AN: And here's the next chapter! Also, I'm a bit baffled why so many folks thought Atem would set up a Shadow Game. While he initiated some in canon for petty reasons, he's outgrown doing serious ones with severe consequences for losing and cheating by now, and initiating a Shadow Game against Motoyasu would mean his Spear Bro would be the one paying the penalty for a loss, which Atem doesn't want.
Royal Arena, Meltromarc
Motoyasu officially had no idea what was happening anymore. Even as he nonchalantly auto-piloted his way through getting into his combat equipment with Rino and Elena's help (man, she'd really warmed up lately! Still didn't do much, but she actually complimented him now and again!!), his mind was responding to current events like a dog chasing its tail.
HOW IN THE WORLD DID THIS HAPPEN!? Apparently, some butthurt jerks in either Ren or Itsuki's parties (no way one of his girls would accuse his bro like that) had went whining off with that jerk of a Commander who Atem had said fired on the village without even checking to see if people were inside after Atem ran him off. And now the King thought Atem was a coward!!
For real, this was messed up; yeah, Atem couldn't fight, but he still did his best to keep people safe and get them out of harm's way alive. That's a big deal! Or it should be…
Anyway, for some reason his bro thought the best thing to do when accused like that was to challenge him to a duel. Like an idiot, no surprises there, Motoyasu had just agreed automatically once he was sure that it was him Atem had been talking to. Then what exactly Atem had asked hit him like a freight train, and now here they were!
The King had provided them an arena, apparently specifically for duels between high-ranking individuals. Score one for being a destined hero!! Still, he wasn't… too sure what to make of the King anymore. After he'd gotten the time to talk with his bro a bit, he'd reflected on how King Aultcray had been acting… and Motoyasu wasn't impressed. To say the least; the guy just seemed to have it out for Atem, and all for being a Shielder, and being no good in a fight wasn't a good reason to treat someone like that. Heck, you shouldn't treat folks like that EVER!! Just like his mom always said, if you go for the throat just because someone looks at you sideways, you can't complain when they punch you in the balls.
…He really wasn't sure how or why she came up with that particular saying, but the lesson still applied!
And now, here he was, standing across from his bro, his best friend in this world if he was being honest. Like, okay, he and Atem didn't know each other super well… but Atem had been the first person to ever sincerely listen to Motoyasu like he had something worth hearing, and that made them bros in his book.
Seeing Atem standing there in his armor, a tribal-looking get-up that still looked noble, Motoyasu had no doubts that Atem really was a King back in his home. He had that "I know I'm awesome" feel to him that Motoyasu had once made an attempt at copying before realizing it just made him look like a jerk. You can't FAKE that kind of thing! If Motoyasu had been just slightly more prone to envy, he'd probably be coughing up blood at just how casually cool Atem was. He even gave Motoyasu those Filolial Eggs! The little chicken nuggets were actually growing on him.
Still, Motoyasu didn't back down from any challenge. He never had, and never would. He called out to Atem before things got started. "Last chance to back down from this! We both know you can't lay a scratch on me!"
"Perhaps not! But neither can you scratch me!" Atem replied, smirking confidently. It almost made Motoyasu wanna punch him in the face. "So what do you say? Let's give these people a show!!"
The crowd roared in response. Motoyasu was totally not nervous, no sir! Nothing to be nervous about, certainly not all the people watching him battle his best bud, not at all! Hehehehe… oh man…
"WIN, SIR MOTOYASU!" Myne's voice called out, cutting through the noise to hit his heart. Motoyasu's spine straightened, and relaxed. It was like a wave of calm washed over him. Yeah, he'd win. After all, he couldn't let down Myne, Rino, Elena, Lesty, or Resty. All of them depended on him… what kind of man would he be if he let them down now?
He smirked, settling himself into his usual fighting stance, lead foot outstretched while bracing his Spear over his shoulder so he could put his whole body behind his thrust. "Sorry man, but I can't back down on this."
Atem had the guts to LAUGH at that, making a simple 'bring it' gesture in response. Oh well, if that's what he wanted!!
At the distant call of 'BEGIN!' from the King, Motoyasu launched forward with a roar. No Skills were being used, that'd be total overkill… but he wasn't holding back otherwise.
Atem didn't move, merely glancing up with a raised eyebrow.
The crowd gasped.
CLANG!!!
The familiar echo of an ineffectual attack rang throughout the room… originating from where Atem's fist had connected with Motoyasu's chin, his Shield angled so as to send Motoyasu's Spear up and over his shoulder before driving into the ground. A perfectly executed counter.
There were many things held as common sense in the world in which Meltromarc was located. One of these was that Heroes, Legendary or Vassal, simply had 'less need' for training. While most invariably gained SOME after a certain point, if only to polish their preferred tactics and fighting styles, the sheer power their Weapons gave them meant that most rarely needed training at all early on.
So it was with great shock that the crowd, many of whom were powerful Nobility who had been raised to uphold this Common Sense as Truth, realized that Atem, the Shield 'Hero,' was a trained warrior.
As Motoyasu gasped in shock at the blow, Atem rotated on his heel, hooking his elbow beneath Motoyasu's armpit, leveraging him slightly into the air… and sent him flying with a strike from his Shield, straight to the throat. Even as the familiar CLANG rang out, the calm, collected focus of his gaze was as unyielding as stone.
In a blink, he rushed Motoyasu's downed form, his Shield transforming from the familiar Small Shield to the slab of stone he'd shown the other Heroes in their meeting, bringing it down on top of Motoyasu's chest and pressing down with it, his free hand raining down blow after blow on Motoyasu's head.
If Motoyasu attempted to slip out to the side, he was struck. If he tried to push the Shield away, he was struck. If he tried to bring up his Spear to counter… you get the picture. In moments, Atem had seized control of the fight effortlessly. If not for his lacking Attack stats, Motoyasu would probably be, if not senseless, then badly hurt by this point. Then again, neither of them had used any Skills either.
The crowd began to boo, demanding Motoyasu fight back, to stop playing around. They knew why he couldn't, they just didn't want to accept it. Heck, Motoyasu himself didn't want to accept it!! By all logic, he should've been dominating, Atem couldn't hurt him at all! Even these punches didn't really damage him, they just knocked his head around and kept him from focusing! But in spite of it all… Motoyasu grinned. 'Wouldn't it be awesome if I made a comeback right now?'
His off-hand shot up, wrapping around Atem's shoulder. Atem barely had a moment to process before Motoyasu used his new leverage point to twist the Pharaoh into a painful lock, kicking him into the distance as hard as he could the second he made some distance between them.
Atem was unphased, immediately ducking into a roll to come up standing, shifting his Shield to block the follow-up stab Motoyasu had launched. He grinned as Motoyasu bounced off… and grinned even harder when Motoyasu transitioned the failed stab into a swing, aiming to clock him across the head.
Laughing, Atem fell back from the swing, arms forming a bridge as he flipped into a kick aimed squarely at Motoyasu's temple… and found his leg caught in a rough lock between Motoyasu's Spear and shoulder. Howling, Motoyasu demonstrated the benefits of his Stats as he LIFTED Atem's entire body up and over his head using only the poor leverage of his crude lock… and proceeded to drop Atem down directly onto his head.
But Atem would not be deterred. Shifting his arm so that his Shield absorbed the landing, he sprung off the ground so that he was once more standing across from Motoyasu. He rolled his neck, some pops sounding off as he released some built up tension. "Good warm up."
Motoyasu never had been someone who valued his brain. Everyone he knew back home, if they praised part of him, either praised his brawn or his heart. His brain didn't really factor into things. It honestly gave the young man something of a complex about his intelligence, really. But one thing he had never had any doubts in was his body. It had gotten him into a University he was certain he could never be accepted at normally. It had allowed him to put as much effort as he did into making the people he cared about happy, even when by all rights he should break apart. Motoyasu's faith in his body had never been challenged… not until now.
Motoyasu relished it.
Itsuki stared, wide-eyed, at the sight of Motoyasu screaming like a lunatic as he once more tried to run Atem through with his spear. Apparently, Motoyasu was a fight junkie, who knew?
Still, this experience was almost making Itsuki understand why people watched martial arts fights and the like; seeing the contrast between an unskilled brawler running on pure grit and determination against a trained fighter was eye-opening. Itsuki wasn't really gonna get into fighting hand-to-hand, he wasn't really geared that way. But seeing what Atem, a Shielder, was managing against Motoyasu purely on his skill alone was really amazing.
Just another thing the 'great Pharaoh' had going for him. No, no he wasn't bitter, really! Really. Yeah, the guy just happened to casually show up everyone around him, but he'd never been anything but polite and respectful to Itsuki. Thanks to him, Itsuki had heard his ESPer ability complimented for the first time in… he wasn't honestly sure how long. He just… wished he wasn't so damn good at everything. Even if Itsuki was absolutely going to take him up on him offering his weird Magic. Something like that, gacha or not, was too valuable to pass up.
"I… hadn't realized that the Shield Hero was so skilled in combat." Welst, his party's mage, commented. Welst was from a lesser noble house who had become an Adventurer as a form of self-pilgrimage, to experience the world from outside a place of privilege. You wouldn't know it, given how often he shelled out money for fancy inns and restaurants, but Itsuki supposed his heart was in the right place.
"We didn't exactly get much of a chance to see him show off what he could do on his own, given how much of the Wave was group-combat." Crystal, their spear-wielding warrior woman and the only Commoner among them barring Itsuki himself, deadpanned. Even still, she traced the battle with a clinical gaze, occasionally wincing when Motoyasu made a move. "I think that Sir Motoyasu will be in need of some training after this. While he's displayed some impressive ingenuity, his forms are far too wasteful."
Itsuki idly noted that as quick as she was to point out Motoyasu's faults behind his back, she didn't seem to extend that attitude towards himself. This fight would probably last awhile, given how much stamina Heroes like himself and them had, so he might as well ask what had been bugging him a bit, ever since his party had formed during that first day. "I've been meaning to ask, but why did all of you choose to join my party?"
The three present clammed up, glancing between themselves, before Rojeel, the plain-looking man who had always seemed to blend into the background in spite of his broad size and musculature, sighed. "It is because you are the Bow Hero, Sir Itsuki."
"Oh? It's because of my title, then?" Itsuki questioned, voice deceptively light. He'd known it already, really. Mald's swaggering, bragging form made that clear; the man signed up to join the Heroes' Parties because it meant a higher status for himself and improved social standing. He was useful, so Itsuki didn't really care how obnoxious he was, but still…
He was surprised when Rojeel shook his head in the negative. "No, it is because the Bow Hero is Justice."
Itsuki's eyebrow raised. "Justice?"
The second he'd arrived in this world and realized what was going on, Itsuki knew that his power was one that was meant to bring about Justice. Justice had been the source and inspiration of many of his favorite stories over the years, of the little guy striking back against the big, powerful villain in defense of others. While he'd thought he'd outgrown it a bit, getting accepted into a school for ESPers had reawakened that old passion of his, and if anything, what he went through inflamed it.
But he couldn't lie, the way Rojeel phrased it was… interesting.
Rojeel grimaced. Not out of being caught in a lie, but rather, because he didn't have the words. "It is… hard to explain."
He sighed, and gestured to Crystal, hoping she'd take the hint. Luckily, she obliged. "Throughout the various ages, each Hero has been often associated with a defining concept. A guiding principle, if you will, that repeats in an almost perpetual cycle. The Spear Hero is one who holds to oaths and promises without comparison. The Sword Hero seeks the highest forms of strength and rallies together those that share this dream. And the Bow Hero… they have always represented an unyielding and profound belief in Justice. When the call went out for Adventurers seeking to join with the Heroes, all of us were called to you by our desire to see the advent of your Justice, of the image you carve into the world, Sir Itsuki."
"To bear witness to the wisdom of one of the Holy Heroes is a blessing few ever gain even when they appear. We would be fools not to wish to experience your vision, Sir Itsuki. This, we all swear." Welst stated gravely, bowing low.
Itsuki swallowed heavily. He hadn't realized the Bow had that kind of lore to it. Honestly… he liked it. The knowledge that it would be him creating a new form of Justice here… it was the kind of thing he'd dreamed about. The ability to give Justice to the oppressed against those with power who abused it… "And you all feel this way?"
"Well, probably not Mald. That man is an oaf of the highest order, always has been." Welst admits, shaking his head at an oncoming migraine. "The fact that he is his father's heir and still insisted on becoming an Adventurer in full speaks to that. I'm almost certain that his family are the ones acting as the backers behind most of his missions, but the Guild values anonymity too much to ever confirm as such."
Well, if he wasn't unimpressed with Mald before, he was even more so now. Still, a blunt instrument had its uses, and whatever his other faults, Mald certainly knew how to fight… now that he had gotten his party to an appropriate level, he'd have to reconsider his plan to have Mald act as his second in command. Rather, having him operate as their muscle would serve just as well.
Turning his focus back to the fight, Itsuki winced as he witnessed Skills finally being brought into play. His Chaos Spear Skill, a high-speed barrage-type attack that distributed the force of his thrust into one hundred erratic strikes, may not pack much punch in each individual hit, but it was a pain to guard against or dodge, and would leave most foes dazed… most foes besides Atem, who compacted himself into a smaller form as he emphasized guarding his vitals while allowing the wild stabs to scrape him.
When the dust settled, Motoyasu and Atem had already moved to cross blows again, Atem finally sporting some minor injuries while Motoyasu was essentially unharmed as far as his status magic was concerned. Pulling back, Motoyasu charged for another lunge… and was met by a duo of living dog heads shooting forth from Atem's current Shield.
Rather than biting Motoyasu directly, however, they instead were biting and grabbing at Motoyasu's equipment, ripping off enchanted items and armor pieces at random as they systematically tore down his defensive equipment.
That was an honestly clever move on Atem's part, Itsuki had to admit. Instead of dedicating himself to a most-likely ineffectual attack, he instead reinterpreted it into a bootleg armor breaker tactic, prying open weak spots in Motoyasu's defenses. And judging by the rueful laugh Motoyasu was giving, he recognized it as well.
Rushing forward, Atem slammed his Shield into Motoyasu's chest, before deploying his version of the Air Strike skill (Air Strike Shield) to have the Spear Hero slam into a glowing construct almost immediately, keeping him from gaining distance as Atem slammed a furious cross over Motoyasu's jaw. Before Motoyasu could recover, Atem summoned his Shield Prison Skill, locking Motoyasu away into a barrier of chains and shields, sending it rolling with a kick.
As Atem prepared himself to launch an attack the instant Motoyasu broke free… he gasped in pain as something struck him from behind, hard enough to send him sprawling.
Itsuki felt something dark, something ugly, twisting inside of himself. "Tell me I didn't just see that."
"I… do think that you did, Sir." Rojeel comments, himself and Welst having uncomfortable situations. They must've been as disgusted by this dishonorable conduct as Itsuki was; what kind of lowlife, no good bastard would do such a thing!?
Glaring down, fingers digging into the railing as memories he REALLY didn't want to be dealing with right now dug their way up from inside, Itsuki traced the path of the spell… and saw two figures. One of the King's Knights, and that Myne girl from Motoyasu's party.
Glancing up, he stared into Ren's equally grave expression, and the two shared a nod.
Atem gasped, trying to draw air into his lungs as the pain of whatever it was that hit him registered. He knew that getting unused to pain would be a negative, he just knew it! Still, unless Motoyasu had fallen into complete and utter tunnel vision, he should likely see that something was wrong-
"I've got you now!" Motoyasu shouted, punching his way out of the Shield Prison with a wide smile and a wild look in his eyes.
-Never mind, he was completely lost to battle fever. This was going to be painful. Bracing himself, he shifted his shoulder, allowing the stab to strike the bone and deflect off. As a familiar pain, one he hadn't experienced since an accident during training as a child, ran through his arm, he knew it was dislocated.
"Motoyasu-" Atem choked out, only to be cut off as the battle-crazed Hero kicked him in the diaphragm, simultaneously sending him flying as well as disrupting his air supply. What Motoyasu lacked in training, he made up for in superb battle instincts. Instincts that Atem was unfortunately now on the receiving end of.
"METEOR SPEAR!!" Motoyasu roared, mind consumed with nothing but the rush of battle as he unleashed one of, if not his greatest attack at the moment… only for the fog on his mind to dissipate as a pained pair of howls split the air. Motoyasu grinned in confusion and shock as he saw a strange, two-headed wolf with purple and lime fur whimpering on the ground, his Skill having struck it instead of Atem. "Wait… what's going…?"
"THE SHIELD HERO'S DEMIHUMAN BROUGHT A MONSTER INTO THE CAPITAL!!" One panicked voice screamed, a chorus of shouts and accusations splitting the air as the Nobles pounced on what had been presented before them. "They truly are working with the Waves!! Execute them!!"
Motoyasu's eyes went wide, glancing about as he tried to process what was going on. Why the hells was everyone calling for Atem and his party's deaths!? It's not like they weren't aware that… he could… Summon… Oh shit. As Guards rushed into the arena, they hoisted Atem forcibly to his feet, the injured Pharaoh groaning at the rough treatment. "Wait, stop!!"
"Big brother!!" Raphtalia cried, as she and the rest of the Shield Hero's party were likewise manhandled out of the stands and before the King.
The King glared at them disdainfully. "Hmph, I should have expected such dishonorable conduct from a Demi. Not only did you interfere in a sacred Duel, but to consort with Monsters? Disgusting." He turned an even uglier glare towards Atem… with just a hint of smugness and vindication to it. "And it seems the earlier charges against you had greater merit than you claim, 'Sir' Atem."
…A chill ran up Motoyasu's spine as this racist, pigheaded dick-bag went on to formally banish Atem and his party from the Capital, on penalty of death if they were caught within it again. "And furthermore, for his dishonorable conduct within our personal domain, the crown has decided that the Demon of the Shield and his party are in no need of financial support in their 'battles' against the Waves. May they float or sink on their own merits." Anger boiled in Motoyasu's heart as these utter BASTARDS cheered on his bro being used as a fucking scapegoat. "But I am not without mercy. The Shield and his Party will have until the end of the week to make their preparations and leave my lands for good. Pray that we do not cross paths again, or the consequences will be dire."
"Indeed, I was thinking the same thing. But are we thinking of who will be facing those consequences the same as well…? Either way, I will trouble you no more… Aultcray." Atem huffed, using the King's personal name as an indicator of his contempt for the man. Motoyasu personally didn't think he deserved even that, this Trash of a King.
As Atem walked by Motoyasu, helping Raphtalia to shield the Wolf from attacks by the guards, he braced himself for the glare, for the look of betrayal… and you couldn't imagine his relief when Atem merely clapped him on his shoulder and whispered, "I do not blame you for this, my friend."
As the group left amidst the venomous glares and hateful whispers, the King turned a genial smile Motoyasu's way. He wanted to punch the man's teeth in. "In spite of the… excitement, I must congratulate you on your win, Sir Motoyasu. Truly, you are a true Hero."
A True Hero would've realized what was happening and stopped it, not stood there gawking like a moron. But Motoyasu couldn't say that; as utterly pissed as he was, as much as he wanted to rip into this bigoted piece of garbage for what he'd done… it wouldn't change anything. And Atem would probably be upset with him for getting BOTH of them banned from the Capital. So he held his tongue and gave the shallowest nod he could. "Yeah…"
"Except he didn't win. Someone interfered on his behalf before Atem's party did, and at least they were acting to potentially save his life." An angry voice cut in. Turning around, Motoyasu's eyes widened at the angry forms of Itsuki and Ren, both of them staring at the King with naked loathing. Ren gestured to him and the Bow Wielder. "Both of us saw when someone fired a Wind Spell at Atem from behind after he locked Motoyasu up in his Shield Prison, and whoever it was was hitting hard enough to leave him unable to defend himself when Motoyasu got loose. Since it was on Motoyasu's behalf, he should've been disqualified then and there. If not, then at least ending the Duel and calling it a draw. This whole thing is a farce!!"
"Wait, someone interfered!?" Motoyasu demanded, anger rising within him. He hadn't noticed in the moment, since his tunnel vision had kicked in like it always did when he was feeling competitive, but of course Atem wouldn't have been sent to his knees just from using a Skill! He felt like kicking himself, how could he have not even noticed!?
"This entire thing was a disgrace to Justice." Itsuki growled. He pointed off to the side. "If anyone had really cared about the sanctity of this duel, they would've called for it to stop when someone over there fired off a Wind Spell!"
Motoyasu turned, and his eyes went wide at the sight of Myne standing by some Knight near one of the entrances to the arena. He knew Myne had Wind Magic… had she really…? Something inside of him started to crack, ever so slightly.
Myne burst into tears, running forward. "Sir Motoyasu, it was awful!! That, that awful BRUTE launched a spell against Sir Atem, and when I protested he threatened to have me raped and beaten!!"
As Motoyasu caught Myne in his arms, the cracks in his heart smoothed over, burning rage taking their place. Of course, how could he have doubted Myne!? And that, that piece of SHIT had threatened to do WHAT to her!?
The one thing Motoyasu would ever give the King props for, he at least understood that crap like that didn't fly, immediately flying into a rage as he ordered the guards to take the surprised Knight to the dungeons and set to be executed.
Ren and Itsuki exchanged glances. That had felt… a little too quick. But then again, they hadn't seen who had actually cast the spell, only that it HAD been cast. Still, their moods were ruined. Ren huffed. "If that's all you gotta say for yourself, then I guess we'll be on our way. This party was getting lame anyhow."
With that, the Three Heroes made their leave alongside their parties, ignoring the mutters and discontent of the nobility. What had started as a fun celebration of their deeds was ruined, and they just wanted to find Atem, apologize, and get out of here before shit went down. As they left, Motoyasu noticed a man in religious-looking robes and a funny hat staring at them with a smile, who Myne helpfully informed him was the local Pope. Huh, maybe he could talk with the man later about what the King had been pulling? Something to think about.
Hero's Rest Inn, Meltromarc
Raphtalia sighed as she stroked Wolfy's Tablet in the inn, sending him comforting thoughts to the fiend as it whimpered in pain. He'd been such a good boy, jumping to protect her big brother like that, even though protection wasn't in his nature. She was gonna give him the biggest, juiciest steak later.
"ANOTHER!" Roag howled, slamming his mug against the countertop of the bar. He'd been in a completely foul mood ever since they had to leave, and he was distant within the party as well. The only thing that had brightened his mood was when the Captain's Tablet had repaired enough for him to speak again. Otherwise? He was rip-roaring pissed off and wanted to make it everyone else's problem.
Raphtalia was pretty sure the only reason he hadn't tried to pick a fight with any of the Adventurers in the inn they were at was because he knew big brother would be upset with him if he did. As the inn staff calmly refilled his drink, he at least had the manners to tip them and give them a thank you. He knew he was being difficult, and was trying not to be.
With a heavy sigh, Atem came to the table and sat down with Raphtalia. "Well, Filo and Chick are well; a bit concerned at how distressed we are, but otherwise behaving. Pretty soon, they'll be big enough to ride, though."
"That sounds nice. Having to walk everywhere is annoying." Raphtalia said softly, leaning into Atem's sighed. She was just… so tired. Why was the King so hateful towards them?
"Some men and women only see the world in terms of crushing what they hate, mistaking it for strength," Atem remarked, somehow guessing what she was thinking. She wished she was able to do that; she'd have to figure it out as they traveled together. "All we can do is keep moving forward."
"I won't lie, the King's behavior was… disappointing. But it was heartening to see how well you performed against Sir Motoyasu, Sir Atem!" Basalt chimed in, pulling his head away from where he'd been pouring over the magic book that Welst had given him in thanks. It was a beginner-level book, focused more on theory than anything, but for someone who had been stuck with trial and error up until then like Basalt, it was a vast boon.
"Heh, yeah. Shitty lying fuckers they might've been, but seeing you wipe the floor with that pretty boy was worth it all!" Roag laughed, lumbering over from the bar to join them. He leveled a solemn look towards Atem. "It's gonna be a lot harder now; before, we had wiggle room towards getting in and out of the Capital in the off-chance we needed stuff we couldn't get in the smaller towns and what not. Now? That's gone."
"Indeed." Atem nodded, before smirking. "So we'll just have to be careful when sneaking in!"
"If you guys are gonna sneak in anywhere, you'll have to do something about your hair." Ren's voice opined, the grumpy young man stepping into view as he and the other Heroes arrived. "Good thing we found you in time. We were worried you would've left already."
Atem chuckled, but shook his head. "Unfortunately, I still have some business in the Capital. But as soon as I'm done, they won't see hide nor hair of me until the Wave, I can promise that much."
"Gods these people annoy me." Ren grunted, slumping into his seat. "I'm glad I've got my Party leveled up; I've been visiting the Guild, and there are some monster extermination Quests I'm eager to get at. And if this Ka Summoning is all you say it is, the materials I get off of them will be useful for feeding into it."
"I myself have some Quests I'm eager to get into." Itsuki added, nursing a drink with an easy-going expression on his face. "There are many folks out there that see injustice in the world, but lack the means to strike at it. Quests from the Guild will do wonders for aiding me in fighting against those that abuse their power… and any slavers among them won't be needing their stuff anymore afterwards…"
At the dark muttering on his face, the others wisely chose not to mention anything. While none of them liked Slavery, Itsuki had an especially intense loathing of it, as if it personally offended him just by existing.
"Well, I dunno what I'm gonna be doing. I've been guarding a lot of caravans of supplies to help ease a famine, but I cleared that up recently, so I'll probably focus on training up my party and those Filolials you got me, bro." Motoyasu sighed. "And… I'm sorry about how things went down, I should've been paying better attention."
Atem waved it off. "Think nothing of it. It was not you that called for interference, nor was it you that chose to ignore it while overseeing the Duel."
"Well, either way, I'm gonna see if I can find someone willing to teach me how to fight." Motoyasu mentioned, shocking the others. "What!? Atem was handing me my ass; if he could actually deal damage, I would've been taken down in moments, there's no way I'm gonna let that slide. As far as I'm concerned, that Duel ended in a draw, and I'm gonna be the one winning our rematch. Count on it!"
The four of them passed the time trading notes and stories. Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu silently swore vengeance when Atem finally used his Ka Magic Bestowal ability; it had felt like their souls had turned inside out and been dipped in ink.
Raphtalia got into a surprisingly passionate discussion with Crystal and Rino about weapon maintenance and working alongside their Heroes, while Tersia needled how much they fangirled. Tersia wasn't much better when Ren demanded she help teach him how to fight, though, his competitiveness engaged by Atem and Motoyasu's duel prior.
Mald briefly showed up… only to knock himself out cold again when he grabbed a Lucor Fruit off the counter thinking it was a snack, his embarrassed party dragging him up to a room they rented for him. Itsuki begged the others not to mention it again.
When discussing crafting, Atem pointed out that while the automated crafting system might be convenient, it limits the quality of what they can make, and that the best benefits come from doing it by hand.
For some reason, Itsuki asked if Atem knew how to find the Slave Trader he had punished when he rescued his party members and the rest. Atem merely pointed him in the direction of Erhard; he didn't know quite WHAT Itsuki intended… but he had no problem if it was what he thought it was.
As the night wound down, Atem fell to sleep content. For all the troubles this day had brought… he couldn't say he was disappointed in the face of having been able to strengthen his bonds with his friends. After all, tomorrow is another day.
