Chapter 36

Akira, Ai, Kanna and Vash-squirrel set out into the dark woodlands again.

Akira and Kanna were exhausted. Ai was still in her depressed funk. Vash...was Vash.

Nobody really felt like adventuring, or slaying hungry monsters. On the contrary, they could all use a bit of time to relax, following their hard-won triumph at the temple.

And, as fate would have it...

Past a line of trees, the party happened upon a small stretch of beach!

Granted, it wasn't like a beach one would find at the resort hotels Akira used to stay while on vacation: the waters were murky and clouded, lapping gently against the rocks and sandy shore. The sky, stretching out to the horizon, was no less bleak and ominous, than what they'd grown accustomed to in the Shadowlands.

Yet, despite these unappealing signs, Ai came through showing a glimmer of her usual, cheery self, as she cried, "big Sis!" Bounding up and down, in childlike glee. "This is just the kind of break we needed, isn't it?!"

Akira rustled her hair. "Mhmm! I'd say we've earned it!"

Meanwhile, Kanna found issue with the plan:

"Sorry to burst your bubbles," she said, turning to the other two with dead seriousness. "But last I checked, we don't have any swimsuits we can change into."

Hearing this, Ai at once deflated.

"N-n-no...that's..."

Verily, it was a crisis of truly cataclysmic proportions—with seemingly no possible solution!

Fortunately, the three lived in a world ripe with convenient circumstances, as it was in that exact moment the enigmatic White Monkey—the very same that had previously assisted Akira and friends in the Macaque Village—decided to make his latest appearance.

Sat cross-legged upon a floating cloud, he descended from the Heavens to greet them.

"My Lord, your humble servant has heard your cries!" He said, brimming with good cheer. "So, I come bearing gifts!"

He extended his arms, and as he did so three white bags appeared in each of the girls' hands.

Akira peered into her bag, her eyes widening as she glimpsed what laid within.

"A...bathing suit!" She exclaimed, and looked to the others to see that they had all received their own sets of pairs as well.

The White Monkey—his job complete—waved farewell, and began his ascent back into the clouds...

"Wait a second!" Akira called after him. "I still don't know your name!"

Yet still he floated upward, until vanishing just as abruptly as he had made his appearance.

As for the swimsuits themselves, they were actually quite impressive: Akira's was a bright green tube top with neck straps and a purple sarong. Ai's a snug pink onepiece with side windows. Kanna's was an orange standard twopiece with a wide cleavage gap.

All had their hair tied up in ponytails, courtesy of the always helpful Ai.

Being too afraid to approach the water in his shrunken state, Vash-squirrel watched their shapely bodies as they ran by without him, giggling and laughing mirthfully.

'I could really go for some nuts.' He thought to himself, forlorn. 'Maybe...I should just be gay...'

As he cast his gaze out across the distant horizon, he could swear he saw a figure bobbing above the not-too-distant waters, but couldn't tell for sure.

'I hope it was a shark fin, then maybe those three will get eaten today!'

Meanwhile the water was cold; at first, neither Ai nor Kanna were bold enough to fully dive in.

Akira Maximilian, on the other hand...

"CANNONBAAAAALL!" She yelled, barreling forward then jumping into the briny sea.

She fell into the water with a giant splash, wetting the others in the process.

Exchanging glances, Kanna and Ai then followed after, and they all splashed each other in the waist-depth water for a bit, laughing like a bunch of dumb idiots.

"I can't believe a nice beach like this doesn't receive more visitors." Kanna said.

It was all fun and games until Ai felt something wet and slimy wrap tightly around her leg.

A brief gasp, as she was suddenly pulled underwater into a deeper part of the water.

"Ai-chan!" Akira and Kanna called out, wading to her rescue, just as a big, thick, red tentacle emerged out of the shallow depths then came down with a hard smack aimed in their direction, causing a huge insurrection of water sprayed out from the heavy blow.

The blow startled them both, but Akira recovered first as another attack followed.

However, this time Akira stood her ground as the tentacle came baring down on her, letting it slam her underwater as she gripped it with both hands.

Her grip was slippery, but but by drawing her claws she was able to dig them in and hold on tight.

Obviously the sea monster octopus or whatever didn't like this, so it tried to lifted her into the air on its tentacle, trying to shake her off, but she only used this opportunity to further slide down the tentacle and reach closer to its body. The very first detail of the beast she saw, upon becoming submerged again, was a great yellow eye with a black slit pupil. Its flesh was pink-red like the inside of a watermelon, coated in a thin membrane of mucous.

She saw Ai struggling within the coiled grasp of one of its tentacles, expelling huge wave of bubbles from her mouth—precious stores of remaining oxygen—with every tightening squeeze against her frail, petite body.

Akira gouged its eye with her clawed fist, burying her other into its face to serve as an anchor.

stab stab stab, enduring the beating of the tentacles against its back, Akira kept up her assault on the...giant squid...thing...as the water dyed red with its blood, until finally it disintegrated.

Ai was dragged unto the shore by Kanna, coughing and sputtering, lost in her thoughts.

'Even after Kanna-chan and I cheated on you, so openly...'

'Always, you're the one saving the day, and carrying us through all sorts of dangers.'

Akira emerged from the ocean waves, gorgeous and dripping, moments later.

"I guess NOW we know why nobody swims here." She said with a frown, following with a scoff as she cast her annoyed gaze across the murky waves.

"Ever since we left Acquama Town, it's just been one challenge after the next, hasn't it?"

"Right," breathed Kanna, as she helped the slightly dazed, but otherwise okay Ai to her feet. "So much for a relaxing day at the beach."

A tense silence fell over the group, as it certainly did seem as though their plans were ruined.

Vash-squirrel, observing all this from the fronds of a swaying palm tree, chirped in expression of his utter delight.

'Funtime's over, huh ladies?' He thought with sadistic glee.

Rather than popcorn, he was stuffing his face with palm nuts—simply enjoying the show.

However, like MOST vengeful scoundrels...it would seem he had chosen to revel in the misery of his foes far too soon.

Ai had stepped back—away from Akira—with her eyes fixed on the sand grains between her toes.

"Akira-sama...why is it you don't hate me, for what I did?"

"Even after Kanna-chan and I cheated on you, so openly...after all you've done for us."

"I...only cause you trouble, and...weigh you down..."

Akira was taken aback by the sudden seriousness of her words. He stood frozen, as it finally clicked in his head why Ai had been acting so strange since last night.

"Ai...are you seriously suggesting I should let you go?"

Kanna turned away, rubbing her arm sheepishly through all this—preferring to remain silent.

"I...was unfaithful to you, Akira-sama." Ai continued, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"You're going on, pretending like nothing even happened, but it isn't right."

"Ai-chan..." Akira murmured, taking a step toward her with her arms held out—only for her to take yet another step back.

"Why...aren't you angry at me? Punishing me? Telling me I'm USELESS as a woman?"

Akira's heart was pounding. He hadn't any experience with relationships, but saw this as a make or break moment.

He would have to proceed carefully, or else risk losing Ai forever.

"Because...that's not true!" He said, flailing his arm in a bout of passion. "Because you AREN'T useless to me, Ai-chan!"

"I can forgive you for mistakes you've made, because I truly cherish you!"

"You're the first person I met in this world...in any world...that I've cared so deeply about!"

It was Ai's turn to stand frozen—trembling, at Akira's reassuring words, that were so filled with a warmth, and patience, and understanding...the likes of which she'd never known before.

'Part of me was still doubtful, that a cutthroat CEO...could harbor such feelings.'

"I...believe in the sincerity of your words." She said with a smile, raising her head to meet Akira's soft gaze. "Akira-sama...if you'll let me...

"Even after I've proven myself to be a failure of a woman—Akira-sama, I..."

After trailing off, and growing quiet for a bit, she abruptly stomped her foot—overtaken by a sudden surge of confidence.

"I-I-I can do better! I can GIVE you a solid return, on the patience you've invested in me!"

"Just, please...all I ask is that you tell me where I slip up. Tell me how I can improve."

She unconsciously blushed, from saying such cheesy lines—even though it was all sincere.

"I'll do whatever it takes...to become the woman my savior deserves."

Akira nodded. In that moment, she couldn't have been more pleased with Ai.

"Very well." She said firmly, as a boss would to his doe-eyed and eager secretary, whom he is secretly having an affair with. "I'll hold you accountable, every step of the way."

"So don't let me down, Ai-chan. I have high hopes for our future business."

Ai was startled upon hearing these words, as it sparked an incredible realization in her:

'Akira-sama may be a pervert CEO, but she doesn't just love me for my body!'

'These tender feelings, that I have welling up inside me...'

'Could it actually be that I'm feeling true LOVE, for the very first time?'

Before Ai had met Akira, the realm of compensated dating had caused her to become bitter, and jaded about such a concept as "true love."

Certainly, this was to be a plunge to take. Something scary, and uncertain.

However, this time she would let Akira step toward her.

This time, she would allow herself to fall—into Akira's soaking wet embrace.

This time, for the first time ever, she would open herself up, to allow herself to be shown love as the two, with their faiths restored in each other, finally came together in an embrace with mutual breaths of relief.

"I love you, Ai."

"I love you too, Akira."