Moonlight Demon

Although Zafir's strange question had worked to distract Ash for a little while, as the half-demon returned to Amber, heading in through the gates behind the Manor, halfway through, her mind wandered to the same thing she'd been trying to focus away from. 

With the sun a little higher and the air a little warmer, Ash returned to the Manor. Her eyes were cast low, and she swore she could feel the gazes of the guards on her throughout her walk, but she didn't mind that. 

Seriously, if anyone wants to fight, that would probably do me some good right now,  Ash thought, hoping one of them would just jump on her already. 

Alas, did, and Ash went all the way back to her room without any trouble. However, when she came back, she didn't find Keiko there. 

Hm? Is she having breakfast somewhere? 

Absent-mindedly, Ash went to what pretty much become her group's official hangout spot, walking through the backdoor to reach the garden. 

Immediately, the sounds of swords clashing came to her ears. Ash's eyes widened when she looked ahead, and she found Yumi and Keiko training, while a sleepy Satsuhiro and a cheerful Metsumi watched from the stone benches behind the two women. 

Keiko, though, was moving at a pace that Ash hadn't seen in a long time. 

The sight caught her off-guard. Keiko held a fierce expression in her eyes, looking determined as she glided from one side of the gardens to another, slashing at Yumi's naginata while the woman parried and deflected every attack. Ash could see drops of sweat flying off her body every time she pulled back and dashed forward, all while keeping her eyes narrowed and firm. 

That expression melted away as soon as Keiko caught Ash from the corner of her eyes, and she stopped. 

Ash saw a smile bloom on her face and when those silver eyes fell completely on her, she knew that, despite how she was feeling right now, she'd made the right choice. 

Now, she just needed to deal with it. Though, she still didn't know how. 

Keiko jogged up to her and nearly tackled the half-demon with a hug. Ash felt her shirt getting damp from the girl's sweaty head pressed against her chest, but she didn't mind too much. 

"I..." Keiko whispered. "I could say 'thank you' five-hundred times and I feel like it wouldn't express how grateful I am to you." 

"I'm just glad you feel better," Ash replied just as quietly. 

Keiko pulled away, with a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. 

"I will feel even better once I get to spar with you again. It's been too long. But, for now, I have a distant cousin to beat," Keiko stated before jogging back to where Yumi was. 

And, just like that, the two of them got right back to it. Ash walked around them, going over to the bench and sitting by Satsuhiro's side. 

"Opah and Luvine aren't up yet?"

"No," Satsuhiro replied. "Maybe they stayed up late or something." 

"Hm. Hey," Ash said, leaning back against the railing. "Zafir told me something pretty weird today. I figured I should let you know." 

"Yes?" Satsuhiro raised a brow at her. "What is it?" 

"So... Pretty much," Ash said, putting her hands behind her head as she watched Keiko and Yumi fight it out ahead. "He said something like, 'Amber's future wouldn't be in Jade's shadow'. Don't ask me what it means cause I have no idea." 

Satsuhiro heard that and scratched his chin, as he looked back at her. 

"Amber's future... Oh," he suddenly said, "if that means what I think it means, then, we'll probably want to finish up our business here soon." 

"What are you thinking?" Ash asked. 

"He probably means that he wants Amber to be independent," Satsuhiro stated. "Actually, if we assume that's his personal goal, then... It all makes sense. The Arcane passing away out of nowhere, the fact that my letters aren't getting to Jade, the people who aren't being allowed to leave. Yeah, he's trying to cut ties with Jade."

"... Okay," Ash replied. "What does independent mean?" Ash asked. 

"It means Zafir doesn't want Amber to be under Jade's control. Doesn't want it to be part of the Empire anymore. Which, if that's true, then, as soon as the Royal Council catches word of that, things could get violent here pretty quick." 

"Oh. Well, hmph," Ash scoffed, "if they end up hoping I'll fight for them, they have another thing coming because I could not care less." 

Satsuhiro stared at her then, for a little, before looking away. 

"I suppose I understand," he replied, though, to Ash's eyes, he sounded unsatisfied. 

One question then came to the half-demon's mind, and she asked it before she could stop herself. 

"So, what'll happen to the Arcane's daughter, then?" 

"Hm? Oh, she'll probably be killed, if she hasn't been already. Assuming, of course, that the Arcane was killed on Zafir's orders, and it wasn't actually some freak sickness that just came out of nowhere, then, yeah, her days are numbered if she's even still around."

As Ash heard that, she recalled the desperate look in the girl's eyes, the last time she encountered her. She had no particular connection to her, but it did feel weird that she may have been one of the last people to see her alive if she had been killed already. 

Still, Ash had her own problems to deal with at the time, and she still did. With Keiko's potion finished, it was finally time to put all of her focus into Kaori's situation once again. With almost a week having passed since Ash spoke with Lumina, there were likely only three weeks remaining before that divine trial would be had. Ash needed to be ready. 

I need to head up to Pearl, to take advantage of everything that's happening over there, and close down that portal. Then, after that, I think I might ask the Royal Council to help me find more if they aren't too busy dealing with whatever Zafir's going to do. And, after that, yeah... Just hope for the best. 

The Manor door opened and Kasumi appeared, yawning as she stepped outside. As her eyes fell on Ash, she walked over and raised a hand. 

"Morning," she greeted them. Keiko and Yumi got dangerously close to her as she made her way over to them. 

"Good morning!" Metsumi said. Satsuhiro simply nodded at her. 

"Hey," Ash greeted the woman as she sat down by her side, at the edge of the stone bench. 

"Ho-ly fuck," Kasumi let out, leaning back like Ash was and pushing her chest out as she watched the two Zayamas fighting. "Never thought I'd say this, but I might just end up joining them." 

"Yeah? Why's that?" Ash asked. 

"Cause I'm bored," Kasumi replied. 

Suddenly, Ash felt her eyes get pulled down to the woman's tits and she had to yank them back up, just as Kasumi looked over at her.

Right,  Ash remembered.  My Lust is at 2 right now. 

As per usual, due to the highly emotional situations going on, her Lust stacks hadn't been affecting her, But, as the sadness slowly reduced to a low melancholy, that side of her was slowly coming back, as Ash noticed as soon as she saw that Kasumi's massive boobs were especially pronounced in this tight brown shirt she was wearing. 

However, as Kasumi looked at her, she tried her hardest not to look like she'd just been checking her out. 

"There's nothing to do in this city. I almost feel like picking up a sword and heading out to fight monsters would be more entertaining than this place." 

When Ash heard that, she stopped. 

"Then, why don't we do that?" She asked. 

"Hm?" Kasumi raised a brow at her. 

"Actually, come to think of, it, you're going to go fight for Pearl too, right?" Ash asked. 

"... Maybe," Kasumi said after a sigh. "I think... I don't know, part of me wants to, part of me doesn't." 

"Hm. In that case, maybe you just need to get into some real fights again before the answer gets clear. So, how about we do that?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm going to be heading out to hunt for monsters and get some levels. Why don't you come with me?" 

"Are you sure that's wise?" Satsuhiro asked, from Ash's left. "The beasts in this area are far higher level than she is." 

"But I'm higher level than they are, so I can keep her safe while she gets some last-hits and easy EXP. Actually," Ash turned back toward Kasumi, "you have the same buffed Quick Learner trait that I do. You'd probably catch up to me in no time." 

Crossing her legs, Ash rested her head on the palm of her right hand. 

"So, how about it? Are you bored enough to do some grinding?" Ash asked. 

When Kasumi heard that, she went silent for a few seconds. Ash could only hear the clashing of Yumi and Keiko's weapons as she pondered the question, but then those ceased too. Keiko skipped over to her and said: 

"C-Can I come too?" 

"What?" Ash asked, raising a brow. "But, you... Oh," she stopped, realizing. "Right." 

She'd just been about to say that she didn't want the girl to overexert herself. She'd gotten used to taking care of her in this way, but, with the potion done and consumed, that wasn't something she had to worry about anymore.

"It's..." Keiko said, catching her breath as she was clearly working out quite intensely. "It's been a long time since I've been in a real fight. I'd it's okay with you, I'd like to go too." 

As she heard that, Ash nodded. 

"Then, yeah, of course. You can come too."

"In that case, I may as well do the same," Yumi then added. "Although I've been out here for so long, I have yet to fight a single creature. I fear my senses may be getting dulled." 

"U-Uh..." Ash said, caught off-guard. "Yeah, you too. Sure, I guess." 

"Thank you. Wait a moment, I'm going to ask Sinneah. If she's awake, of course." 

"..." Ash watched her go into the Manor, speechless. Keiko giggled a little when she saw the look on Ash's face.. "Well, okay then."