Chapter 206 - Vol. 4 - 5

For a solid three seconds, Ash just stood there. 

"Well?" The alchemist asked, waiting for an answer.

"Wait, back up, back up. How do you know who I am?" Ash asked. "Who are you?" 

"Pfft. You and those two other Saviors handed the demon army their first big loss in years!" She exclaimed, spreading her arms to illustrate her point. "Everyone knows you. Right, Martin?" 

"Uh, no, I don't know her," the boy at the back replied. 

"What? How come!?" 

"I... dunno," he shrugged. "Never heard of her." 

"Ignore him," she said, turning back towards her. "Everyone knows you. Trust me." 

"... Okay," Ash sighed. 

Wait,  she thought,  so... Those guards. Did they know me? 

"With that being said, I ask you again, what are you doing here?" The green-haired lady asked. 

"... I'm looking for a mage store or something," Ash told her. 

"A mage store? What are you doing in an alchemist shop then!?" She asked, baffled. 

"Cause I wanted to see if you could point me to..." Again, Ash was cut off. 

"What, you think just cause I make potions I sell spells too? You think we're the same thing? No. Those idiots," she moved away, gesturing around her as if there were other people in the store. "All they have to do is read a little book, fill up a little bar above their head, and boom, they have spells. Not me! I'm an alchemist. Al-che-mist. I make potions, I have to grind my ingredients myself, find everything myself, and then taste everything myself. My art form is superior to a mage in every way, you hear me!?" 

Ash blinked as the lady finished her short speech. Then, she nodded, turned around, and walked out of the store. 

What the fuck is wrong with her? Ash asked herself as she moved out onto the street, but the lady followed her out. 

"Hey! I wasn't done!" 

"Really?" Ash asked, turning around. "How many more minutes do you need?" 

"Pfft. Rude. Anyway, I was merely going to say that if you do want to inspect such... lower forms of magic there is a spellbook store down the street, to the right, and past the bar." 

Ash, shocked, pulled back a little. 

"Oh. Well, shit, thanks." 

"But," she raised a hand, interrupting her, "if you wish to experiment with the objectively better art form, by all means, return to my little shop, Savior. Oh, and get yourself some damned goggles! What are you thinking!?" 

"... What?" Ash hadn't been this confused by an individual person in a long, long time. "Why?" 

"People can throw things into your eyes, kid! Listen, last little bit of advice, you should assume that every single person you see is a thief. Okay? Because chances are, they..." 

She trailed off though when a commotion started to the right. Ash turned towards the direction she was looking at and quickly, she saw what was happening.

A teenage boy was being pursued by some guards. In his hands, he was carrying a pouch full of what Ash assumed to be coins of some sort. 

"Stop!" One guard yelled as he pulled a hand back, muttered something, and then launched a ball of flames at his back. 

The boy was quickly approaching Ash's position. Just before he reached her, he dodged out of the way of the projectile and then said something so quickly, that Ash didn't comprehend it, but it resulted in a gust of wind appearing under his feet that he then used to propel himself up into the air, jumping atop the nearby alchemy store in one leap. 

Oh, shit. 

"Agh, dammit!" A guard said and then, he performed the same spell, launching himself up into the air to pursue the kid. The other guards followed. 

"Get used to that," the alchemist told Ash, "that's a common occurrence here. Keep your valuables close to your chest, Savior." 

Then, in an instant, she walked back into her shop and slammed the door closed. 

"... I'm already tired of this place," Ash muttered as she tried to recall the directions she'd just received. 

Just a few seconds later, she was standing in front of an unassuming shop with no label, only a drawing of a thick book at the front. Nodding to herself, Ash walked in. There was no one inside. 

Hm?  Ash looked around, finding nothing but shelves of books and empty wooden tables. Before too long though, someone walked out from a room to the right. 

Ash raised a brow. 

A man with short white hair, and two black horns on his head. He was wearing a black coat covered in feathers, similar to the outfit Vermia used to wear. He was just as tall as Ash was, and in his hands, he was carrying a black book. 

A half-demon... 

He looked over at Ash and made an expression that mirrored her own. 

"Hm? What can I do for you?" He asked, and Ash walked over to a nearby chair, preparing herself to explain what she was here for. 

---

Keiko

It had been a few hours since Metsumi and Ash had left to visit Amber, and Keiko was so bored, she felt like time had halted. Around her, Satsuhiro had been reading stories to Opah and Luvine all day, while Yumi was practicing with her naginata. 

So, Keiko stood up. 

"Hey," she walked over to the other Zayama, with a bit of a hopeful little smile on her face. "Can I practice with you?" 

Yumi tilted her head, as she stopped swinging her weapon. 

"Are you certain that you want to? Do you feel well enough?" 

"I think so," Keiko nodded. "Besides... It's been a while since I've swung my sword. I'm probably rusty." 

"Hm..." Yumi thought about it for a moment, before she nodded. 

"Thank you," Keiko chuckled. "At least you aren't treating me like I'm suddenly made of glass." 

"Well, perhaps I should," Yumi shrugged. "But... I'll admit, I do have a soft spot for you." 

Admittedly, Keiko felt the same way. Perhaps it was just the fact that they were both members of the Zayama clan, or maybe the fact that Keiko knew Yumi had gone through the same arduous training she had, but even worse as she'd spent the last decade training in isolation. 

"Grab your sword, let's spar a little. We'll take things slowly, though, just in case you get sick." 

"Yeah, hold on." 

And so, Keiko went to grab her father's sword, which was wrapped up in her bag. She took it out, holding it in her hands again for the first time in so long. It still felt comfortable in her hands. When her fingers wrapped around it, Keiko felt a euphoria course through her that nearly was enough to reduce her to tears. 

However, she made her way back to Yumi and nodded as she unsheathed the blade. 

"Take it easy on me," Keiko said. "It's been a while." 

"Of course," Yumi replied. 

The two of them stood opposite each other, a bit of distance away from the others, so as to avoid hurting them accidentally. Keiko took a deep breath and placed her blade in front of her, taking up her old stance. Yumi held her naginata by her side. 

Then, Yumi attacked. She charged forwards, just quickly enough for Keiko's eyes to see where she was going, without her Spirit Eye. She slashed at Keiko from below, and the sword-user barely deflected her blade before raising her sword up and bringing it down. Yumi easily sidestepped her and spun, sweeping the ground with her naginata. 

Keiko jumped up, a move she regretted instantly as it made her stomach churn a little, but she didn't lose focus. as she came back down to the ground, she stabbed forwards and Yumi parried the strike with the shaft of her weapon, pushing Keiko's sword away. 

The speed at which they were going was exhilarating. Of course, in a real fight, Yumi could easily overwhelm Keiko, but right now, she seemed to be trying her hardest to give Keiko a challenge, while not just outright dominating her, and Keiko appreciated every second of it. 

However, before they could continue engaging with each other for much longer, Keiko's arms froze up and she dropped her sword. Yumi stopped as soon as she saw that, and Keiko fell to her knees.

Then, she felt something rise up from her stomach and violet liquid spilled out onto the dirt beneath her. Her veins turned violet as well, and Keiko felt cold. 

"Are you alright? Do you need water?" Yumi asked as she crouched beside her. 

Wordlessly, Keiko coughed, pointing at her bag. Yumi quickly brought it over and Keiko pulled out the special potion Vyl had given her, which lessened the symptoms of her current condition. 

She took two sips from it eagerly and quickly, her veins turned back to normal and she felt marginally better. 

However, she was still beyond frustrated. 

"Agh!" She slammed a fist into the dirt. "W-Why, why!?" She tried her hardest not to yell as Yumi watched her. 

"I apologize, Keiko," Yumi stood up. "I took things too far." 

"No... You're fine, Yumi, please... It's..." 

Defeated, Keiko shook her head. 

There has to be a way, there has to be!  She thought as Yumi continued to watch her, concerned.