Another Scramble

The sun had begun its descent, and the full moon was in the midst of waking up. In a massive forest somewhere in Valsir, an empty clearing could be seen. It was a beautiful meadow with blue flowers spanning the entire grassland. Next to this open area was a large river that merged with a waterfall. A clearwater lake existed at the bottom.

At this moment, a golden ring of energy appeared over the clearing. Inside of it was a bright white light. Two figures emerged from the light, and the ring vanished. The man in handcuffs looked around.

"...Where is this?" Shu asked.

"This is your new home for the time being." Captain Aiden responded. He paid the young samurai no mind and walked forward.

"What? There's nothing here…"

The sleepy swordsman kept looking around. His instincts were screaming that something was missing. As he tried to figure out what it was, the red eyed captain spoke from afar.

"Just follow." He called out.

Shu obliged and his legs moved. They kept walking straight through the clearing. Suddenly, Aiden's silhouette vanished. The young man frowned but carried onward. A few seconds passed before his body disappeared as well.

"...Nice." He muttered.

A massive estate had just appeared in front of him. The large place spanned half of the clearing while the backside stretched into the forest. It was as if a veil was lifted from his eyes. Aiden had reappeared as well.

"It's a warding spell. Only those with the Silent Night crest will be able to enter. You will gain one soon enough. Come." The captain explained.

The two arrived at the entrance. It was a thick door that looked like it could survive powerful attacks. The red eyed commander dug into his pocket before pulling out an insignia. A slight hum reverberated causing several mechanical locks to click. Gears turned while a magic rune lit up on the door.

Once the door opened, a nice homely interior was revealed. There was a large room with several hallways that led to different areas. The design of the whole interior was a mix of traditional and gothic styles. There were lots of stained glass windows that cast dark colors throughout the place. It truly felt like a casual den for killers.

Shu followed the commander down the hallways. There were several twists and turns. After a while, they reached what looked like a big living room. Several couches were placed together. A holographic TV sat on the wall. It directly faced the room. No matter where you were in the room, the screen was visible.

The living room was a bit messy, and looked as if someone had been lazing here. Empty bags of snacks and cups of iced tea littered the surroundings. Bottles of ale rolled across the floor. On the other side of the room was a quest board, where different jobs and assignments were listed.

"This is where everyone tends to spend most of their time. The living room is a great way to bond…You should visit this room in order to meet the team. Most of them are out on missions, but you'll see them eventually." Aiden suggested.

"Understood." The young man nodded.

At this moment, a figure entered the room while rubbing her eyes. Shu immediately recognized her. A slight smile adorned his face. It was the snow demon! She wasn't wearing her battle outfit, instead wearing a loose pajama shirt with hot shorts. Her petite figure was visible through the clothing. Her cute little feet were out on display.

As soon as she saw him, her eyes narrowed. It didn't take a second for her to notice he was handcuffed. A smirk appeared on her face. It was comical, since her expression barely changed.

"I knew it. You're an evildoer." Her quiet voice rang.

"...Am not."

"Liar. Why are you in cuffs then?"

"....." Shu couldn't find an immediate response to that one. Rin approached and walked circles around him.

"...So you joined our battalion."

"Mnn." He nodded.

There was an awkward silence, as both of them weren't good at holding conversations. It was obvious to Aiden that the dark ronin had an interest toward Shu. Before his arrival, she'd only speak a few words with other team members. Now, she was speaking whole sentences! Not only that. She'd unconsciously ignored Aiden's existence! The red eyed captain sighed before snapping his fingers.

CLUNK

The lazy samurai's handcuffs fell to the ground with a thud. Shu raised an eyebrow while turning to the commander. He didn't expect this.

"...I'm free?" He asked. Aiden grinned.

"Yes, you're free. Free from those cuffs at least. Your punishment will be cleaning the entire estate. You will also clean up Fuzzy's pen. Once that is done, you will choose a mission. Rin will supervise you since it's your first one." The commander revealed.

"...Fuzzy?" Shu said. He could see the snow demon looking at him with pity.

"Well, I have things to do. Get to it."

As soon as his words finished, Aiden placed the katana on the table and left. It was now just the two quiet individuals. The two stared at each other for a while. Before it could get awkward, Shu walked over and grabbed his katana. Rin only stared at him.

"...You know what you should do?" He said.

"Kill you?" She answered.

"Uh…no. You should show me around."

"No."

"But how will I clean the whole place if I get lost?"

"A bad guy like you should just get lost forever."

"...Won't you get in trouble? I'll tell the captain-"

"Fine." She quickly interrupted.

The snow demon pointed to the door. Her expression told him to walk. It was easy for him to understand her gestures. He obliged without saying another word. Rin stood in place as he approached. Once the two were within touching distance, the petite beauty grasped his wrist.

"Hmm?" Shu turned to see her standing on the tips of her toes. Her face leaned into his neck.

SNIFF SNIFF

She was breathing in his scent again. What was her problem? Hopefully it wouldn't result in another scuffle.

"I can smell it." She declared.

"Not this again…"

"Shu, you aren't human. I know it. Stop hiding it."

"Rin, I-"

"This is why you're evil. Only bad people hide their race here." She exclaimed.

As soon as her words finished, she tackled him. The two immediately fell to the floor. The snow demon threw a punch toward his face, but he caught it effortlessly. She threw her other fist. He caught it again.

Now that both of her hands were in his grasp, she reared back her head. Rin was going in for the headbutt! Before it could connect, Shu moved his head to evade.

BONK

Her skull hit the ground. There was a moment of silence. The young samurai turned to her with slight worry. If she was injured, he'd be in even more trouble!

"Rin. Rin!" He called out softly.

The petite beauty slowly raised her head. Her soft legs were on both sides of his waist. Rin sat up on his lap while holding her forehead. Her purple eyes were slightly watery.

"Ow…" Her calm voice rang.

Shu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Her expression was quite adorable. Sitting up as well, he raised his hand. Mana shined across his fingers while he rubbed her reddened skin.

"Are you okay? Does it still hurt?" He asked.

"Mnn." Rin nodded.

The two shared a quiet moment together, not even realizing their intimate position. Once the pain went away, a heated glare returned to her face. The sleepy swordsman could see the anger building inside her. Without warning, she pounced. Rin's little mouth opened around his cheek and bit down.

CHOMP

"Ow!" Shu exclaimed quietly.

Her jaw moved back and forth, her teeth digging into his skin. The young man tried to push her off with his free hand. It only hurt more since his skin was in a vice grip. Shu realized that he could only take it unless he wanted to either hurt her, or himself. He awkwardly patted her smooth back as she chewed on his cheek.

About thirty seconds later, she finally released him. A prominent bite mark could be seen on the side of his face. Rin nodded as if she was proud of her work. Before Shu could get angry, she got up and sprinted down the hallway. The pitter patter of her bare feet slapping the ground resounded.

"How am I supposed to show my face in public…" He grumbled.

The young samurai rose to his feet. He dusted off his kimono and got ready to explore the estate on his own. Rin was unreliable at the moment. Before he could even take a step, the sound of pitter patters returned. Shu's eyes widened upon seeing her.

The snow demon was still in her pajamas, but her massive odachi was now in her hands. She dashed into the room on a straight path to Shu. Did she really want to fight? A surge of annoyance flooded his body. This girl was getting on his nerves!

"Evil demon! Die!" She exclaimed calmly.

Her blade pierced toward him. The irritated swordsman quickly drew his katana. His arm blurred at the speed.

CLANG

Rin's odachi flew out of her hands, and landed on the other side of the room. Her body was still in motion. Shu caught her by the throat and pressed her against the wall. His face was cold.

"My patience is running thin. You are right. I'm not human, but there are reasons I don't reveal it." He growled.

"........"

The pressure of his aura smothered her. The snow demon could only watch him with wide eyes. She could feel his anger. A few more seconds passed before Shu finally released his tight grip on her throat.

"Haaahh…" Rin greedily gulped in the air. The young samurai was still towering over her. He leaned into her ear.

"I will tell you when I'm ready. I need you to understand. Please understand. Can you do that for me, Rin?" His voice was back to normal.

"......." The petite beauty nodded silently.

"Good." He spoke.

There was another moment of awkward silence. They didn't know how to move on from this point. Neither of them were talkers. Fortunately, Shu broke the ice.

"Can you show me around now?"

"Mnn." She nodded.

The two began their walk through the estate. Rin was constantly grumbling under her breath. Her expression was as stoic as ever.

"Evil man. Smelly man. Hmph. I knew it…Bad Shu."