"I'm good," Satsuhiro stated blankly.
Next to Kaori, Satsuhiro sighed as the large man approached them, cutting through the crowd. He stood in front of them, towering over every person there, grinning. He wore his golden armor, but without the sleeves, showing off arms that looked like they were cut from stone.
"I haven't seen you in ages!" His voice boomed, a deep sound that seemed to come from his very soul. "You're still as skinny as I remember, I thought Metsumi was gonna put some meat on those bones!"
Satsuhiro crossed his arms as Kaori chuckled.
"Didn't expect to see you here, Ren," Satsuhiro said. "Didn't you say you hated the cold?"
"Ah," Ren waved his hand dismissingly, "I got over it."
"Just like that?"
"Given the circumstances," he said, a bit of seriousness creeping into his tone, "yes. Just like that."
"Good," Satsuhiro nodded.
"Come, everyone," he looked behind Satsuhiro, at Kaori and Ash. His eyes lingered on the half-demon for a moment. "Let's talk in a more comfortable location."
He guided the group through the city's streets, leading them to a smaller building on the western side. Following him, they entered a tavern. A few wooden tables stood between the door they'd just come in from and the counter at the back where two workers polished black bottles.
"Greetings!" The man said to the employees.
"What'll you all have?" A boy asked.
"How about some drinks, eh?" Ren looked back at them and asked. "On me, of course. To celebrate our reunion!"
"Sure, Ash, Kaori?" Satsuhiro asked.
Ash shrugged. Kaori smiled and nodded. She wasn't one to turn down free drinks.
"Alright then," Ren turned back to the workers. "Brown ale, four mugs."
Ren paid up and everyone else walked over to a nearby table. Satsuhiro ended up sitting next to Ash, while Kaori sat next to Ren.
"Is anyone else coming?" Satsuhiro asked.
"Not that I know of, but that doesn't matter." He shrugged. "With you, me, and the black witch, we should be enough to repel these enemies."
His smile faded as he said this.
"Ah... So, you know she's here then?"
"I was told, yes." Ren nodded, chugging half the mug in one go. "I'm not exactly happy to see her, but help is help and given what happened at Pearl, I can put my thoughts towards her aside for now. You were there, right?" He asked.
"Yes, along with them," he gestured at the other two Saviors. "Ren, this is Ash and Kaori."
"Ah, nice to meet you two!" His smile returned briefly as he extended a hand. Kaori reached forwards and shook it. Her arm was nearly pulled off its socket. He's strong!
"Hm. When I heard that Pearl fell though, it was quite saddening to hear," Ren told them. "I grew up there. Spent most of my life in that lively place, before I was chosen. It was actually where I met Satsuhiro, remember?"
Satsuhiro nodded and took a sip from the ale.
"Yes."
"You were vacationing with the wife, right? How's Metsumi doing, by the way? Still built like a warrior goddess?"
"She's doing well."
"Good to hear," he chugged the rest of the ale, wiping away some of the liquid that slid down from his lips as a result. "Admittedly, being alone in this part of the world feels... Dreary, but we have a duty to perform, so I'll bear it. As for you two," he gestured at Kaori and Ash. "How has your training progressed?"
Instead of responding to the question, Ash lifted her mug and drank down some of the liquid, staring at it before shaking her head.
So, Kaori replied for both of them.
"Good! Uh, good."
"Ah, so what do the two of you do?" He asked. "Are you mages? That is what Satsuhiro knows best, I wouldn't be surprised if that's all he taught you."
"Um, well, no." Kaori shook her head. "Ash does a little bit of everything and I... Uh, I..."
He raised a brow.
"Haven't found yourself yet?" Ren asked.
"Huh?"
"An answer you aren't sure about isn't one worth giving. You can respond another day. That said, is it that you haven't found anything that you like or...?" His eyes fell on her missing arm and Kaori sighed.
"Partly, that, I guess. I... It happened at Pearl," Kaori stated. "I don't know what I should do now."
"Hmph. One good arm is enough to make a warrior out of you. If I were training you, you'd be using that arm to break apart enemies ten at a time!" He said proudly. "How about it?"
"Huh!?"
Ren grinned.
"We have time before the fight for the city begins, do we not? In a few days, I can definitely turn you into a proper Savior. Not that Satsuhiro's done a bad job, of course," he said when the other Savior raised a brow, "but if you're having trouble finding your footing, perhaps I can help. It can't hurt, right?"
"Uh... Sure."
"Perfect, tomorrow, though." He gestured at the blood on Kaori and Ash's respective armors. "I'm guessing you were out training?" Kaori nodded. "Figured. Training is great, but it's better to be fresh when you do it. For now, let's enjoy our drinks!"
---
Keiko
Unlike the previous multiple-enemy fight on the second floor, this one featured one mage and one warrior. The idea, as far as Keiko could tell, was that the Zayama being tested was supposed to be able to deal with a warrior while being attacked from afar by a mage.
However, as they had agreed to skip floors like this, it meant that they only fought the enemies once before checking out the final floor, the 5th.
Haruna let Keiko deal with the Zayama Warrior while she focused on the Mage.
These enemies, like the mage on the previous floor, were level 25.
Fighting an enemy with two levels on her was tough, but Keiko managed. While her teacher dealt with the elusive mage in the background, Keiko traded blows with the Warrior, until she found a moment where she could parry into a slash that cut straight through her opponent.
EXP Gained: 80
EXP: 250/250
Level Up!
Done. Keiko breathed as Haruna managed to catch the mage. With both pieces of armor falling to the floor, the path to the next floor was open. She allocated her two points to Dexterity and walked up to her teacher.
Level 24
MP: 100/100
EXP: 40/250
---
STR: 25
DEX: 42
CON: 10
INT: 10
WIS: 10
L: 5
"Alright, then," Haruna said. "This is it. I'll admit," she chuckled. "I'm fairly excited."
I just want to get this over with so I can get back to Jade already, Keiko disagreed in her thoughts. As fun as fighting can be, I've had more than enough of this place.
"Ready to head up?"
"Yes," Keiko nodded. "Let's go."
"Right."
And so, both Zayamas left the crumpled-up armor behind on the floor, as they walked to the final test the Zayama Castle had to offer. Instead of leading to the fifth floor directly, it led them to a bridge.
A wooden bridge with windows that allowed them to look out into the beautiful forest around them. Violet petals were strewn all around the floor as they walked towards the closed doors ahead.
When they arrived, Haruna placed her hands on the door, but then, she stopped.
"Wait, something's written here."
"Hm?" Keiko asked.
"On the wood. It's in Braille, Keiko, can you read it?"
As Keiko only had her eyesight for a short time, she was still used to reading in that code anyway. So, she nodded and stepped forwards. She read the words aloud as she passed a finger over the raised dots on the wood.
Good Zayama,
The trial that awaits you is the culmination of years of training, meditation, and battle experience. One warrior that reflects the will and dreams of all Zayamas who have come and gone.
Do not take the following challenge lightly, for success does mean the acquisition of knowledge and power, but failure means your spirit will be laid to rest in the Castle, a memory of bravery that ultimately did not succeed in the end.
Proceed with caution, warrior.
"Hm," Haruna nodded. "Let's check this out. We don't have to fight whatever awaits behind the door if we don't want to, of course. Remember that."
"Yes," Keiko nodded and took a deep breath. Haruna put a hand next to hers on the door.
Together, they opened the wooden doors and walked in.
Keiko's first impression was that the room was like a dojo. It was an open space, with only a wooden railing keeping them back from the outside world. There were no walls beyond where the door was, and at the center of the open space, was a suit of golden armor.
Wait, Keiko thought. I've seen that before.
Kaori and Ash both wore something similar. As she saw that, her eyes widened. The suit of armor, already infused with a spirit, began to stand up. It walked forwards, its suit clanking as the creature moved.
Haruna gasped, and then knelt.
As Keiko's realization marinated in her thoughts, she did the same, instinctively.
This warrior... She looked up and saw its level.
Level 50
MP: 500/500
The armor, just from a glance, even though Keiko had never laid eyes on it properly before, was instantly recognizable, based on the legends she'd heard as a child. This man was Musano Hasashi, the greatest Zayama fighter who has ever lived. Keiko remembered how, before she was selected to help Ash train, she would walk into the Zayama Memorial often, occasionally feeling the helmet he was said to have once worn.
And now, his spirit was walking towards her. It looked down at the two of them, Keiko and her teacher, and it drew its sword, a black katana.
"... Which of you is here to prove herself?" It asked, with an ethereal, old and tired voice.
Keiko nearly fainted.
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