Carmine

Bump. Bump. Bumping.

Dark woods outside the bumping wagon almost made me think it was nighttime. But I could still see a ray of sunset peering above our driver's head.

"Sorry, partners!" Cowboy said, holding both reins tight. "We've been getting stuck in mud so much today! Even these horses are slowin' down!"

"I-It's fine," I replied. "Our event doesn't start until tomorrow anyway."

The wooden boards I'd been sitting on kept shaking. Getting comfortable had been difficult, but Tsukino right across from me didn't mind. In fact, she was staring a hole into me almost this whole trip.

Guess it's about time. I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out fingerless gloves. The leather slipped over my hands like a perfect fit.

"Huh?" Tsukino raised a brow. "Why are you putting your gloves on?"

"You said they're part of our uniform the other day."

"Don't be dumb. I know you've realized I was just lying about that."

"Yeah well, since these were basically gifts, figured I might as well use them."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

The bumpy ride continued. We kept to ourselves even as Tsukino kept staring straight at me. Did I make her mad somehow?

My stomach grumbled. I reached for the backpack beside me and started digging for snacks—anything that could satiate me. Buried underneath gear were some bread loaves and dried meat, but then my hand felt something odd.

"Oh?" I pulled out a newsboy cap. The rounded, floppy shape with a short brim was something I'd seen in films before. Though seeing it in Sin Nombre seemed even more odd than normal.

"Wait, where'd you get that?" Tsukino ahead said.

"From my backpack?"

"Tsk." She muttered under her breath, before reaching down her own backpack. Parchment and apples were dug out until she found another newsboy cap. "I knew it."

"We had these hats in our bags?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking Kuroki snuck them in here. He's obsessed with hats."

Kuroki—Chief Borsalino's personal guard—always wore flamboyant suits and jazzy fedoras. Him and Chief's style made me picture mobsters when I first met them, though it turned out to be the company's motif.

"Woah, hey!" Cowboy turned around. "Are y'all talking about the Kuroki? The fella that once fought alongside the four Heroes?"

"Huh? Is he special?" I said.

"More like darn tootin' legendary! He used to be vice captain of the Shadow Cabal party that disbanded while back. Funny hearin' he retired from fightin' though."

My eyes glanced towards Tsukino for answers, but she just shrugged. Does that mean she didn't know? Or doesn't care?

"Anyways," Cowboy said, "we should be arrivin' at Oro Fantasma soon. I'll holler."

"Thanks. We'd appreciate it.

But when I looked at Tsukino again, she'd cutely donned the little newsboy cap. Her eyes drifted over towards mine.

"H-How does this look?" she said, blushing.

"Eh? Seems fine."

"Are you sure?"

"I said it was fine. Why are you wearing that though?"

She ahem'ed into her knuckles to regain composure. "I may—or may not—have penchants for retaining gifts given to me. So I suppose I'll keep donning this hat on my head for now."

Processing the information took me a second. Then I raised a hand. "So say—purely hypothetically, without underlying motives—if I gave you a wedding ring, would you accept it?"

"I'd pawn it immediately. Don't. Push. Your. Luck."

The death glare froze me into silence as I tried whistling away the vibes. Her cold, direct stare only intensified from earlier.

That's the last time I try humor. Without another word I put on my newsboy hat.

"What are you doing?" Tsukino snapped.

"Putting on this hat that got snuck into my backpack too?"

"Why?"

"Why not? If we're both gonna be partners, might as well match."

She let loose the biggest TSK I'd ever heard before turning away. "Do what you want."

"Hey, hey. Y'all got trouble in paradise back there? Yahawhaw!" Cowboy laughed. "Oro Fantasma has some nice inns!"

But I was too exhausted to even be annoyed with him. Our bumpy ride all afternoon had drained me, not just physically, but also with Tsukino being more temperamental than usual. When did I upset her? Before we left Cielo Verde? After? Even now she was still staring a hole straight at me.

Then I felt something rustle on my chest.

"Hmmm? Trixie?" I flipped open my trench coat and saw a sleeping pixie, snuggled in a deep pocket. She cooed cute noises before letting off yawns.

"Oomphies. Are we there yet?" she drowsily said.

"Almost. Keep sleeping if you want."

"Maybe a little more then … zzzzz."

Funny creature. I closed my trench coat, before I peered towards Tsukino again. Her eyes—twitching with rage—stared at me like she had something to say.

"Listen," I said, "if there's something on your mind, just say it. This is getting annoying."

"It's—you!"

"Come again?"

Raging anger petered out as she focused on my coat, and her face became forlorn. "Why did Trixie wanna sleep with you instead of me . . ."

"What?" I couldn't stop a baffled expression. "Don't tell me that's why you've been moody all afternoon."

"You wouldn't understand . . ."

The revelation shook me more than it should—the normally stoic fortress of Tsukino had crumbled today. She'd presented rare, feminine moments along with turbulent emotions I hadn't seen from her before. And ever since the hospital warning, it'd been clear she shared a special bond with Trixie.

The little pixie stirred in my coat again. I felt her crawl upwards like a beetle until her head poked out.

"Oomphies. Did someoneeee say my name?" she yawned.

"Hey," I asked her. "Wouldn't it be better if you slept in Tsukino's trench coat?"

She sleepily shook her head. "Tsukino's boobies make it tough getting comfy in there. I usually napped in Morikawa's coat when we all traveled together."

"H-How?" As if self-conscious, Tsukino peered down at her large chest, pronounced even under a thick coat. "They're not that big . . ."

But I wasn't interested. Instead, I gently plucked Trixie out from my coat and sat her on my palm.

"Do you have to sleep often?" I said. "Seems like you're napping half the time I see you."

"Her circadian rhythm is dependent on personal activity," Tsukino said, pushing up her glasses. "So the more Trixie exerts herself, the more she'll need rest."

"Mm-hmm," Trixie nodded. "Flying lots or transforming wears me down. But I usually don't gotta sleep long."

"Interesting. Guess there's still more I need to learn about yo—"

A sudden jolt under the wagon tumbled me and Tsukino over on our sides. Wooden wheels groaned as all four stopped spinning, and the horses outside neighed in surprise. We'd halted in our tracks.

"Wh-What happened?" I said, sitting up.

"Aw, shoot! Partners!" Cowboy up front yelled. " Looks like we got stuck in mud again! Is everyone alright?"

Trixie was already buzzing between Tsukino and I to check our conditions. We were startled but fine.

"Tsk. The terrain out here is irksome," Tsukino said. She stood before patting herself off.

"It rained just yesterday," I replied. "Shouldn't be surprising there's some hiccups."

We heard boots clanking on wood as Cowboy hopped off the driver's bench. From outside the canvas covering, it was apparent he was checking on both horses and then the wheels.

"Gee golly! We're stuck good!" he said. "Gonna need time for me to clear this mud away."

But just when I was gonna say "okay", I noticed mild concern spread on Tsukino's face. She peered out the back of the wagon and looked towards the sky.

"It's getting dark," she mused. "That's not good."

Dark? I hadn't been outside in this world past sunset. Though I'd heard odd things.

I joined Tsukino by the exit. "Do you wanna help Cowboy?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Without hesitation we leapt out onto the muddy road. Our shoes made splattering sounds as we righted ourselves and observed our surroundings: tall trees were blocking most remaining light, though we could discern things well enough.

"Oh?" Cowboy by a wheel noticed us. "Y'all can just relax in the wagon. Don't gotta get dirty like me."

"It's fine." Tsukino ambled over and started trying to lift the wagon out of the mud. "G-Go around the other side, Aizawa."

"Right."

While they both focused on lifting their side, I trudged around and worked on the other. My hands—sheathed in leather gloves—got a good grip underneath the wagon. But mud around me made footing difficult, and the wagon's sheer weight seemed too great for three people.

"D-D-Damn this thing," I muttered.

Then Trixie's giggling rang behind me.

"Heehee. Do you need help?" she said, buzzing around me.

"O-Oh yeah. T-T-Transform into something strong. Raise this thing."

"You betcha'!"

The little pixie flew upwards and started radiating light. Purple sparkles blitzed out like fireworks as her outline grew and morphed. Wings were replaced with muscular backbone; tiny hands burst into fists, and then hints of fur showed.

Soon, a full-grown gorilla landed down beside me. Her hot breaths left blurs in the air until her neck finished popping into place.

"Done!" She smiled wide with big canine teeth. But her voice still rang in a cute, high-pitched squeak.

"G-Get that corner," I ordered. "I'll stay on this one."

"Roger!" Gorilla Trixie hobbled over and stuck her hands under the wagon. Wide, strong palms let her get a good grasp as she started slowly bulking muscles.

"Can't transform into a silverback instead?" I asked her.

She grinned. "I might still be a girl, but female gorillas are stronger than any man!"

The wagon began lifting from her end. Wheels were raised just enough to be freed from mud as all of us tried moving the wagon forward. Wood groaned with each step until we'd escaped the mud slick and gently lowered our ride down on solid ground.

"Huff, huff." I backed away to catch my breath. That was crazier than needed . . .

"Yay! We did it!" Trixie's arms waved around in celebration before she beat her chest. "Praise me, Aizawa!"

"Good job, haha."

We kept celebrating until Tsukino strolled around the corner. Her shoes and the rim of her trench coat were covered in mud; but she was smiling.

"You guys did nicely," she said. "Well done."

Urghhh . . . Seeing her rare cheerfulness caught me off-guard, and made my heart throb (surely just indigestion). Though when I tried small chatting, Cowboy waltzed around the wagon's corner.

"Partners! Hey! Fine teamwork! Imma go get the horses ready and we'll be off!"

"Yeah," I said. "We'll be right here."

After he gave a thumbs up, I turned back towards gorilla Trixie whose face seemed alert. Her dark nose and ears were all twitching, cautious, while she swiveled around.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

No reply. Instead, she glared at the shadowy woods and assumed a defensive stance. "We're not alone."

The words prickled goosebumps on my neck. Cold sweat trickled down as I tried seeing past the shrubs and dense trees ahead. But all there lurked was darkness within a web of branches.

"Get inside, Aizawa," Tsukino commanded. She pulled out a wand from her trench coat and grasped it like a knife at the ready.

Adrenaline coursed through me, heart racing. Should I hide? Stay to fight? The uncertainty froze me in place—a chill I hadn't felt since I'd died drowning. It was a suffocating, helpless feeling that made me back up into the wagon, panting.

S-Shit! I flipped open my coat to try finding Dauntless Effigy. Should I use it? Is this enough of an emergency? What if I'm corrupted? Killed? All straight after being reborn!

Just when I clasped the knife's handle, a blur launched out from the woods, right at me.

"Aizawa!" Trixie leapt in front of me and grabbed a savage wolf.

The hound, eyes glowing red, thrashed in Trixie's muscled arms. It tried biting at her face with furious chomps, until she forced the wolf into a headlock. In another second, bones and vertebrae snapped like glass.

"There's more! Look!" Tsukino pointed her wand towards the woods where gangs of red-eyed wolves were emerging from. "Trixie! Transform into something nimbler!"

"Right!" In a purple flash, Trixie's body morphed into a full-grown tiger. Orange fur moved in a blur as she rushed at incoming wolves. Powerful fangs killed and paralyzed several hounds, but two managed to pass her.

"Don't count me out, partners!" Cowboy blasted onto the scene and shot both wolves with flintlock pistols. He tossed the guns aside and unholstered another two. "I gotta protect y'all!"

And the chaotic scene continued. Trixie kept pouncing on foes, while Cowboy shot any that tried flanking us. All the time Tsukino stood defensively in front of me.

"Don't use Dauntless," she said. "This is our fight. Just stay behind me."

"Th-Thanks . . ."

Then as Cowboy fired his last shots, he yelled: "Barnacles! I'm out of flinties! Gotta fight 'em up-close-and-personal!" He attacked wolves with a pocket knife.

Elsewhere, Trixie was stacking corpses as she mauled hound after hound. The savage carnage sent a grim warning that made the remaining wolves hesitate. They all backed up slowly into the woods, as if plotting a brief retreat.

A lull in the war, Tsukino crouched down to talk. "Carmine wolves—their eyes glow red when they attack. And it's said everything they see is relayed to their alpha that's always nearby."

"Can we beat them?" I said.

She nodded, firm. "Watch us."

Cowboy had been reloading his flintlock pistols nearby, when he gazed towards the woods and trembled. "L-Look, y'all! Somethin' big is coming!"

Bushes were trampled as a small army of carmine wolves skulked through. Their eyes had ceased glowing, but now each wolf escorted their huge leader.

"Grrrrr." Guttural growls rang. Firm, clawed paws imprinted into the ground as a truck-sized wolf stepped into sight, eyes glowing vivid crimson. Its fangs—bared to tear flesh asunder—gleamed from acid saliva steaming out in wisps.

Then all at once, the wolves howled to signal their readiness.

"The alpha has been watching us through minions," Tsukino said. "They learned what each of us can do. But they haven't seen what I can do yet."

"Wait, where are you going?" I said when she stepped forward to face the army alone. Even tiger Trixie knew to shirk away from her.

The sudden confidence made wolves hesitate; several moved back. Only the alpha stood tall and accepted the challenge.

What is Tsukino gonna do? I watched her point her wand at the huge wolf glaring her down. But what could happen? Tsukino—an NPC like me—had weak magical circuits that inhibited abilities. She wasn't reincarnated to fight. Though I'd heard whispers at work about circuitry that functioned abnormally.

The alpha took a step forward, growling. Tsukino didn't flinch as she kept her wand steady and stood confident.

"L-Lass!" Cowboy yelled. "Yer' in trouble if those fangs get ya'! Be careful!"

The combatants were just a few meters apart now. Neither woman nor wolf showed fear.

But when a breeze blew leaves by, the alpha crouched for a pounce.

Tsukino didn't hesitate. "Pompous Winds!"

Cyclones surged out from her wand. Gusts flew like knives at the alpha who was gashed with cuts, until devastating force blew him and the whole pack away. Even trees split apart into splinters as the typhoon engulfed everything. Winds stronger than naturally possible carved into the landscape with unrelenting fury.

Gusts whipping, all I could do was hold onto my hat behind her. This is insane! Crazy!

The storm surged for almost a kilometer until finally halting. Sheer destruction stretched farther than I could see, and had obliterated enough trees to let me see the horizon—a gleaming sunset.

"Shucks, well I'll be," Cowboy said. He pulled off his hat for a clearer view. "Them doggies ain't gonna bother us no more, that's for sure."

"Yay! We did it!" Trixie poofed back into a white-haired pixie as she flew towards Tsukino. "Congrats!"

But Tsukino didn't even budge. She remained standing, panting with her wand still pointing out. And like life suddenly vanished from her eyes, she collapsed.

"Woah, hey!" I caught her as she fell. "You alright?"

"Don't worry, this is normal," Trixie said. "She'll be napping for a while though."