Chapter 93 - Vol. 2 - 58

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 times, the blurry vision came into focus. 

"Ash?" Kaori asked with a slightly raspy voice.

The half-demon's face was close, her eyes seemed 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. 

"Come 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 something." 

"Already?" Indeed, that had been what the two of them had agreed on, but she assumed 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 some more monsters." 

"Hm... Okay," Kaori nodded. "Give me 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 time 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 welcome 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 testament 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 some 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 me," Ren said. He gestured at an open space where the only lighting came 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, come on, there has to be something." 

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 means we have to give you new skills!" 

"Uh... Okay," Kaori was trying to be optimistic about this, so she smiled and nodded. 

"Let me 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

Immediately, Ren's eyes popped out of his head. 

"16 ATTRIBUTE POINTS!? ARE YOU A HOARDER OR SOMETHING!?" Ren asked calmly. 

"I-I was..." 

"Hahaha!" Ren shook his head. "No, no. It's alright, it just surprised me is all. It's good actually," he said. "This means 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 mean 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 mean?" 

"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 somewhere in the building with her. 

Let's see...  She thought.  I mean, I... I don't really care about being some big demon killer. I just want to help people. That sort of mentality... 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 time she pushed, some 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 me of that, I laughed. The idea seemed impossible." 

"Yeah, it caught me off-guard too..." Kaori replied. Those days when they'd first met, though technically recent, felt like a distant memory. "I guess..." 

"Hm?" Ren looked back at her. 

"If I had to say," Kaori sighed, "something 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 me 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 memory 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 me to be a Savior," Ren gave a low chuckle. "I didn't understand it at first. I trained, but I did so reluctantly. I mean, I thought I was being sent out to die." He shrugged. "I did what I had to do, just passing the time. 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 me, 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 me. I was meant to give power to the powerless," he reached back. 

Ren pulled his shield and raised it up. 

"I was meant 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 some time ago, but... After hearing about Pearl's fall, well, I decided to come out of retirement. And, it would seem that decision brought me to meet you. And now I'm convinced of another thing. I am meant to show you how to be a shield." 

"Huh?"

"Exactly as I said, where others can't defend themselves, Kaori, train with me 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 me a second." 

"Heh?" 

Kaori turned away and walked towards Satsuhiro. 

"Uh, alright... That kind of ruins the moment 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 me 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'. Someone who takes damage on others' behalf." 

Hearing that, Kaori remembered 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 meat shield!"