Moonlight Demon

Kaori

The blonde Savior was genuinely excited. Being around these incredibly powerful individuals, she felt like she was living that naive dream she'd talked about before, the one she had when she'd first been recruited for this job. The one where she was a hero. 

"Aw, fuck," Akiven put his hands behind his head as he stretched for a moment. They were currently in the woodlands west of Jade, near the path to Pearl. "This reminds me of the old days." 

"What do you mean?" Kaori asked. 

"Back when I was starting out, we'd just do this sort of shit all day." Akiven was looking around with nostalgia in his eyes. "Orcs, goblins, golems, we'd wake up, eat, fight stuff, go to sleep, and repeat." 

"Wow." 

"That's nothing!" Mizaki walked up to Kaori and wrapped an arm behind her, "when I was a rookie, I had the best teacher ever helping me out." 

"Who?" Kaori asked. 

"Ugh," Kasumi muttered a few feet away and Kaori raised a brow, confused until Mizaki gestured at her with a grin. That genuinely shocked her. 

"She trained you?" 

"Well, she helped train me, obviously she didn't do it alone, but yeah. We used to fight demons a bit together." 

The thought of these two running around together made Kaori chuckle. As Akiven and Mizaki went on talking about the things they had done before, Kaori could only hope she'd have stories of her own to match in the future. 

"Mhm, it was pretty hard," Akiven said, regarding how he defeated some demonic wyrm he encountered. "It was fast, hard, and long, but I got in eventually." 

"Those sorts of things exist?" Kaori asked. 

"Yeah, you didn't know?" 

"... Nah, I mean, I heard about this stuff on occasion, right? I'd walk around Jade or something and I'd see some adventurer dragging a huge beast or whatever, but no one ever gave me like, a list of stuff that was out there, just existing, you know?" 

"Eh, where I grew up," Mizaki told her, "we saw this sort of stuff all the time, so I always knew monsters were out there." 

"Where was that?" Kaori asked. 

"Amber," Mizaki replied. I don't think I've ever met anyone from there, Kaori thought. "It's pretty normal for warriors to show off the stuff they hunt, or like, huge feasts to be prepared." 

"Oh, so..." Kaori "Is that kind of weapon normal in Amber?" She asked. 

"Huh?" Mizaki looked back at the giant hammer she was carrying. "Oh, no, I, eh, I got this from my dad. He used to be a knight. When he heard I'd been chosen, he gave it to me and retired the very next day." 

"Oh, wow, he trusted you that much?" 

"Yes and no," Mizaki explained. "In Amber, it's considered dishonorable to keep working once your children find jobs. It's basically like you're saying you don't trust them to be able to pay the bills." 

"Hm?" Kaori raised a brow. "That's... Interesting." 

"Yeah, that's usually how people react when they hear about that. And, I mean, I love Amber, but that's not even the weirdest little tradition like that." 

She imagined for a moment what Ash might say if she heard that. Kaori could picture the half-demon raising a brow and asking something like, "yeah no, that's pretty fucking stupid."

The thought of her doing so made Kaori giggle, prompting Mizaki to look back at her with a curious glance. 

Kaori then asked Akiven:

"So, where are you from?" 

"Can't tell by the hair?" Akiven asked, pointing up at his head. Kaori shook her head. "Sapphire. Everyone looks like this up there," he chuckled. "Well, none of them are quite as handsome as me, but yeah." 

"You wish," Mizaki replied, snorting. 

Kaori looked up at the cloudless blue sky. 

There's still so much left to see, isn't there? 

"Whoa, whoa, hear that?" Akiven asked and everyone stopped. 

Kasumi narrowed her eyes and nodded. 

"There's something up ahead," Kasumi stated. As Mizaki focused up, she gasped and reached back for her hammer. 

"You're right!" 

Behind them, Kaori looked down at her cube and felt nervous. This would be the first time she'd fight since losing her hand to protect Ash. It was a decision she knew she'd make again if she had to, but she wondered how it would affect her fighting capacity. 

I mean, dual-wielding is definitely not an option anymore. She almost laughed. Her humor left once she heard a strange ripping and tearing sound coming from up ahead. Akiven transformed his blades and at that moment, Kaori looked at Mizaki and noticed. 

Hm. So why would she choose that hammer over her Savior's Weapon? Is it as strong? She got it from her dad, but that can't be it. 

As they approached the source, Kaori refocused. It started to come into view. 

And Kaori paled. 

What... What is that? 

Right now, she could only see it from the back. She saw that it was a giant, bird-like creature of sorts, with short bony wings and strangely thick, red legs. 

However, when it turned towards them, Kaori saw the strangest thing. Its beak was shaped like a spiral and began to rotate as soon as they locked eyes. 

"Well, this ugly son of a bitch is called a drillbeak," Akiven explained as the creature tilted its head at them. "It rotates its beak to break through its opponent's defenses. Apparently, hurts like a bitch. I've seen a few people get taken down by this thing." 

Level 20

MP: 40/40

Kaori felt like she'd seen monsters in nightmares that were less threatening than this. She looked down at its feet and saw that it had been devouring some unfortunate traveler. 

Akiven was the first to walk up. 

"Well, time to show you all how it's done." 

He stood ahead of it, the creature spreading its bony wings almost like it was an attempt at intimidation. One that was entirely unsuccessful as Akiven simply shrugged at it and started rolling his neck. Then, the drillbeak lowered its head and its beak began to spin. Eventually, its beak was spinning so fast that its spirals were now black lines swirling endlessly. 

Akiven charged towards it. 

Maybe sensing that its opponent was far too fast, the creature flapped its wings once and leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding a slash. 

Akiven didn't stop there though. He jumped after it, looking almost like he was flying as he pursued the creature. This time, his pressing attack was successful and he slashed through it in mid-air, both of them landing below with a splatter of blood. 

"Ah, not as clean as I would have liked." Akiven's face took on a slightly serious expression. "I need to be faster... Anyway," he turned back and smiled at Kaori. "Finish it off. I'll let you have some of the EXP." 

"What?" Kaori asked. 

"You're the lowest level here. You need it," Akiven shrugged. "Go ahead." 

Looking down at the creature who was struggling to stand, she nodded. Then, she transformed her cube into a swordstaff, trying to feel it out in her hand. Okay. 

And so, walking up, she raised her weapon and, with a slight bit of guilt in her heart, brought it down on the defeated creature. 

EXP Gained: 20

EXP: 20/170

With that out of the way, the group went on, trying to find more creatures they could use to prepare for the future battles that would surely come. 

---

Ash

The half-demon blocked an attack, slicing through an enemy's stomach. The demon fell to the ground beside her, dead. Ash ignored the EXP message that came up above her and she just barely managed to avoid a claw that would have blinded her. 

Instead, she spun and slashed the enemy's neck, decapitating it. 

Holy shit, I feel so strong! She smirked. 

And then, something tackled her. Scowling, she looked up and found the pig-like creature the demon had been on earlier before Satsuhiro had burned it. Ash looked for her sword and saw that the boar had knocked it out of her hands. 

Shit, that's not good. 

However, before the animal could go any further, fire disintegrated it over her body, turning it into ash falling on top of her. She coughed a few times, turning away from it and putting her hands on the ground. 

Then, one hand was extended towards her and Satsuhiro helped her up. 

"Good job," he said. 

"Yeah," she turned to look at them. "Well, if every demon is just kinda walking around like this then we'll be fine, right?"

"I'd say so." Satsuhiro shrugged. "Come on, let's keep moving."

Ash decided she'd check her EXP after they left this place. The spires in the distance grew closer with every minute they spent walking towards them.  What are we going to find at the end of those things? And, hell, even if we do decide we can break whatever's there, what do we do after that? 

Before she could come up with an answer to that question though, something appeared to her left. She didn't realize that because she saw it, but because she felt it.  Huh?  It was a sort of buzzing sensation, one that prompted her to look out into the vast emptiness they were walking on. 

"Ash?" Satsuhiro seemed to notice something was up. "You okay?" 

"Y-Yeah," Ash replied, trying to find... 

She saw it. Ahead, there was a single tree with a small pond under it. Its leaves were violet and the water seemed strangely bright blue. She saw a little boy playing around. 

"Hey, see that? We should help." Ash said, pointing ahead. "Probably got stuck here or something." 

"Hm?" Satsuhiro turned to look out in that direction. "What do you mean?" 

"There, the kid." Ash urged. 

"I don't see anything." 

Hearing that, Ash pulled back. 

"What?" 

"There's nothing there," Satsuhiro stated. "You sure you're seeing something?"

"I-I swear," Ash kept staring at it.

"Hm... Maybe it has to do with the fact that you're a half-demon. Regardless, is it important?" He asked.

"... I don't know," Ash replied.

"Then, come on, let's keep going. Sooner we get this done, the better." 

She turned back to look at the kid again. 

A woman appeared behind him. Ash couldn't make out too many details about her from this distance, but she could see the woman was tall and curvy. Aside from that, she was naked, holding something in her hands. She said something Ash heard so clearly though, it was like she was standing in front of her. 

"We have a meeting to get to. The Higher Powers want reports." 

"Coming," the boy said, standing up as he looked at the water. "Are the others there?" 

"Yes. Let's not keep them waiting." 

And so, the two of them disappeared from sight. Ash shook her head, closing her eyes briefly, and when she opened them, the tree and the pond were no longer there either. 

"What the fuck?" She muttered before she started following Satsuhiro again.