Kaori
The next morning, Kaori stirred in bed as a hand poked her right shoulder.
"Nom yem..." She mumbled as the hand poked her again. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw a woman with white hair and a couple of horns looking back at her. Blinking a few tis, the blurry vision ca into focus.
"Ash?" Kaori asked with a slightly raspy voice.
The half-demon's face was close, her eyes seed so big at this short distance. Her chest rose and fall with a couple of breaths. Then, Ash shook her head and cleared her throat.
"Co on," Ash said. "We've got to get to work."
"Oh?" Kaori sat up and stretched. "What are we doing?"
"Ren's here," Ash told her, "he wants to help train you or sothing."
"Already?" Indeed, that had been what the two of them had agreed on, but she assud it wouldn't be this early in the morning.
"Yeah," Ash nodded. Kaori saw her putting on a pair of black gloves and black shorts. She hadn't noticed it until now, but the half-demon had been naked. Upon realizing that, she turned away, a blush appearing on her face. "Satsuhiro and I will be going with you, and once you're done we'll go back outside to kill so more monsters."
"Hm... Okay," Kaori nodded. "Give a few seconds to get ready?"
She turned again and found Ash with her back turned to Kaori as she pulled her shorts up. With everything that had been going on lately, Kaori hadn't gotten much ti to fully appreciate the half-demon. Her back muscles were almost carved into her body in such a way that each one moved distinctly as Ash rolled her shoulders. She turned around, noticing Kaori's gaze, and raised a brow.
Kaori looked away.
"You're welco to look, you know." She could practically hear the smirk on her face.
"Y-Yeah, I know, I just..."
Ash walked up and when Kaori turned again, the half-demon's chest was right in front of her. Kaori's words got caught in her throat. Ash put her hands on her hips.
"Mhm?"
"Uh..." Kaori gulped. Ash's smirk grew as Kaori's face got redder.
Then, the white-haired girl leaned down, placing her lips on Kaori's, her violet eyes looking into Kaori's blues. The kiss only lasted a second though.
She pushed herself away though just as quickly as she'd done that, and Kaori saw her balling her hands up into fists as she took deep breaths. Considering Ash's literal supernatural horniness, it was a testant to her restraint.
"We'll be downstairs," Ash said, with a voice just as raspy as Kaori's, only she hadn't just woken up.
With that, Kaori was left alone.
... Jeez, get so water, Kaori. You're thirsty. She thought as she got off the bed.
---
Later, the group was at a dark building in the middle of the city.
"This is the place they showed ," Ren said. He gestured at an open space where the only lighting ca by way of the floating orange orbs in the room, which doubled not just providing light but magical heat as well. A few people were here already, lifting weights and grunting loudly.
Satsuhiro pointed at a strange machine up ahead.
"You can use that to get your Strength up," he stated.
"Gotcha," Ash walked over to it, along with Satsuhiro who showed her how to use it.
"It'll do. As for you," he turned to Kaori. "What would you say you're good at?"
"Uhm... Not much," Kaori shrugged.
"Ah, co on, there has to be sothing."
Kaori thought about it for a little and then she sighed.
"I... used to be kind of good with my swordstaff, but..." She looked over at her missing arm.
"Hm, I see. Well then," Ren grinned. "If there are no skills to reinforce, that just ans we have to give you new skills!"
"Uh... Okay," Kaori was trying to be optimistic about this, so she smiled and nodded.
"Let see your stats," Ren said.
And, Kaori showed them.
Level 25
MP: 60/60
Attribute Points: 16
STR: 18
DEX: 18
CON: 11
INT: 6
WIS: 6
L: 100
EXP: 20/270
Imdiately, Ren's eyes popped out of his head.
"16 ATTRIBUTE POINTS!? ARE YOU A HOARDER OR SOTHING!?" Ren asked calmly.
"I-I was..."
"Hahaha!" Ren shook his head. "No, no. It's alright, it just surprised is all. It's good actually," he said. "This ans whatever you decide to do, you'll be able to build towards it instantly."
Kaori nodded.
"So, what do you suggest?"
"Hm... Well, I don't want to force you into anything," Ren said, "so I'll ask. What do you want to be?"
"I already told you, I don't know."
"No, no. Not specifically," he replied. "I an as far as what you do on the battlefield."
"Huh?"
"Basically, do you want to kill more monsters than anyone else? Do you want to be the type of person who can kill three creatures with one arrow? Do you want to be able to break a Nightmare's skull with your bare fists?" He asked, flexing his giant arms. "See what I an?"
"Oh..." Kaori scratched her head. "Can I think about it for a sec?"
"Of course," Ren nodded. Kaori looked around, as though the answer was sowhere in the building with her.
Let's see... She thought. I an, I... I don't really care about being so big demon killer. I just want to help people. That sort of ntality... it doesn't really have a place in a battlefield though, right? As she looked around, her eyes fell on Ash.
The half-demon was currently sitting on one of those machines, pushing and pulling her hands while glaring at Satsuhiro. Every ti she pushed, so weights behind the seat would rise and fall with her hands' motions.
"No, no, you're doing it wrong," Satsuhiro said.
"Motherfucker, I'm doing what you said!" She barked.
"Not like that!" Satsuhiro yelled back. "Keep your arms straight! Like this," Satsuhiro mimicked the motion in the air.
"I swear, I'm going to break this thing!"
As the two continued to argue, Kaori giggled at the sight. Ren looked at the blonde, and then looked over at the pair over by the machine.
He scratched his chin and said:
"... A half-demon Savior. I'll be honest, when the news first got to of that, I laughed. The idea seed impossible."
"Yeah, it caught off-guard too..." Kaori replied. Those days when they'd first t, though technically recent, felt like a distant mory. "I guess..."
"Hm?" Ren looked back at her.
"If I had to say," Kaori sighed, "sothing I want to be... I just want to protect people. Her, the citizens, my friends, my family. Everyone. As long as I can keep the people I love from being hurt," Kaori said, "I'm okay with that."
A hand fell on her shoulder. She looked over at Ren and found him grinning.
"Then, we're more alike than I initially thought."
"Huh?"
"Haha, let tell you a little about myself," He crossed his arms. "I used to be quite scrawny."
Kaori scoffed.
"Yeah, right."
"No, seriously," Ren said, "I was nothing more than a toothpick. Then... Ah, when was it?" He looked away as if the mory was playing in front of his eyes, "Maybe twenty years ago? Eighteen? I was chosen."
"By who?"
"Alkoth," Ren quickly replied. "God of fairness, justice, and order. He wanted to be a Savior," Ren gave a low chuckle. "I didn't understand it at first. I trained, but I did so reluctantly. I an, I thought I was being sent out to die." He shrugged. "I did what I had to do, just passing the ti. Until..."
He closed his eyes.
"My first mission. I was sent out to deal with a demon nest, just clear out a couple and report back to the Council. But, when I got there, I found a kid that had been taken by them. Ren looked back at Kaori, and it was like all of his experience was there to see in his pupils. "His family was lying beside him, half-eaten. They had been killed right next to him. He, however, was still alive. I ran in, took out my sword, and cut those demons up one by one, but then, I realized that now, I had to get this kid to safety. Amber, or, rather, the lands around Amber, are dangerous. A perilous stretch of territory that will destroy you if you aren't ready for it. And, I had to take him with , all the way back to Jade where the Council would know what to do with him." A smile grew on Ren's face. "That was when I understood what my purpose was. Why Alkoth chose . I was ant to give power to the powerless," he reached back.
Ren pulled his shield and raised it up.
"I was ant to be the wall that stands between the innocent and the demons. And ever since that day, I've worked to reach that goal. Well, not really." He suddenly said. "I had retired so ti ago, but... After hearing about Pearl's fall, well, I decided to co out of retirent. And, it would seem that decision brought to et you. And now I'm convinced of another thing. I am ant to show you how to be a shield."
"Huh?"
"Exactly as I said, where others can't defend themselves, Kaori, train with and you'll be there to save them! Where others lack the strength to pick up the rubble keeping them from standing, you'll bear that weight! What do you say?" He asked, a proud grin on his face.
"... Give a second."
"Heh?"
Kaori turned away and walked towards Satsuhiro.
"Uh, alright... That kind of ruins the mont but, okay." Ren mumbled.
At the machine, Ash was working up a sweat as she used the strange contraption.
"Keep it up," Satsuhiro said.
"Yeah."
"You've got it."
"Mhm."
"You can do it."
"Satsu, I know you're trying to be all motivational and shit, but dude, I got it. Stop."
Satsuhiro sighed and turned towards Kaori.
"What is it?"
"I... So, Ren said that he can train to protect people. Is that a thing?"
"Hm?" Satsuhiro scratched his chin. "Well, yes."
"Seriously?"
"I never told you about this route because, well, in a battle you and Ash would be pulling most of the weight, but yes. He can train you to be what's called a 'tank'. Soone who takes damage on others' behalf."
Hearing that, Kaori rembered that she had a spell, Loving Sacrifice, which literally embodied that notion.
Wait... Right, that works.
"But, if you focus on that, your ability to kill enemies will suffer, as you stop putting points into your Strength and Dexterity. Most of your points would go into just one stat. Your Constitution. Are you sure that's what you want?"
Kaori nodded without hesitation.
"Thanks!" She ran back to Ren. "Alright, I've decided... I'm going to do it."
"Good! Today, you take your first step towards being a proper at shield!"
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