New Teammate

"I want to sleep some more…"

Yawning while thinking about the bed he just left a few minutes ago, Yuuto walked down the stairs to meet with Welt who was waiting for him in the lobby.

Time quickly passed, and it was now the next morning after Yuuto's 'eventful' roam around the Loufu. In the end, he had to sneak away after leaving a large mess with his spar with Jingliu.

Luckily, they managed to leave undetected by Cloud Knights or envoys from the Ten-Lord's Commissions, but that was only after he arrived back in his room.

Other than covering the blinds on his windows, he didn't really know what happened afterward.

The two quickly separated way before that point but decided to meet again at a different spot later tonight since she still had to teach him a few things.

One was the Core Esse and another was a suggestion after seeing his new swordsmanship.

The one he called [Golden Sun] in contrast to his [New Moon] that he has used until now.

[There are a few flaws that could be fixed but overall it's a strong art. Once you gain enough proficiency you can attempt to alternate the two to create a style pertained especially to you.]

With some insight from a renowned swordswoman, Yuuto felt a bit excited about exploring her suggestion.

But right now, he had other things he needed to focus on.

"Sorry for making you wait."

Welt who stood by the entrance looked up at Yuuto approaching. "Seems like your sleep wasn't the best."

"Not really, it might just be because of the different atmosphere."

"I see… I hope you're able to adjust soon but if you need some assistance then don't be afraid to ask me."

Yuuto chuckled stiffly at Welt's kindness and didn't want to break it to him that the reason he was like this was all his fault. 

Well, he placed a bit more blame on Jingliu for beating him up but that's beside the point. 

Seeing that they were ready to go, the two walked out of the hotel and Yuuto looked around, noticing that the two responsible for making a lot of noise were missing.

"Stelle and March are…?"

"Ah, I forgot to tell you. The two woke up early and managed to meet Tingyun on the way out." Welt pointed his cane in the direction where Yuuto saw a fluff of bright pink hair.

"We're supposed to meet up to discuss our plan regarding how we could capture Kafka but Tingyun already had a way to track her."

Yuuto listened carefully and as they got closer, he saw a familiar-looking dog that he often saw in the game.

It bore a close resemblance to the type of lions seen in traditional lion dancing, a type of dance associated with Chinese New Year celebrations.

And this specific lion was ignoring Stelle while it sat in front of March.

"Here, you want some s-snacks?"

"....."

"I have a brush if you also want that…."

"Woof!"

"Stelle, it said that you look pathetic begging like that."

March's supposed translation of the dog's words, made Stelle's expression break apart and she immediately fell to the ground. Defeated.

"What in the school drama am I looking at…?"

"That's…." Welt also wanted to ask the same thing.

He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat feeling like a few stares were gathering around them and tried to let the two know they were here.

Luckily for them, March noticed them standing off to the side and her expression brightened up. 

"Mr. Yang! Yuuto! You finally arrived." 

She left Stelle who was still on the ground and the tiny dog followed along. "Tingyun went to go somewhere else but she left us Diting who will help us catch Kafka!"

"Woof!"

"That's the spirit! Ah, by the way, Diting said nice to meet you."

March continued to translate and Welt just nodded sensing that he should just greet Diting back instead of questioning.

The group finally began to organize themselves after a few mishaps where Yuuto had to bring out a few snacks to help coax Stelle who was still feeling down.

This fortunately brought her spirit back up but she now had a vendetta towards Diting who refused to let her pet it.

He questioned if it was really worth it and all he got back was a stubborn glare.

"Cute objects are meant to be pet!"

"Trash is also meant to be thrown away but here you are."

"I can't refuse that but I still feel like hitting you."

"Just when we were about to calm down…"

March was about to intervene with the two who were about to fight but she stopped when she felt the presence of a few people headed towards them.

People who had a certain difference compared to the Cloud Knights they were used to.

The two also stopped bickering when Welt took a step forward to see who these people were. Yuuto felt a bit surprised on the inside seeing who was leading them and wondered why they were there.

But he had a nagging feeling he knew exactly why they were here.

Two individuals followed by a group of people dressed in long indigo-black robes and a distinctive Tai Chi Trigram embedded in the center of their chest stopped in front of Welt and March.

March staggered in place feeling a bit overwhelmed but she managed to take a deep breath and show them she wasn't scared one bit.

Despite carrying a ghastly atmosphere, the woman at the front locked her empty eyes towards Welt.

"I assume your group is the one tasked with hunting down the fugitive?" Her voice dry as if begging for a break, she patiently waited for his answer.

"Yes, that is correct. By the way, you are…."

"Hanya, a judge from the Ten-Lord's Commission."

Hanya took out a talisman and wrote a small line of words before looking at the group behind her.

"Continue your search for any suspicious activity."

"" As you wish your honor.""

The group scattered and all that was left was one other person excluding Hanya and Yuuto felt an odd reaction from the girl stiffly standing beside her.

Especially when they exchanged looks. Her pupils began to dilate and had a hard time keeping eye contact.

Stelle nudged him when she saw this. "Did you do something to scare her?"

"I'm innocent. Why would I want to bully a little girl like that?"

"That's true."

She agreed with what he said but she still felt like something more was missing.

"You may have not known but there was a disturbance last night in an unknown location near one of our districts." Hanya continued.

"We have yet to pinpoint who or what it was but the Ten-Lord's Commission felt it was necessary to assign one additional member based on the spike of energy recorded back then."

"What kind?" Welt asked.

"Not sure but it was one that suddenly aroused a few nearby spirits so our current hypothesis is that it may be a powerful heliobus or spirit on the loose."

Welt took that information in and seeing the uniform they had, he guessed that they were some sort of commission that dealt closely with spirits.

As Hanya finished, Yuuto felt his palms start to sweat as he listened through the whole thing and quietly looked away.

'I'm sure it was someone else…'

Closing his eyes to convince himself of his innocence, Hanya looked down at the girl beside her.

"Houhou."

"Y-Yes, Madam Hanya!"

Houhou raised her voice and saluted, which Hanya quickly fixed.

"Act accordingly."

"Yes…"

"Report anything you deem important." Hanya also added. "If you need more assistance, don't be afraid to contact us as your help is greatly appreciated."

She handed Welt a paper talisman as a means to contact her and ended it right there.

Hanya was brief and straightforward with her words and after reminding Houhou a few other things, she left as she had other work to be done.

But as she was about to pass the group, she staggered for a moment and squinted her eyes towards Yuuto.

The moment was brief but he noticed her empty eyes peering into his face before leaving without saying another word.

"That lady was a bit scary…"

"Yeah, she looked like an overworked employee on her second overnight shift."

Stelle and March hesitantly looked back to see if Hanya finally left and let out a sigh of relief. Releasing the tension from their bodies.

As the group quieted down, they finally placed their attention towards their sudden group member who was still finding the right words to say.

Thankfully, Welt noticed her nervousness and offered to introduce himself first. The others followed along and joined in which seemed to help ease her nerves.

"W-Will we be leaving soon?"

"Not exactly since we're waiting for one other person. Do you need to get something?"

"No! I just wanted to hand over a few talismans Madam Hanya told me to bring but we can just do that later…"

Houhou took out a stack of papers and Yuuto suddenly looked at it with interest.

Looking at it plainly it would just seem to be a piece of paper with ink soaked into them. But with the help of [Clarity], he saw something more. 

'Each character has a distinct effect which synergizes well with each other without disrupting the flow…'

He was a complete beginner when it came to these types of objects but reading the flow of energy was something he was quite experienced in. 

Especially one as delicate as this.

"Did you craft this?"

"Ah, yes I did…" Houhou jumped a bit when Yuuto suddenly approached her.

"Do you mind if I take one?"

"G-go ahead! I was going to give it to you all in the end anyway."

Houhou began to hand Yuuto the talismans which he immediately used [Archive] on.

'This will help a lot.'

He looked at the talismans deeply and suddenly felt the urge to ask Houhou a bunch of questions. Causing her to swallow nervously when she saw the glint in his eyes. 

"Yahoo! You guys are all here~!"

Acting like a saving grace for her, Tingyun miraculously jogged up to them wearing a smile that made it look like she had a halo behind her. Blinding Huohuo greatly.

"Oh? We have a new member?"

Tingyun felt curious seeing Houhou suddenly here but after March filled her in, she didn't mind and continued to ask them about their plan.

"First we need to find some leads so Diting can start tracking so if you guys are ready, let's go!"

***

"M-Mr. Tail…."

[What do you want squirt.] 

"Do you think it was really necessary for Madam Hanya to assign me here…?"

Huohuo, holding a small white flag, looked in awe as she saw how the group handled the horde of mara soldiers on their own.

She felt a bit useless at the moment and the reply she got was also not adding too much to her thoughts.

[I could do the same as them if you're willing to tear off the talisman.] Her tail which was puffy, cyan, and fiery, began to flicker as the voice of 'Mr. Tail' echoed.

"No! You know I can't do that…."

She grumbled under her breath and continued to watch as their group continued to fight while ignoring Mr. Tail who started saying a speech in her head.

Huohuo felt amazed as she saw March freeze a trio using only a few arrows while Stelle smashed a soldier's helmet in until she was finally satisfied. 

There was also the kind-looking Welt who she felt was the most unexpected. 

Since she didn't expect to see a large number of the enemies that would've approached him turn into dust after a single wave of his cane.

Not only that but managing to capture a few leads that would guide them straight to Kafka in the meanwhile. She felt like they worked very efficiently. 

Feeling impressed, she felt infected by their energy and pumped herself up. Motivating herself to do her part Mr. Tail managed to bring up something that would shrivel that thought.

[So are you just going to ignore it?]

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

[Maybe I should tell him in your place that you—-]

"T-That won't be necessary!"

Huohuo swallowed slowly at Mr. Tail's threat and glanced to the side to see Yuuto looking carefully at the talisman she gave. Whispering to himself occasionally. 

At the start, he would casually protect the group from the back. Using just his mist to intervene against a few soldiers, however, Huohuo felt surprised seeing this.

Compared to the image that was seared into her brain where every step he walked, the ground would burst into flames, turning it into a literal hell.

The way he played with the mist felt much more delicate and soothing. 

Since then he began to look more normal in her eyes but instances where she vividly recalled the amount of destruction that he and that one other person made that night.

She felt her hiccups flare up.

'I-It's alright!! He didn't know I was there so if I just keep my mouth shut I should be….'

"What type of ink do you—-"

"I–I'm sorry!!"

"Huh?"

Yuuto flinched seeing Huohuo cover her head and the others immediately looked in their direction after seeing the noise they made.

"Ahem… she accidentally smudged ink on me but I told her not to mind."

Feeling March's stare a bit burdensome, Yuuto tried to prop up an excuse which Huohuo quickly added after seeing that she might have created some sort of misunderstanding.

Fortunately, that slight hiccup was passed off but Huohuo felt like crawling into a hole. Even more so after hearing Mr. Tail laughing his heart out.

[Pfft~~! The way your face turned white… Hahahaha!!!]

'I want to disappear…'

[Don't worry I can reenact that moment again once you've turned into a spirit~~] 

Sulking even further after hearing his words, she wanted to say something but decided not to since it was like fighting an uphill battle. One that she would lose badly in.

To her side, Yuuto felt a bit awkward seeing her deflate like a balloon and wondered if he'd done anything wrong to stir up that kind of reaction.

He thought deeply since it's just been a day and nothing came to mind. Heck, he never recalled meeting her but there seemed to be something.

"Wuu.. should I help…?"

"Boo?"

Aside from hiding inside his coat, Boo often spoke to Yuuto whenever it felt something was off or if he was bored. Urging him to engage in some idle talk.

But after taking Huohuo's talismans, it started to feel a bit uncomfortable which intrigued him. 

Since that time, he's been testing Boo with this talisman and started to get a feel of the core aspect this paper had.

"She feels friendly…"

"If you say so."

Whether it wanted to help Huohuo or was tired of being a test subject, Boo phased through his coat and appeared in front of Huohuo.

At first, he was amused to see her wide range of emotions. From being surprised to being curious, Yuuto decided to quietly watch as Boo slowly warmed up to her.

'I should wait if I want to ask her more about the talisman.' He thought as he felt like there was a hidden reason as to why she acted so jumpy around him.

Putting the talismans away, he decided to patiently wait while changing his focus back on their current chase.

"Diting! One last clue!"

Hearing March's call, the group hurried their pace sensing that their search would finally meet its end as the leads they managed to collect would guide them straight to Kafka.

Well, that was the plan.

"[I left behind a little gift for the cuties looking for this fair maiden! Xoxo~]....."

March felt her face twitch seeing the delicately crafted note placed on top of a table and after noting the lipstick mark at the corner. She felt like she was being tricked for some reason.

Or more so being pulled into her game which she didn't like one bit…

"I feel like she's treating this chase a bit too easy."

"Well, she is a highly wanted fugitive that's not really easy to pin down so I guess this is just a day's job for her."

Yuuto chimed in seeing March mellow out her annoyances. She looked at the note for a bit before handing it over to Diting and asking Yuuto something.

"Ahem… since you have some sort of… 'history' with her…"

"You're making it sound scandalous, stop it."

Yuuto looked at Huohuo who felt like she heard a pretty important scandal for some reason but after Boo whispered a few words to her, she looked surprised but decided to let it go.

He wondered just what in the hell Boo managed to put together but he hoped it wasn't too bad.

"Anyways! I feel other than walking right into her ploy, should we try and lure her towards us."

"Tracking her is already difficult enough. So luring her is a bit…"

Stelle added, sensing March's feelings about capturing Kafka after the various 'leads' they managed to discover and how they all pointed towards her leaving them behind on purpose.

She was very eager to get this chase over with.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Diting, you finished already?"

Interrupting their conversation for a bit, Diting finally separated from the note March gave it and after sniffing the air for a bit, it bolted down an alleyway without warning.

Surprised, the group looked at each other and hurriedly chased after Diting sensing that it managed to discover a big lead in locating Kafka.

"Feels like a deviation…"

Seeing the path they were taking, Yuuto noted that it was a bit different from the area where Kafka first appeared and he focused.

Keeping his eyes peeled for anything different from what he knew.

"This looks like some sort of eatery center."

"It's a canteen where pilots and workers who built Starskiff's used to frequently eat at."

March looked around after hearing Tingyun's explanation and seeing the closed shops and empty rows of tables, she got curious.

"Is it no longer open or…"

"Due to the sudden arrival of the Stellaron, it became empty due to a sudden outbreak that forced these workers to rush towards the Exalting Sanctum to get urgent treatment."

"There's also the mara that began to spread after a few workers tried to recall what happened."

Huohuo said while waving her hands forward. Faint markings beneath her sleeve grew brighter and a few paper doll talismans flew out.

The group was a bit surprised to see Huohuo suddenly act different from the timid self that they were accustomed to, she had a serious expression before closing her eyes.

Staying still for a moment, the talismans spread outwards before disappearing into the buildings.

"I sensed a small group near the upper balcony just a few shops down. Perhaps that's Kafka?"

Huohuo opened her eyes and told the group but felt awkward after seeing them silent.

"U-Umm…"

"Ah, sorry. We were just impressed with how quickly you scanned the area."

"Yeah, that was amazing!"

"Oh ah… Thank you… hehe–."

She felt a bit embarrassed after hearing what Yuuto and Stelle said and fought the urge to break into a silly smile.

Getting some useful information, the group ran in the direction Huohuo told them before seeing the woman in question just sitting by a table.

Holding a small cup of wine that she got from who knows where.

"Hello~! It's pretty nice to see you all arrive just in time." Kafka leisurely said while she crossed her legs.

"You! We've been busting ourselves trying to find you and you're here relaxing while sipping some wine!?"

"Certainly, feel free to join if you wish."

Kafka covered her mouth to laugh and tapped the seat beside her while March felt speechless.

"Oh? Not too keen, huh? And here I thought I would finally have some company."

Snapping her fingers the door behind her slammed open and a group of Cloud Knights walked out. 

They looked normal and had no indication of being struck with mara, but their movements were rather sluggish and unrefined for a soldier.

"Those Cloud Knights…" Huohuo whispered after sensing something off with them.

"Don't worry little foxian. I just gave them a little persuasion to have them [Listen] to me."

Kafka raised her fingers and after lowering her index, two soldiers swung their lances to the side.

"The diviner is a little late so in the meantime let's play a bit~"

After saying this, Yuuto and Welt felt their senses flare up and quickly acted.

A transparent barrier enveloped March and Huohuo while the space around March and Tingyun stiffened as if it were locked in place.

—BOOOOOOOOM

"They acted quicker than I expected."

Now standing on top of a roof, Kafka finished the last drops of wine in her glass and dropped it. Looking at the cloud of dust she made, she stretched her arms and held her twin guns.

"Now we just wait." She said while looking off in the distance. "I'm curious if the stains will reach the script."

***

Your boy has finally finished his finals~ I'm a free man…..

Anyways I made an auxiliary chapter based on what a few of you wanted regarding Yuuto's abilities so you can refer to it from time to time. I added the main ones he uses/will use so maybe a small spoiler? Not sure since he's used them already at some point in the story but sure?

Also I want to attempt to write a chapter sooner since I have some free time so stay tuned for that I guess. I may also write some omakes so if that interests you just let me know. Like possible slice of life or maybe sneak peeks at the future. 

May all Miyabi wanters get her after watching her short film and Sunday havers rejoice as I have joined you lot. Must sacrifice the foxian to make Aglaea better.