Reunions and Rest.

Leaving the guild hall with the discomforting image of Kitsura shivering next to Sataro in a cell in the guild's dungeon leaves an uneasy feeling in my stomach. 'Huh, I went from impartial to being really worried about them.' Marching through the streets of Alameria, I make my way to the one place that I've wanted to enter ever since I passed through the town gates.

Entering the Life-Spirit Inn, I weave my way through the collection of patrons and regular inhabitants, approaching and leaning against the bar, I scan its surroundings in the hopes of finding Rogardin or Treia. Unfortunately, aside from a number of patrons, neither of them appears to be nearby.

Scanning the tavern hall for a minute, it's nearly impossible to differentiate and identify any individual amongst the crowds of patrons and town inhabitants, especially with the loud banter, laughter and interactions occurring. I make my way upstairs in an attempt to get a better view. To my relief, and irritation, I spot one of the people I was looking for behind the bar near the spot I had just left.

With a groan, I approach the stairs, observing the multitudes of townspeople spread out across the tavern floor. Walking back down the stairs, I head back to the bar and to my dismay, no-one is there once more. Flicking my head left and right, followed by a hard lean over the counter, my irritation grows as it becomes evident that neither Rogardin, Treia nor Hikaru are anywhere in sight.

I choose to wait by the bar for someone to show up. While I do, I hear the faint whisper of a voice amidst the boisterous crowd from somewhere behind me. Twisting to face where I believe the voice came from, I find no one trying to engage with or pay me any attention.

A loud thud on the wooden surface of the bar causes me to jump and twist again to find myself face to face with Rogardin, who is wearing a beaming smile on his hairy face.

"Ah, hahaha. Made you jump..." I give him my most unimpressed gaze before tuning properly to face him. "Good to see you back buddy. How did it go?"

"Not as well as I'd hoped, slightly better than I expected." Rogardin listens to me while pouring a mug of what I hope to be Treia's lethyl leaf brew, only to be disappointed at the sight of their berry juice. "I walked away with two prisoners, at least." Reluctantly taking the mug, I consume its entirety after several large gulps of it, sating a thirst I didn't realise I had.

I hear the whisper again, driving me to look behind me once more, only to see no one there. It is beginning to grate on my nerves as the whisper is so quiet, and I can't tell where it's coming from or whose it is. Shaking off my irritation, I refocus my attention to Rogardin.

"Prisoners eh. You get much out of them, or you planning on interrogating them later?" I prepare to address Rogardin's question as he serves an ale to another patron.

"No, they were mostly just the pawns of the group. However, I do have a lot of work ahead of me, considering the weapons and beasts the group had at their disposal." Rogardin appears curious at my statement before his attention shifts slightly to someone behind me.

A pair of slender arms envelop me in an embrace, Treia's face then comes into view alongside mine as she holds me tight. I can't help but notice the gentle pressure and pleasant sensation of her bosom pressing against the right back shoulder.

"Hello hero. Welcome back" Treia greets me with a cheeky yet pleasant smile, holding me so tightly that I feel no inclination to shake her off—instead, I find myself relishing in the way she's holding me. "How did the quest go?"

"Middling." While I'm savoring the attention Treia's lavishing upon me, Rogardin gazes at us in a manner that insists that she and I should separate before his patience wears thin. Fortunately, Treia gets the message and releases me, playfully sticking out her tongue to tease her husband. 

However, as she moves away from me, a pang of sadness hits me as I long for the sensation of her bosom pressing against my back again. Then I remember the primary reason why I was so eager to return to the inn.

"So, where is Hikaru?" I shift my gaze between Treia and Rogardin awaiting their answer. I notice him nervously turn his head away from me, while Treia scans the crowds as if searching for something. "Guys, where is she?" My tone carries a hint of urgency as I start to worry about Hikaru's whereabouts.

"Don't worry, she's right where she wants to be." I turn my head to face Treia and inquire about her statement, but she appears more focused on something else. Following her gaze, I am hit with a genuine shock at the sight of Hikaru, and her outfit. 

She is wearing a stylish green barmaid's outfit, held up by straps over her shoulders. I'm additionally taken aback by the amount of her exposed skin. The dress itself hugs against her attractive form, accentuating her figure with a golden trim and buttons, adorned with a series of pure white frills that line the entirety of the outfit and extended as low as the middle of her thighs.

"Hikaru dear, come over here, please."  Treia's voice carries a playful tone about it. In response to Treia's call, Hikaru approaches us only to stop upon noticing me. Upon closer inspection of Hikaru, aside from the rising colour of her cheeks as she looks down at her feet, I observe that her hair is tied up in a fluffy ponytail style. 'I gotta say, this has to be the cutest she's ever looked.'

"I thought I warned you not to take advantage of her." Snapping out of the lecherous gaze I was directing towards Hikaru, I throw my accusation at Treia. She happens to be looking away from me as I begin to glare at her, only for her to meet my gaze moments later with a smug expression.

"Oh, believe me, the outfit was only a suggestion. She's the one who offered to help me around the tavern of her own free will." Treia explains while redirecting her attention to Hikaru who remains still, wearing an expression that could be best described as proud. Catching my skeptical gaze, she quickly adds, "Don't worry, I intend to pay her for her work."

Treia gestures for Hikaru to come closer, and she complies, albeit with a hint of reluctance. As Hikaru approaches, she holds a round wooden serving tray against her chest, which further enhances her image as a working barmaid. Coupled with her embarrassed expression and her intermittent glances in our direction, I can't help but be mesmerized by the sight of her.

Examining her from head to toe, I take in her complete ensemble. Beginning with the white frilly headpiece positioned atop her head, my gaze descends below the hem of her dress to the white stockings. These stockings, embellished with gold linings and crossed leaf-shaped cutouts, rise just above her knees, finishing with the stylish green slip-on shoes that complete the outfit.

"We... Welcome back, val... valued customer. How might I ser... ser... How might I serve you?" Hikaru is trying to perform her duty to the best of her ability in front of us, despite her embarrassment. As I continue to stare at her, I can feel that my face contorting into an expression that can be best described as goofy, yet I can't seem to control or change it either.

"Hi... Hikaru. You look..." I Conduct another scan of the cute girl in front of me, while Treia and Rogardin observe the interactions between us, both of them wearing crooked and suspicious grins. I clear my throat and manage to regain control of my facial expressions before continuing, "I must admit Hikaru, you've never looked cuter than you do right now." 

"Taka-shi" 'There it is again!' Although I could hear and comprehend the unfamiliar voice as it called out to me, it remains so faint that my confusion intensifies as I desperately scan around the room for signs of it's origin.

"Yo, are you feeling alright bud? The sight of a pretty girl causing the blood to rush into your head, or maybe somewhere else?" Rogardin lets out a boisterous laugh as he finishes speaking, earning a series of harsh, judgemental expressions from the girls and an irritated glare from me. "Whoa, okay. Bad time for that joke."

"How did the quest with the bandits go?" Hikaru asks me, seemingly over her earlier embarrassment. I proceed to explain the details surrounding my encounter with the bandits, including my defeat of the enslaved Slytzars, evading the weapons fire and the danger they posed, Sugawara's surprise arrival and assistance, and finally, escorting Kitsura and Sataro to Alameria.

I opt not to mention what happened to Kiru and her prolonged silence, especially since they haven't asked about her yet. However, it doesn't work out for me when Treia brings her up.

"So how is Kiru after all that? She's been in her sword form this entire time and hasn't spoken a word since you joined us." 'Crap, I need to make something up.' Everyone gazes at me curiously as I scramble to invent a believable lie about Kiru's condition.

"She, ah. I kind of... overworked her during the fight. Yeah, encountering Sugawara didn't help in that regard either." Hikaru and Treia exchange concerned glances over my lie concerning Kiru's condition, 'I'm surprised by how I've managed to come up with this lie. However, if they learned the truth, they'd probably go into a panic.' "Kiru's been so quiet, even I haven't heard from her in the last few hours."

With the girls expressing their concern and fussing over Kiru, Rogardin attends to the customers, serving them a variety of drinks. As I reflect on my fabricated story about Kiru resting, a wave of weariness washes over me, leading me to realise that I haven't had a proper rest since my return to Other World.

"Hey Treia, you got a room I can use?"

"Of course, I've been keeping a room open for you and Hikaru to use privately." Treia guides my gaze upward to the room Hikaru and I used the last time we were here. Rising to my feet, I stumble slightly as the weight of my tiredness weighs me down.

"Are you okay?" Hikaru expresses her concern as I stumble, but I reassure her by holding my hand up.

"I'm okay, just tired. I'm going to lie down and get some rest." As I climb the stairs towards the room, I glance back to watch Hikaru returning to serve the customers and Treia mingling amongst the crowd.

"Takashi." As I open the door to enter the room, the voice beckons to me once again, even as I turn to find where the voice came from, no one can be found behind me. Entering the room and closing the door, I unhitch Kiru from my back and set her down gently onto the floor and beside the bed.

Removing my coat, I pull up the strap from the rifle and the makeshift bag containing the equipment I had taken off the dead. Wrapping them in my coat, I slide it underneath the bed to further conceal the contents.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I take hold of Kiru and rest her atop my lap, once again assessing the damage. Closely inspecting the damage, I notice that the cracks across her blade are smaller now, albeit only slightly. Resting my hand on her blade, I gently trace along the cracks, with a hope and wish that Kiru will recover soon.

"Takashi" Despite being alone in the room, I hear my name again. However, I instinctively direct my gaze at the source of the faint whispering I've been hearing, and when my sight locks onto the sword in my lap, it finally clicks. I realise why it always seemed like the voice was coming from somewhere behind me, the reason why it was so faint to begin with, and its growth. 'The mysterious voice I've been hearing was Kiru's!?'

"Kiru?" Raising the sword that is Kiru closer to my face in a futile attempt to hear her, I'm met with silence. Despite my lingering exhaustion, my mind races as I try to make sense of the situation. As I continue to hold Kiru close, the answer comes to me, 'If Kiru's been trying to reach out, then she has been recovering, if only slightly. I couldn't recognise her voice because it was so faint.'

Closing my eyes, I rest my head against Kiru's blade, pouring all of my focus into a single wish. Holding the blade, I flood my mind with the image of Kiru in her humanoid form: From the mix of red and black of her vest, which covers her white tank top, her short cut jeans that end just above her knees, and the distinctive style of her hair, a tied up in a ponytail as sharp and straight as her blade.

As if in response to my wish, Kiru's entire form glows with a dim light that shifts from the large sword that she was into the small humanoid form I remember. Carefully cradling her upper and lower halves with each of my hands, I lift her to my face, and in my excitement, gently press her tiny body against my cheek.

"Ugh, Ta-ka-shi?" Allowing her a bit of space between us, I watch as Kiru struggles to move in my grasp, almost as if she's completely paralyzed. "Ugh, I can't move. What happened?" Kiru barely opens her eyes as she asks her question, still appearing to be very weak from the damage she took.

"You saved me from a bullet fired from one of those powerful rifles, the impact was so strong it threw us back and cracked your blade. I haven't heard from you since it happened several hours ago. I was worried you wouldn't wake up." I speak softly, careful not overwhelm the injured being resting in my hands.

"Everything hurts. Where are we?" Although her small humanoid form doesn't visibly show the damage she endured, it's still there. Despite my joy of interacting with Kiru again after so long, and that her responsiveness is a positive sign that she'll be okay, I'm saddened at the fact that even after all this time, she's still in pain and completely immobile.

Distressed by Kiru's condition as I am, I can't help but smile. Examining the bed with its thick, bulky quilt and array of large soft pillows, I gently place kiru at the base of one of the pillows. After removing my shirt and shoes, I slide beneath the quilt and lie next to my companion, making sure that Kiru remains within my line of sight.

As I settle into a comfortable position, I notice that Kiru appears to be distressed. Repositioning my left hand to be right next to her, Kiru weakly reaches out to grasp it. Her grip is feeble as she endeavors to pull my hand closer to her body. Indulging her desire, I guide my hand in the direction she tugs it until it rests firmly against her.

Enveloping her arms around my pinky and ring fingers, she embraces my hand as if she were hugging a body pillow. I can't help but find her actions incredibly cute and endearing, which brings a smile to my face as I watch over her.

Finally feeling a profound sense of relief and comfort after such a long time, it isn't long before sleep beckons me into its embrace. With no desire or strength left to resist, my consciousness fades, and the world around me goes dark.