Musashi Great War First Part B

"Surely, you guys understand? The pain of missing that timing because you are weary from hours of playing nonstop, only to end up with a game over screen since it was a boss battle and you could only start over from a previous save point. Yet, hehe, you had been grinding for hours and you had forgotten that you did not save just before the boss fight and all that progress is lost. That empty feeling... oh, despair, sweet, sweet despair." Nora chuckled hollowedly as he gazed toward a certain place (the screen, or rather, you).

"Nora...? Are you ok? You are just staring to an empty space while you spoke." Musashi asked in a concerned tone.

"Just breaking the 4th Wall for a bit, just to relieve stress." Nora sighed.

"...I will buy you the newest edition of maid's weekly and get you a glass of warm milk later." Musashi said no more.

"Gosh, can you even be more lovely?" Nora seemed ready to hug Musashi.

"Hey now, we have other things to take care of." Musashi smiled wryly.

"Heeeeh, look at that Nee-sama, they seem to be having fun all alone down here..." Akeno's tone was monotonous.

"Fufu, I know, right? They ran together like an eloping couple." Suzaku chuckled but there was no joy in her tone.

The duo's pair of eyes seemed to shine ominously as they gazed at Nora and Musashi talking.

"I would rather face a horde of cultists after they threw away their humanity and turned into monsters... rather than those two. Scary." Musashi shuddered. "I remembered them a lot more bright..."

"Don't be mean." Nora said. "I caused this. They are lovely girls who are capable of lit up the room with their bright smiles... but now they are like that because of my actions."

"No, if it is the accident... I am also..." Musashi mumbled.

"You are wrong. The problem goes beyond what happened before." Nora spoke. "I have not taken this seriously enough and now they are in pain."

Watching the other fallen angels descend one after another, Nora did not hesitate. The youth considered this karma to be his responsibility.

Nonetheless, a hand was put on his shoulder before he walked further.

"Wait." Musashi called out.

"...even if it is you, I cannot just-" Nora tried to speak but he stopped once he saw the expression his partner had.

Different from what he thought, Musashi did not have the face of someone planning to stop him and ready to tell him to run away. Contrary to that, Musashi had her usual silly grin that always made his day.

"Can't you trust your partner in crime here?" Musashi chuckled. "A good woman always supports her man when he needs it... and right now, you want to have a talk with Akeno-chan and Suzaku-chan, right? I don't see a future where you lose, but the people they brought will be a hindrance. Let this beautiful swordswoman lend you a hand with that."

Using her free hand, Musashi pointed her thumb toward herself as she gave a gallant smile. Nora's eyes shined for a moment as he took Musashi's words and burned her appearance in his brain. He considered what to say briefly. Such as saying she was incredibly gallant and how cool she was, but Nora true to himself opened his mouth and-

"...her 'man'? You ain't getting away from this one! You just called me, Nora Shiki, your man." Nora said.

Freezing as she was about to step forward, Musashi had a rather awkward expression as she finally realized what she just blurted.

"Grrr, you idiot. Are you going to make me say it!?" Musashi was flustered.

Snorting, Nora decided to let her go as he noticed the worsening mood from his 'foes'.

"You two, follow me." Nora pointed to his 'targets'.

Of course, it was not like they would just listen to him.

Akeno created an arc of lighting and attacked Musashi with a powerful electric attack, while Suzaku swung her arm and three fire birds the size of a fists flew toward Musashi. By reflex, Nora moved and swung his left arm. Just as fast as the attacks came as fast as they disappeared out of thin air.

"...Imagine Breaker? Ouch!" Musashi covered her forehead.

The culprit for the attack that landed on Musashi, Nora, gave her an exasperated look. 

"Does my hair look spiky to you?" Nora rolled his eyes.

"..H-hehe." Musashi did not say anything else.

Snorting to that, Nora gave another look to the duo.

"Please. I won't ask you to forsake your anger. You have all the right in the world to be angry." Nora sighed. "However, that anger should be directed at no one other than me."

Extending his hand forward, Nora gazes straight into Suzaku and Akeno's eyes in turn.

"The girls that make my heart throb when we go on dates or simply hang out, the girls I like... they are kind and gentle, but above all, they would know to do what is right." Nora said. "Please."

This time, Nora's words seemed to reach them and their expression eased somewhat.

Walking toward one tunnel at their side, the duo went in after they gave Nora one last glance.

The youth understood the message and followed after them.

Just as the groups they brought in wanted to follow after him... Musashi stood in their way.

Grining, the swordswoman moved one hand toward her hip. Tied around her waist, a pair of katanas were there. She places her thumb to loosen the blade from the scabbard and the click from the handguard easily reached the group facing her.

"You might not know this since it is a detail that only a swordsman would bother to learn." Musashi opened her mouth. "The act of using one thumb to loosen the blade from its scabbard means to prepare for imminent violence."

Giving a look to everyone around her, one's of Musashi eyes began to change color to green as her field of view increased exponentially.

"That is to say... to intentionally cause one's katana to make that sound is an explicit attempt of provocation." Musashi grinned. "I take it that you all understand I will not let you pass me, don't you?"

"You think you can take care of all of us?"

A fairly well-endowed fallen angel spoke on behalf of the group.

"You are missing the point here." Musashi said. "He is putting his trust in me right now. I am not going to let him down."

"...we can accept most of the girls hanging around him, but we cannot accept you."

"Oh? Why is that?" Musashi narrowed her eyes.

"You who always come and go as you please, we cannot accept that... you have no idea about our feelings, neither Akeno-sama's."

"You mean about Nora?" Musashi asked.

"You do not understand the importance... he has."

The fallen angel speaking until now, shared her thoughts that seemed to align with everyone present since no one interrupted her.

"He was first admitted as a student in the fallen angel's Nephilim Institute, he did not take long to take over one spot as a teacher. His deep knowledge regarding various proffessions to an expert level, and ability to offer advise regarding the problems presented to him. It only took him a month to improve the overrall strength of several fallen angels also admitted there. Not only that, he was also in charge of the most troublesome individuals and he won them over."

Nodding to that, Musashi could agree to that way to describe Nora. It was a little strange that he entered as a student and ended up as a teacher not long after, but it was Nora who they were talking about. Musashi was certain that if Nora actually wished for it, he could become the leader of the Grigori without much effort. The youth always underestimated his charisma and other skills at his disposal.

"He developed a method to remove the Sacred Gears without harming the user after making the Devil Faction and The Fallen ANgel Faction work together. This created a new path to those cursed with abilities that they never desired."

Indeed, Nora was amazing. Musashi sang praises to the youth in her mind and a happy smile formed on her face.

"It is why we had planned to drag him to our side by all means necessary. Akeno-sama's mother, Shuri-sama, had given us an advice after catching us once as we sang praises about Nora-sama. She told us about how her daughter and Nora-sama were in love since they were children. The union between the two would be enough to tie him to us."

Nonsense, Musashi thought. She needs to pay a visit to Shuri who always seemed to cook some sort of trouble for Nora. He was never harmed, but he got headaches while trying to solve those problems.

"Shuri-sama had also explained about his sexual appetite and how he was amassing a large number of women to create the greatest harem possible. She told us that if we wanted to tie him to the rest of the fallen angels... we should offer our bodies to him."

"OK, stop right there!" Musashi exclaimed.

With a drop of sweat running down her forehead, Musashi held on hand against it as she tried her hardest to find a reasonable retort.

The appearance of the fallen had initially given her the impression she was a prim and proper woman... with an incredible body that screamed that belonged to a fallen angel, the beings known as lewd and obscene incarnates. Such a young woman had been stating her point in a serious tone all the while which is why Musashi entertained the idea of listening to her. Yet, the same woman was blushing as she tried to keep a straight face.

"Rather than the fallen angels as a whole... this just seems like a reckless plan to get into Nora's pants!" Musashi retorted.

Hearing more than a few clicks of a tongue, Musashi felt a vein on her forehead form and ready to explode.

"You are just a bunch of perverts!" Musashi cried out.

"WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU OF ALL PEOPLE!!!"

Yelled in unison by everyone present, this sparked the fire necessary for the battle to start.

"Now then... they might be perverts, but they must be Nora's friends so I should not hurt them..." Musashi grinned. "Hmmm, I guess I am enjoying this more than I expected."

Chuckling, Musashi swung her blade at the incoming bird shaped flame coming at her.

...

...

...

A combination of lighting and fire struck Nora, but he swung his left hand and the attack was gone.

"...you called us for this?" Suzaku gritted her teeth.

"...who knows." Nora said.

"Onee-sama... most of our attacks won't hit." Akeno mumbled.

Still looking somber, the pair of Himejima stood side by side in front of the youth. Blocking the path in case he wanted to go back toward Musashi.

"...Nora, you said fight, but for what purpose, you told us to follow you then you said we should fight." Suzaku asked. "Are you playing with us?"

"Never." Nora said. "I considered several possibilities and I think this will prove to be way to show you my resolution."

"Nora-kun... why can't we just talk?" Akeno inquired. "I am... angry, sad, furious. I feel terrible."

Gritting her teeth, Akeno's eyes watered.

"I feel like I want to throw when... I remember what happened." Akeno said.

"...I feel heartbroken too." Suzaku muttered. "We... had mentally prepared for the moment, when everything will end. The beautiful dream..."

Tightening her fists, Suzaku held back her tears.

"...we knew what you always used to say. You only liked Yasaka-sama." Suzaku opened her trembling lips to speak. "We also knew that you did not want more than one woman. We all knew that. That's why we tried our best for you to look at us."

"...I learned how to cook the best I could." Akeno weakly mumbled.

"I have been learning how to sew so I could make you home-made clothes..." Suzaku spoke.

"I learned all the spots kitties like to be scratched at." Akeno sighed.

One by one, the girls listed their hard work. They would never do something like this normally, but this time they received a serious hit to their hearts and the confidence they had in themselves was wavering. It had been shaky all the time, given the large number of competitors they had to face and the last boss (Yasaka) was not an easy foe. At this point they were trying to appeal to the youth... no matter his form.

"...but, our efforts amounted to nothing." Suzaku gritted her teeth.

"We lost..." Akeno was ready to cry.

"B-But!!! We cannot accept it!" Suzaku exclaimed.

Even as tears ran down her face, Suzaku maintained a dignified stance. She glared straight at the youth who remained expressionlessly so far.

"We were always trying our best!" Suzaku raised her tone. "We were always... and yet, and YET! She who just comes and goes as she pleases came and took the thing we wanted!"

"It is not fair..." Akeno sadly cried. 

"I see..." Nora closed his eyes briefly. "You guys have the right to be angry and jealous. It is not something I can deny of you."

Opening his mouth, Nora hesitated but still could not bring himself to say why he favored Musashi. This story would be dark and cause the girls to suffer more after knowing they acted in such a way toward the person who had saved him. Not to mention, the reason for his state might have to be talked about and he could not allow it to be known.

"...the world is not a fair place, really." Nora smiled botter as he opened his eyes.

Gazing back at the Himejima pair who favored him, the youth pointed at them.

"You have seen me using my left hand to deal with your attacks." Nora said. "It is a bit tricky, but I am absorbing your attacks."

"...that's the ability you use during training." Akeno mumbled.

"The details are troublesome, but consider it as me being able to drain energy, among other things..." Nora looked away briefly. "I want you to attack me with all you got."

Pointing toward him with his thumb, the youth stated.

"This is my way of showing you that I am ready to take everything about you." Nora said. "However... it is me who we are talking about here. I have my own way of doings things. If you don't trust me, feel free to turn around and leave. However, I will show you what I am made off here. I will not simply take one lover, but several at that. The two of you included. Are you guys ready to do that?"

There was no hesitation or doubt in the girls as they wiped away their tears and nodded.

"Take all your anger, your sadness and infuse it on the next blow. I will receive your feelings." Nora raised his left hand. " I will take it all."

Doing just like he asked, the girls channeled their emotions into the next blow. Akeno created arcs of lighting in both hands and continuously gathered energy. Suzaku on the other hand concentrated and packed as much heat as possible in a small bird floating in front of her.

Taking a look at one another, Akeno and Suzaku nodded. Their attacks were soon sent toward the youth.

Watching the bright flames and lighting about to hit him, the youth lowered his hand.

"...indeed, I will take it all, with this body of mine." Nora smiled.

It was too late to do anything and the girls could only watch as Nora was pushed several meters. His clothes were destroyed and his skin was destroyed on the area of the impact, but he did not stumble or lose his footing.

"Nora!!!!" Akeno and Suzaku screamed as they ran toward him.

Smiling wryly at their worried faces, the youth raised him hands.

"Hey, now, don't worry about me. Look, I am already recovering." Nora gestured with his chin.

As he said, by the time Akeno and Suzaku caught up with him, the damage was almost repaired. So the girls looked at each other and nodded as they saw each other's tears of worry.

"IDIOT!" Akeno and Suzaku hit the youth.

"Guh." Nora took some damage.

While waiting for the next attack, he was embraced by the two girls. He could only chuckle at that. Nora let himself fall backward and took the hit from the fall to not hurt them.

"Why did you do that?" Akeno asked. "...there was no need to go that far."

"We have fallen hard for you, if you had just closed in and whispered sweet words in our ears, we would have forgiven you." Suzaku admitted.

With their heads on his chest, each girl raised their own questions.

"I deserved getting hit." Nora replied. "I should've been more straightforward, be more honest. The reason I never expected to have another lover was rather embarrassing. I never hoped to have someone else to fall for me this bad... and I never had the confidence to make more than one person happy."

"You really are an idiot." Suzaku muttered. "For me, just being at your side makes me happy. I am a simple girl."

"Oh, is that so? I guess you never liked the lap pillows then. Noted, from now on, I will just sit in the same room as you."

"W-Wait, I did not mean that." Suzaku's flustered tone was adorable.

"I am here as well." Akeno pouted.

Hearing her jealous tone, Nora used his hand to gently caress her hair and that seemed to make her happy.

"I... just don't want us to be apart." Akeno expressed her wish. "It is nothing hard, I just want to be together with you. As long as we can stay close... I can be happy."

Smiling bitterly at that, the youth felt guilty.

"I am an idiot..." Nora felt bad.

Why did he even hesitate?

"You sure? I will make you mine. It might not be as you have in mind. I will never let you go. My love will be heavy, I am never letting you go. I will own all of you, I will make you my prisoner. I will do everything in my power so that I am the only thing you can think of." Nora asked.

Trembling slightly, the girls gave Nora a deep look. The youth was afraid of the answer, but-

"Nothing would make us happier." "We will be in your care from now on." Akeno and Suzaku replied at the same time.

"I will take away all your pain and sadness. That does not suit you. But I will not take away your happiness because that is something I should be giving you. This pain is mine to bear because I caused it." Nora says as he uses his ability.

After hearing their answer, the youth resolved himself about what to do from here on. It was a strange feeling for him since he was not sure how to do it, but the action came out naturally. The power he obtained to absorb and drain easily took the negative emotions harbored from the girls. They seemed oblivious to it as they were on cloud nine.

"Then what about our happiness?" Suzaku asked.

"Why am I not taking away your happiness? You guys are silly, being with you makes me happy." Nora chuckled.

As he said this, he planted a kiss on their foreheads. Their expressions were ones of happiness but there was expectation for more.

"I can only give you a light kiss like this on your forehead, why? Simple. You guys do not want to have your first kiss here." Nora explained. "...you deserve better."

Nodding obediently after hearing his words, the girls rested their heads on his chest. The youth accepted that and closed his eyes briefly, while ignoring how they began to caress his naked torso.

However, it did not last long since he heard the fighting sounds reaching their location.

"..about those girls." Nora asked. "When did you decide to bring armed forces to Urakyoto?"

"Ah..." Akeno covered her face.

"...we were planning to introduce you to them, and they had been waiting at the entrance of the city since they needed to be checked before getting inside." Suzaku's eyes did not meet Nora's.

"Why are you nervous?" Nora had a bad feeling.

"Before I reply to that..." Suzaku cleared her throat. "How would you rate them?"

"They seem young but the way they move seems orderly and I can tell they are experienced in working as a whole team-" Nora mumbled.

"Not that!" Suzaku did not direct her gaze to Nora. "Were they... pretty?"

"Not as much as you." Nora decided to play it safe but be honest at the same time.

The right call since Suzaku grinned foolishly.

"Oh you." Suzaku giggled. "I mean... I won't get angry, be honest about it, are they pretty?"

"100%." Nora said. "As expected of the lewd clan, they are all owners of child bearing hips and their chests will never allow their offspring to be hungry."

Just like he predicted, Suzaku pinched him, but Nora accepted his punishment obediently.

"I will say this in advance, the fallen angels were also beautiful." Nora cut to the chase. "Out with it."

"...we were thinking that if we introduced you to some of our people. People we absolutely did not force to do this, you might be pleased." Suzaku explained.

Connecting the dots, Nora sighed.

"So you guys brought those girls to earn my favor? Why?" Nora asked.

"...if you choose us, we would be fine with some mistresses." Suzaku said.

"As long as we approve them!" Akeno chipped in with a blush on her face.

...you wanted to offer them to me. Ok, no need to say anything else. This was Shuri-san's doing." Nora inwardly cursed.

Looking at the awkward smile of the girls, the youth knew he was right on spot.

"Can you make them stop doing that...? Oi, why are you looking away?" Nora exclaimed.

The way they nervously looked away gave him another bad feeling.

"We sorta went full power in advertising you and... they are genuinely interested in you." Suzaku awkwardly laughed.

"...I did my best too." Akeno smiled radiantly.

"Hmmm." Nora nodded with a happy smile. "Punishment for both of you."

...

...

...

Leaving the two 'idiots' behind after knocking some sense into them, the youth arrived at the scene of a stalemate. No one had any injury, but there was no winning side.

"I guess you are doing just fine." Nora sighed in relief.

"Haha, I cannot go and let you down, can I?" Musashi smiled as she saw Nora, and did not question how he had a different set of clothes on him.

Suddenly, Nora widened his eyes and his expression turned serious.

"Use this gas mask, but just to be certain, do not dare to breathe until I tell you to." Nora spoke in a serious tone.

Pulling a gas mask, he handed it to Musashi. Taking the mask offered to her, Musashi immediately obeyed.

"...I hope you don't think less of me for this." Nora smiled bitterly.

Looking at all the people still standing, Nora inwardly sighed. They were good people that got swept up in this mess. A little too enthusiastic when dealing with him was involved... but they were now standing in his way. The fastest way to knock them out was using THAT. This had to be done ASAP.

Sighing, Nora inwardly checked his inner world. Inside, you could find several vessels he made to separate his demonic power from different origins. He used Murmur's more, but there were indeed two other vessels. The most common abilities were ones he had been practicing, but they had a secret skill that he had been forbidden to share. No one should know about it. On the other hand, the ability he was going to use, he had been using often. The main use was to make wine, but he managed to reproduce other kinds of alcoholic drinks. Perhaps because he was an oddity himself, he was capable of that. Yet, it might be because he was an oddity, he developed those abilities in an unique way.

As the others got closer, Nora stopped holding his scent with magic. Like a wave, a sweet and addictive smell reached all the women around him.

It might be correct to say that it hit them like a truck since the women had no way of resisting. There were several who fainted immediately with a blush on their faces and a strange expression. While the ones still standing had a hard time. Their breath was rough and their legs were shaking. The weak willed ones moved their hands to certain places.

"...sorry, I can't really control it well. I should kick it up a notch." Nora mumbled.

Before, the youth simply released his scent, but now, he used demonic power to increase the efficiency of it.

A heavy scent hit the women still standing.

"Ah... it is indeed you... the one we..."

The strongest willed one managed to say as she fainted, like the others, a blush along with a strange expression was on her face. A unique scented puddle was formed below the women.

"Let 's go." Nora somberly said.

Picking Musashi, the youth said nothing else and Musashi did not dare to ask anything either. 

Just as he began to flee. An ominous presence could be felt. It was a combination of negative emotions. Anger, hatred, jealousy and obsessive emotions that could not be put into words since they were fused together in a mess.

"No time to explain." Nora said. "Urgh, Shishou will really give me a cold shoulder when she hears I used that trashy skill."

Fleeing, the youth took a different path as he hastily escaped.

A second later, a snake large enough to swallow several people at once slided down the stairs and a mass of darkness full of negative emotions descended.