing a hit on her abdomen with the other, his hand on the ground being the anchor point allowed him to leverage his entire body strength into the strike and send her back down to the ground again.

Growling inelegantly, Kotohime rose up to her feet and went into the aggressive. She swung a punch at him, blocked. He snuck a knee to the gut as a pre-counter but she easily blocked that with her own—

She didn't block the other knee coming from her side, and she let out a high-pitched yelp before his hand slapped her behind the head, cutting her voice short as it made her upper body doubling over but not losing her footing. Eman's chin received an uppercut at the same time, however, courtesy of a sneak fist coming from a buckled Kotohime, only for the latter to be sent off her feet via a sweep from the same leg that kneed her side as he swayed in a spin, making her back meet the floor again.

While he held his chin and fought to maintain his balance, Kotohime quickly rolled to her feet as her hand nursed her side. A few seconds after staring each other down, he charged her again, throwing a forward kick, which she caught with both hands, only for his other leg to leave the ground and send a kick at her. She caught it as well, watching as his upper body landed unceremoniously on the floors, his chin tightly tucked in to prevent his head from meeting the ground—

She was suddenly pulled forward as he curled his legs, and received a vicious Bitch-Slap, a slam to the top of the head from a fist before a hand yanked her towards the ground on her front beside him by the kimono. Rolling sideways to straddle her waist, he drove the final blow towards the back of her hea—

An elbow struck his side, throwing the fist off-course before the other elbow met his temple, throwing him off her.

Groaning as he held his head and side, he forced himself to stand up and received a fist to the gut, doubling him over before an uppercut set him back upright followed by a hook that made him spin out of balance till he toppled. He took her down with him by slamming his shins on the back of her knees in the midst of his spin, ending with the both of them on the ground side by side.

Disoriented, dizzy, and out of balance, he still moved to the attack by flipping his body over and throwing the opposite elbow towards the person lying beside him by the head. When he only felt the ground and assuming Kotohime rolled away again, he quickly rose up to his feet and fought to stay upright. Trying to see through the delirium, he received another strike to his chest. Another. And another. And another. And another. And another. He can't block them all. His head is spinning. They were too fast. And when he doubled over from a gut punch, he was pulled and flipped over—

He yanked Kotohime by the front of her kimono with both hands before he landed roughly on his back, his momentum carrying her form over him before landing headfirst, followed by slamming her back on the ground next to him with her head pointed to his chest.

Thinking fast, he bounced up in a twist and drove the forearm close to his elbow to her forehead.

…...

…...…...

After holding still with his elbow resting on Kotohime's forehead and getting no response from the Princess, he only had one conclusion as soon as his mind was back into condition and seeing the woman now blacked out:

I won.

[Eeeerrrrgghhhh….! Ow…..] He groaned as the aches on his chest, face and sides came in, the adrenaline leaving his system now allowing the pain to be fully realized.

Hot. So hot…..!

Whether it's the sun or the smoldering environment in general, he wasn't sure where the intense heat is coming from. Even with he pulled the dirty hoody over his head to cover the back of his neck, it still didn't help. Maybe it's just him? The heat in his body either compressed or the residues of his magic making it worse.

A cool shade rested over him. It must be a cloud that obstructed the rays of the sun, granting him a relief from the heat. Good. That's a nice reprieve. As much as he wanted to run into a forest and hide in the cool zones provided by oxygen generators called trees, he'll do that once the cloud has moved away. He's too exhausted.

Then his eyes shot open.

The 'cloud' had somehow flopped itself on his back and head, weighing him down with an intense weight, and it was hissing?

[Oh…] His head flopped down in relief back to the ground as realization hit. [Lakit. It's just you….thanks for the shade, hon….] Whether she's doing this out of the good of her heart or she's just cuddling the nearest, warmest heat bag in the vicinity, he appreciates the gesture either way. Eventually, her entire giant body coiled around him, surrounding him in a spiral with her head and him at the center. He hefted himself up to rest his upper body on hers before closing his eyes, appreciating the slightly cool surface of her scaled frame.

He remained there, being her hugging pillow for a good dozen or so seconds before the presence of two predators came, stepping on the coils before reaching him and nudging him or licking his hair. [Hey, you two…] He mumbled, raising his hand up to feel whoever is in reach. Soft and fluffy, likely Makita. Feeling the aches in his body becoming bearable, he moved to sit on atop Lakit's body before rubbing the tiger's cheeks while the snake's head hovered over his shoulder silently.

"Are you alright? Are your ears now mended?" She gave him a groan and a nod. [Good.] Since Kotohime threw that acoustic grenade, his concern aside from his anger for the writhing animals created a tiny holy orb that contained oceanic amounts of Holy Power, disguising itself as one of his magical fires before slipping over to them, healing their damaged hearing while he and the Wraith exacted fury on Meira and Kotohime.

A growl came from the latter's last position. He knew what it was. [Don't.] He sternly told, turning to see Visente leering over the unconscious Princess's face-up body. [She's done. She's already punished. It'd just be a dick move if you go down on her while she's unconscious.] He doubted his own words, though. It was tempting to send a kick on her side, and he would have done so had he not been so exhausted and hurt at the moment.

He saw the reluctance in the wolf's body language but relented, snorting at Kotohime's form before running over to the other unconscious enemy.

[Now to get out of here.] With careful steps, careful not to aggravate the lingering ache on his side, he stepped on one coil at a time till he reached the end (he noticed them shrinking), earning no complaint from the giant snake herself as she kept hovering over his shoulder. He reached the under woman's head and grabbed a scruff of the collar behind her neck before dragging her to the nearest shade, Makita following close behind him.

While heading over to Meira's form being held vigil by the wolf, he requested the Holy Spirit to seek out any rogue fires in the area and snuff them out, make sure that a conflagration doesn't break out on the field and reach the forests, which would only lead to a forest fire.

Roughly dropping Kotohime under the shade of the tree, he regarded the samurai's face-down form. He grimaced when he found scratch lines on the fabric of her back, including a tiny splotch of blood. The bite mark on her right side isn't a pleasant sight either. Blood's leaking from there too.

He glanced at Makita before returning to the woman. [You don't show mercy or restraint at all, do ya, girl?] He only earned a confused look. The girl barely understood any English at all. [If I haven't stopped you, you would've done her in like you did that Slenderman Motherfucker.]

Ripped to pieces. Disemboweled. Deformed. Beheaded. Meira's crimes do not warrant such things. He already punished her.

[Sigh, can't leave you like this.] Fighting through the aches that spiked his waist and chest, he knelt down and steadily lifted her to his shoulder, forcing through another series of aches when he rose up to his feet. Before he goes….

[My machete….] He found the tool lying on the field, the grass it lied on tinged black from the heat of its recent incandescence. Meira's weapon was found lying on another area far away from him, exposed to the shine of the sun. While he went to pick up his weapon, he told to Visente, [Boy, pick that up.] The good boy looked at where he pointed and quickly ran towards the sword, sniffing it before picking it up by his jaws.

Transferring his machete to the hand that's keeping Meira from slipping off his shoulder, he took the sword from Visente's mouth, slick with drool. Disgusting but he's already dirty with all the grime and dry mud on him.

Mud…...

[…..agh….shit.]

He has a cargo that needs treatment. His clothes needs cleaning. He needs cleaning. He's incredibly tired. He's also in need of water. There is no one else capable of applying first aid except him inside the house. And he has to walk all the way to his home while Meira's weighing him down instead of Eintei because it's even further away, not to mention that he will have to take another long way trip back to his home if he even bothered to leave the samurai to Doctor Eirin's care.

So basically, he's going to do everything by himself.

[Hrrrghh…..!] Once again, he hates himself. He can't even bring himself to just leave these two women here and let them take care of themselves, [Fucking hell….c'mon, let's go.] He told, now heading home with his patient and leaving behind a damaged field that nearly resembled a war zone. He could only hope that he doesn't drop her along the way when his shoulder starts to ache as well.

Looking behind him, Lakit has now reduced herself to a bucket-sized girth, slithering after him in hypnotic sways. Visente walked by his right, barely tired from the ordeal. Makita walked by his left, looking like she would appreciate a drink of water.

He sighed heavily, adjusting his grip on Meira.

[If only one of you could turn into a human like Satori's pets, especially you, Makita.] The girl shot him a puzzled look, [You'd be a lot of help by doing the laundry for me, or just helping me bathe.]

He thought of Makita's former humanoid body, slender and lean, sporting a head full of white locks with black streaks while her round ears stick out, accompanying him in the bathroom while she pours water from a bucket over his head to wash off the dirt on his person before he does the same to her, shampooing her hair.

[Hm.] If such a thing were to happen, he wouldn't be opposed to it. Living by himself along with his animal family and the Holy Spirit is good and all but some speaking company would make a nice change of things. Being the only one who can talk in the Letitia house is starting to get old.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

The first thing she acknowledged was the sound of water filling a bucket, the sound of water being poured down on something and the cool air surrounding the upper half of her body.

The second thing to her awareness once she tried to lie on her side was the painful ache on her abdomen, side and back, making her crinkle her face.

The third thing….there was growling from both her left and right as well as a shrill hissing above her feet.

In a split-second decision between lashing out into the defensive to staying still, she chose the latter as she is not in her element, injured and she was pretty sure her weapon isn't with her either. So she slowly opened her eyes. To her left side, a massive feline's white face adorned with symmetrical black markings as if they were tattoos bared its teeth, releasing a deep growl while drool dripped from its large fangs.

Slowly, she turned to what was hovering above her legs. The same grey-scaled serpent from before, only as large as a bucket's width, but its body was visibly tense and ready to spring out and bite down on her head if she made sudden movements. She followed the length of its body that trailed upwards to the ceiling, she beheld the rafters being overloaded with the snake's entire length coiling around every beam and support. She could not see the end of its tail.

To her right, the large wolf stood with its four legs slightly spread apart while maintaining a locked gaze on her eyes. It wasn't raising its hackles, growling, rearing its ears flat against its head, doesn't even look tense, but its wagging tail gave away its wariness. If there's one thing she learned from wolf Youkai, a stiff tail instead of a flexible one that wagged is the intention of dislike or suspicion.

Calming herself, she steadied her breathing and looked around her without moving her head too much. Wherever she is, she's clearly inside the residence of somebody who lived outside the village, somebody who had particularly foreign tastes in regards to general design. With the presence of the 3 predators around her, it's an easy clue to assume that she's inside the house of Eman Letitia.

It isn't unusual for a defeated party in a Spell Card Fight to be brought to the winner's home and have their wounds treated but being regarded as still being a threat was not. The defeated party has all the freedom to call a rematch anytime but Meira is not in the condition to do such a thing. She's wounded and, reflecting the reality of her situation, completely at the winner's mercy.

Looking down on herself, she found her regular attire to be replaced with plain sleeping robes while a futon's comforter covered her from the chest down—her right hand from the wrist down was wrapped in white bandages as it lied limp beside her.

She tried to look—

The three animals flinched, their growls and hisses intensifying.

She slightly raised her hand up just to look at it closely and immediately, the animals are on high-alert of her every move. The snake's body was reared back, tightly coiled in preparation for a snap attack, its forked tongue flicking out to taste the tense air. The tiger's fur stood on all ends and widened its drooling mouth, releasing an even menacing growl. The wolf merely raised its hackles, letting out a low growl and nothing else.

She lowered her hand back down and lied perfectly still, fighting back any urge to shift despite the discomfort starting to wear at her battered body. Thankfully, with her training, it wasn't difficult. Consciously, she felt something constrictive around her abdomen. If her being struck in the same place with a burning fist was to account, it's likely wrapped up in bandages too. Her left elbow had been scraped, she remembered. She could feel a gauze plastered to it. She would have been wholly grateful for these if the 'personnel' holding her under watch weren't so trigger-happy.

Fighting her trepidation of the tiger, who was responsible of a certain wound on her side, she listened to the sounds of water continuously filling a bucket outside just to calm her nerves. She could hear low groans as well whenever water was splashed onto something. She recognized it as no other than Eman himself, likely bathing out in the open. She could only question when he will finish. His irate demeanor would be preferable to the constant vigilance of the animals.

Minutes later, the running water silenced followed by a sudden explosion of heat coming from the yard, a bright glow of orange filling the interior of the building from the windows. After only a couple of seconds did the heat and light disappear.

Meira was stupefied that the animals barely looked away from her despite the occurrence.

The owner of the house soon arrived from the door wiping his wet feet on the mat, his muddy wear now replaced for a pair of grey long pants and a red shirt. Compared to before in the field, he was now neat and clean, free of all dirt and grime that allowed his pale skin to be seen. His silky hair still dripping with water and flicking out as he shook his head, he held his wet blade in his right hand, a small face towel containing soap and a bottle of shampoo in the other, and her clothes pinned to his side under his left armpit.

Wait….

She looked down on herself, wearing sleep robes. She looked back to him, her clothes under his arm.

Her face went vermillion, suddenly covering her chest with her arms, ignoring the alarmed reactions of the animals for her abrupt movements. Eman noticed her form and the yelps of his pets, turning a sharp gaze to meet her death glare. He seemed to have failed to realize why she's like this as he stomped his foot and barked lightly, {Palayo.}

The animals obediently complied his foreign command, moving away from her. The serpent retreated its head to the rafters, the wolf hopping to a wooden couch while the tiger simply moved to the living room before lying its underbelly on the floor near the coffee table. She noted that their wary gazes are still planted on her. Nonetheless, she was glad that they were away from her, especially the tiger.

As she moved to sit up (earning a spike of pain on her spine) while still covering her chest protectively and maintained her glare on him, he steadily placed his machete down on the living room table before walking past her feet, throwing her clothes to her lap and gesturing to a door behind her. "Change there." He didn't wait for a reply and went to another door next to the kitchen.

Looking down on the neatly folded garbs on her lap before glancing back at the door he entered, she took it in her hold and was surprised for the warmth of the fabric, as if freshly taken out of being dried outside. It had a flowery fragrance too, no scent of any ash or burnt dirt. Now that she noticed it: while it is still ripped and shredded from the battle, all the muck it collected had disappeared, leaving it immaculately clean.

She frowned. He washed it? Was that what he was doing outside besides bathing? Did he use fire magic to dry it immediately? She continually mused these questions as she moved to stand, fighting the small aches on her ankles, shoulders and back. Her form was slightly slouched, wary of the large snake at the ceiling. Looking over to see the wolf and tiger staying where they are and fixing a glare on her, she quickly hurried to the room and closed the door behind her.

After having worn her hakama, red vest and kimono, bearing with the clothing damages that exposed her patched elbow, abdomen, right side, back and a little bit of her right leg that exposed the shin and ankle, she stepped outside the room holding the folded sleep robes and was in time to see Eman set a plateful of fried fish and steaming rice beside the futon. She was instantly stiff upon seeing him, her hand reaching to her hip and only to remember that her sword isn't there.

He only gave her a dry but hardened glance before standing up and heading to another door in a casual pace, leaving the food there for her to eat.

Her stomach lurched with slight guilt, her lip pursing at the feeling. He brought me all the way to his home, treated my wounds, cleaned my clothes and even gave me food…but still….

Unless….he didn't realize it. She frowned grouchily, but composed herself. She should be thankful, it would be disrespectful for all the things he's done for her otherwise. Kneeling seiza-style on the futon, she put her hands together and said grace, "Itadakimasu." She took the plate in one hand while the bandaged other was indecisive whether to take the fork or the spoon that were placed together.

She took the spoon.

She nodded approvingly after taking a bite. Delicious.

As she ate and now half-way from finishing it, the door Eman entered opened again before he went over to the living room and sat on the table, laying bare feet atop the tiger's bulk beneath him, which the latter didn't seem to mind and actually enjoyed as he stroked the animal's fur while wiping his machete dry with a rag he pulled out of his pocket. He spared not a single glance to Meira the whole time.

Meira began, "Listen, Eman-san, I—"

"Shh." He hushed her, still not looking at her. Up on the rafters, the serpent hushed at her too with a shrill hiss. "Eat first, then we'll talk." He told lowly before he rose to his feet, his little task now done as he went over to the front door where a holster hung from a nail behind it and slotted the machete inside.

He walked over to the kitchen, taking a wooden mug before reaching under a cupboard to pull out a blue box. Opening it and rummaging inside, creating rattling sounds that she could only guess is ice, he pulled out a plastic bottle wet from the condensation before closing the box with his foot and walking over to her, placing it beside her.

Something for her to drink.

She nodded gratefully, "Thank you." She set her unfinished plate down to help herself with a mugful while controlling her eagerness for a drink after that fiery brawl. When she felt the cold water run through her mouth and down her hoarse throat, she released a pleased sigh. It was heaven. She felt so refreshed. Pouring herself a second, she held it in her mouth for a bit before swallowing, making another pleased sigh.

A pill bottle is placed beside her, bringing her eyes back to Eman. His eyes are slightly covered by his long bangs but she could see that he still isn't looking back at her. "Eirin's medicine. Take one pill and chew, not swallow."

Before she could ask how well he knew the Apothecary to be using her first name so casually and without honorifics, he already walked away, entering the door he once came out from before he went to dry his machete.

By the time she had finished eating, left less than a half of the water bottle's contents, and chewed on one candy-flavored pill as he had instructed, he still hasn't left the room. She did notice that there was a bright colorful glow coming from underneath the door, and there was the smell of incense coming from there as well. He might just be praying.

A few minutes later when the animals have now fallen asleep and the snake's head nowhere to be found instead of hanging down, now acknowledging her as harmless, he finally came out with her sheathed sword held in both hands before his face. Breaking out of her meditation, her eyes widened as she saw it. Eman himself barely noticed her reaction, his eyes almost in a trance as he seemed to be whispering to the blade as if it were a living thing. The door he came out of left wide open, allowing her to see an altar, adorned by a cross and the statue of a serene-looking infant holding a staff while the other hand was half-closed with the thumb and index finger slightly stretched out.

The cross seemed familiar to her, though.

Her fixation on the room left her unable to notice that Eman was already beside her until he knelt to one knee, still in a trance-like state as he kept whispering to the blade. Even within speaking distance and his murmurs perceptible, she couldn't decipher his words, almost gibberish. When he pulled the blade out just slightly, a few inches of steel showing, there were fiery rainbows coating the metal, leaving Meira baffled. Nodding as if in acknowledgement, he sheathed the sword again and held it out to her one handed, ignorant of the proper etiquette of offering a blade to a samurai. Despite that, she took it ceremoniously with a bow before she drew the blade out. No polychromatic glows, only polished steel that reflected her face.

"What have you done to it?" She asked, looking over the entirety of the blade from hilt to point. "What were those colorful lights?"

"I asked the Holy Spirit to bless it." He answered tonelessly, rising to his feet as he picked up her plate, mug, bottle and pills, taking it to the kitchen.

"Blessed it?" She parroted, looking over the blade once again. She barely saw anything different about it. "What does that entail?"

"At the point of death and defeat, when no one will be there to pull you out of the darkness and into the light, a piece of the Holy Spirit Herself will rise out of it and come to your assistance in any way." He elaborated matter-of-factly, dumping her plate into the sink before returning to her.

"So it is possessed." She inferred.

"Besides being possessed, it is not any different from the weapon you regularly used. I haven't practiced any form of enchanting yet." He pointed at her weapon with a pale finger, seated in front of her with a chair he brought, "The being within is in no way malevolent or evil. She only carries the desire to save you when the time comes. Even if you do something to expel Her, you can't. She will not leave."

Meira thought about it for a moment before she sheathed her blade. "I see. Thank you. I will acquaint myself with this Spirit when I have the time."

"Good."

She then raised a question she's been having, "Where's Kotohime?"

"I left her there in the forest." He told simply.

Her eyes widened, "Why?"

"Better question: why should I? You're the one who needed the most treatment compared her." He made a point by tracing a thumb over his abdomen and to the side, referring to the place he blew an explosive on and where the tiger bit her. She held hers in response, feeling the bandages underneath her kimono. "Secondly, I don't want that woman anywhere near my house again. I've heard many things about Kotohime, and none of it are any good."

She opened her mouth, then held her tongue. He actually had a point. And it was impressive that an Outsider like him knew so much about Kotohime, even if he had been around for a whole month. It could have been Hirabayashi-ya Dango's master warning him. "I guess you are right. Kotohime can take care of herself."

"My point, exactly." He crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair. "Anymore questions?"

"I-I do…." Her grip on her scabbard tightening slightly, she asked, "Why did you attack me? I was only dragged there to be a spectator. I've done nothing to warrant any quarrel from you."

He huffed a breath out of his nose, looking down at her blade. "Unwittingly, you had." He poked a finger into his cheek, digging it deeper, "You stabbed Flandre Scarlet in the cheeks."

Her mind brought the memory of the Raid back to her, and she remembered doing the deed in order to save her former Master from an anemic defeat. "It was…it was out of—"

"I know." He interrupted her, his eyes beginning to harden while he stared into space. "It was done to save Mirino-san. It may have been done out of desperation or not but it was done solely to save him, yes?"

She nodded firmly, "Yes. A Youkai's physical wounds are never long-lasting. They would simply heal anyway. Mirino-san already lost to her so I had to quickly bring him out to safety…so I did that."

"I know…." A sneer broke out of his lips before it disappeared, "It is still irking."

"What relationship do you truly have with the people of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Eman-san?" She finally asked, very eager to hear his answer. "I've heard Meiling-san speak about it but I want to hear it from you."

He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Now that she thought about it, he looked exhausted. His eyes had been drooping since he entered the building, "I'm their closest friend, especially to Flandre. If there had been any trouble like you thought I had when that Raid occurred, it's only between me and Remilia. She loves and hates my very being. I reciprocate her feelings, by attempting to murder her every weekend." He turned an annoyed eye at her, speaking in the coldest tone, "I was merely ill from poison that day, the Scarlet's had nothing to do with it. If I ever needed your or Kotohime's help, I would have asked for it. So stay out of my circumstances."

She looked down in shame, feeling the knot on her stomach forming. "Forgive me." If his fighting ability back in that field when he fought her were to speak of something, it would definitely reflect the things he's been doing every weekend in the Devil Manor. He clearly honed his art of combat there, with a bratty but powerful Youkai as his opponent every time.

He thumbed the door behind him, showing the yard where it seemed to be past midday. "And now you need to go to Eintei. Makita bit and scratched you." So the tiger's name was Makita. "Bandages and betadine isn't enough to heal wounds inflicted from an animal. The bacteria is still there in your system. The pill you took can only hold it back for so long. You need to be properly treated by a professional."

She would do just that, but what he said triggered a very touchy question to be brought to her mind. It was time to finally address it, "Eman-san…." He stared at her, awaiting her to finish. "….were you the one who changed me into sleep robes?"

"Yes." Unabashedly, he confirmed.

She was suddenly unsettled by causal his answer was, "You….undressed me?"

He frowned. "Obviously."

The final question, something she fought to keep her composure from breaking. Her free hand still went up to cover her chest protectively as she asked, deciding to mention the ultimate bane of her life and see if this had something to do with it. "Were you not aware that I was a woman?"

He stared. Continued to stare. Still staring after 2 dozen seconds.

She asked again, "When you undressed me, were you not aware that I was a woman?"

His brow raised in understanding, closing his eyes for a moment before they opened again and answered, "I already knew, especially when you came to my home the first time with that Kotohime."

His tone barely changed, still speaking in the most monotone and matter-of-factly voice she ever heard.

Her cheeks burned, shifting away from him while her other hand hovered over the hilt of her blade, "You…you cur—"

"I had no way of knowing if you were injured anywhere else unless I took them off." He pointed out coldly, glaring at her retreating form. "And I didn't want any dirt on the futon."

"Why would you undress a woman while she's asleep?" She asked indignantly, her violated privacy overshadowing the rationality of his actions.

He shot up to his feet, a loud stomp erupting from his feet and it jolted the animals awake, growling and hissing from his outburst. "What's important? Your modesty or your own health? In case you haven't realized, you were bleeding. You were going to die. Or maybe, you actually wanted me to leave you there in that forest? Leave you there to bleed and let the wounds themselves get infected to the point that you will suffer multiple complications aside from a high fever? Is that it? Are you saying you actually wanted me to let you die out there? Huh? If you didn't like my hospitality, my machete is right there at the door." He pointed to the weapon, barely 3 steps away before he could grab it. "I could just heat the blade and it would be easy to behead you on the spot. Or I could let the animals do it for me, by letting them rip you apart with a snap of my fingers. It will be painful, loud, and messy, but at least you will die like you wanted me to."

Defiance slowly wilted away from her, his every word breaking her will to resist even further. He nursed her. He fed her. He washed her clothes. He even brought her all the way here, and she's well aware of the distance between his home to the village as well as that field. If her suspicions were right when barely a few hours have passed since she passed out, he might not have rested at all. The exhaustion was extremely apparent in his body language and eyes amidst the animosity.

Pursing her lips, she asked him just to be safe, "Did you do anything else to me besides treating my wounds?"

"No."

"How will I know you're telling the truth?"

"You will not know." He pointed out coldly, his fist clenched tightly beside him. "You just trust me."

He looked at her expectantly, awaiting her response to this. Aside from the waiting look in his eyes, she noticed that the cool air in this house had risen immensely. She did not miss the white skin on his right fist turning red, moments away from igniting into flames. His mood's now cross with her attitude, and the animals felt the same way. They were at a position ready to pounce, and the serpent's mouth was already gaping from its unhinged jaw as it readied itself at the ceiling. If a fight were to break out, she had no guarantees of victory. She's outnumbered, injured, exhausted, and trapped.

She had no any intentions of being stubborn anyway. He didn't seem like the type to do such a thing and his good intentions are clearly genuine. He didn't even mention any form of debt he had on her. He's given her more than enough than simply treatment. It's credible enough to prove his words.

She set the katana down beside her and lowered her head to the sheets in prostration, "Thank you for your kindness. And forgive my uncouth behavior. I was simply rattled."

She held herself like that for several moments, not knowing how he'd react but the cooling temperature of the living room was an indication.

"Rise up." She lifted her head and beheld Eman's unheated left hand held out towards her, ready to lift her up to her feet. She held her sword before taking the hand, rose up shakily as a slight spike of pain erupted on her back again. "You are welcome and forgiven." He released her hand, gesturing to the door. "And you need to see the Doctor."

"Indeed." She limped towards the door, seeing her socks and sandals resting outside the doorstep. Putting them on and slotting her scabbard in-between her second and third sash, she turned to Eman who crossed his arms at the door, "Sorry for making you go through all the trouble for me." She turned to lea—

"Stop."

Stopping mid-step, she turned around, confused for his sudden cold tone. "Pardon?"

"Why did you apologize?" He asked that as if he was offended by it.

Meira was at a loss. "Uh…um, because…I made you go through all—"

"Made me?" He parroted, his frown growing deeper. "Meira, since when did I ever complain about ever doing all those things for you? Huh? Are you implying that I didn't want to do all those things? Are you saying I forced myself for you?"

Now she was genuinely troubled, "N-no. I mean I do appreciate the things you've done but….i-it's just common courtesy and etiquette for us." It might have to account for his being an Outsider from a different culture.

"Then it's a stupid etiquette." He bluntly commented, still frowning. "You make it seem as if you didn't need my help, as if I have wasted my time."

She stiffened, "That's not true—"

"Then you should be saying 'Thank you'. I wanted to help you, so I did. I did not expect an apology or compensation, I expected only gratitude." He firmly pointed out. "Gratitude lets me know that my efforts are appreciated, not wasted, and that I did a good thing. It makes me feel better about myself, and that applies to a lot of people."

She was speechless. This man looked no older than a teen nearing his young adult years, and yet his mannerisms carry a lot of maturity and growth, his temper aside. Deciding to humor his custom, she bowed politely, "Thank you for everything, Eman-san."

He nodded approvingly, "You're welcome. Be aware of what you're heading into next time, and never speak of this nor my involvement with the Scarlets to anyone, especially Kotohime."

She had no argument for that, "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good. Now get out of my land." Now he reverted to the man who spitted fire when she first came to this place alongside Kotohime, the same person who ignited an explosive on her gut not many hours ago.

She wordlessly complied and flew away to Eintei, nearly looking frantic in her departure.

~~~~~ « ҉ » ~~~~~

As she was no longer visible as a dot in the sky, somebody practically dropped my house on my shoulders.

Shit, I am so exhausted. All that treating and cleaning and laundering and cooking and praying and talking and bathing and—oh my fuck, I literally just came out of a fight before all that bullshit! And I even had to carry that bitch on my shoulder all the way here—oooooh….I'm so fucking tired. [Aaargh….!] I need to fucking sleep.

I zombie-shambled over to the futon Meira used, leaving the door open so there's more air blowing in as extra cooling to this fucking place, and collapsed there like I just got shot in the back. Rolling up the sleeves of my jogging pants just so more cool air could lower my body temperature, I let out the most relieved sigh I ever did in my life.

*Chuf-fu-fu-fu*

I feel Makita come close before she flopped on her side next to me on the futon, bumping the side of my chest with her back before laying her head down. I shifted till I was lying on my side and hugged Makita with one arm, the other giving her an arm pillow, my leg draped over her…um 'waist area' or whatever you call it before closing my eyes, scratching her fuzzy chest.

I hear the click-clacks of Visente's nails rapping on the floorboards before he lied down behind me, still awake, just lying his underbelly down while his head is still raised up but not for long.

Since the boy is here, is Lakit gonna join in too?

…yep. I felt her cool form sliding downwards from the rafters to rest on my waist. It seemed she shrunk into a smaller size, like twice the size of the rope I used outside to hang laundry. That's good. I don't think there's any more space around me anymore for her bucket-thickness. Once I felt her stop moving on the side of my waist, putting herself in a spiraling coil most likely, I hugged Makita a little tighter and then slowly I let myself…..

…..…..zzzzzzzz

---

Ayaw! Dili Pwede!: Don't! Not allowed!

Visente! Palayo! Akowa ni siya!: Visente! Back off! She's mine!

Pasulong!: Onward! (military command for March Forward)

Palayo: Away.