It Wasn't Luck!

My whole face hurts and my ears are ringing on fire… I think Yuki might be more dangerous than the Mchafu Boss.

“Of all the places you could have grabbed her, you had to grab her butt,” Daichi chuckles while we're alone in the forest; Yuki sent us out to hunt something for dinner.

“She fell from the air. I didn't want her to crash on the ground.” A lame excuse, yet is the truth. “She could have said thanks.”

“Sure thing and in the process, you took the chance to cop a feel,” Daichi laughs, teasing me.

I feel my face getting warmer, “Nooo! I'd never do that, only with her permission. Hopefully, someday…”

Daichi suddenly stops me and whispers, “Stay still.” He summons a throwing axe, but there's a massive tree in front of us.

He extends his arm back and hurls the axe. It curves around the side of the tree and hits something, or someone; the scream didn't sound like… “Daichi!! What if it was a person?! Are you stupid?!”

“Calm down, Kai,” he pats me on the back and laughs, “I can feel the earth, there were four-legged movements.”

We approach and find it's a strange two-headed creature, both heads lifeless. A Two-Headed Bibam; it's not very attractive to watch the blood spill from this creature that looks odd in a cute way. Daichi picks it up and we return to camp; I take care of any monsters that get close. Now, after defeating the boss, there seem to be fewer monsters and their respawn is slower.

I attack playfully, jumping, defeating them as if they're nothing. I have complete confidence in myself; it's starting to feel too easy. Soon I’ll be able to defeat the wolves and get my revenge.

“Kai… don't get too full of yourself,” Daichi suddenly tells me, his tone far more serious than I expected, his face devoid of a smile, laughter, or jokes. He doesn't seem like himself, his eyes seem to be looking far in the past. “It was just a low-level boss; never let your guard down, even with easy monsters.”

I don't know what to respond; I don't know whether to get angry or reply. I stand still, watching him as he continues on his way. “Forget it… sounded way too serious, didn't it? Sorry, you did a good job.” He chuckles a bit, but it seems forced. I wonder why he said that, what Daichi's past is, why he's a much higher level than us? I catch up to him.

By the time we leave the forest, he seems back to normal: a smile on his face, happy, always hungry. Yuki was still angry, but that seemed to dissipate when she saw our lunch. I start a fire, while Daichi handles skinning the animal and cutting its meat with ease. He works with such efficiency that I dare to ask when he learned to do that.

Without missing a beat, he tells us that in his childhood, he and his older brother used to go hunting. They were good at it, becoming almost professionals at selling hides and meat, until they could finally afford equipment and go traveling the world, meeting people, having boys, girls and enjoying life.

As he recounted, his smile seemed to fade. “What happened next? Is he still traveling the world?” I curiously ask, averting my gaze from all the blood of this Bibam.

“He got too cocky…” he says flatly and doesn't elaborate further on the subject, not sure what to imagine about his brother, though I can get a vague idea what could have happened.

During lunch, his usual smiles and joy return, though They accuse me, between jokes and bites, of being lucky and that I must continue training very, very hard.

“I wasn't the one who got caught in the boss's hand!” I rebut, smirking.

Yuki glares at me, but I find beauty in that gaze, her sapphire eyes shining. “What?” she asks, looking at me in a different way.

“Nothing, I'm just glad you're okay. That the three of us are.”

Daichi stretches his arms and hugs us; Yuki tries to get out again. “Nooo, your hands are covered in dried blood, you stink and you're all sweaty.”

Despite all that, I return the hug and rest my head on him. I hug Yuki as well, but I'm careful about where I place my hand.

On the way back, we're quite loaded: Bibam skin, more hunted animals, a whole arsenal of weapons, bones and other things from the monsters we hunted. The heaviest and most incredible, the entire shield of the boss Mchafu. It's a good haul for today, we'll be able to eat and relax in peace, maybe even treat ourselves to a luxury spot…

“I think I'll go to Delux Ladies today; I want a super relaxing bath and a comfortable bed… I can't wait for tonight.” Yuki sighs, her expression full of daydreaming.

“Me too,” I tell her, “I want to unwind today and drink a lot.”

“It's only for girls… you degenerate.” Yuki looks away after giving me a nasty look. “You should go to Delux Boys; I'm sure the monsters won't be the only sweet rolls there.”

Unconsciously, I cover my butt. “Leave my little ass alone! I didn't know it was just for girls…” I say, though it makes sense, the name itself implies it and it wouldn't be too bad to check it out…

“If you try to get near, I won't be the only one leaving you red. You'll probably die from all the hits you'll receive.”

“I wasn't thinking about that, just—” I start, but Daichi grabs me with his arm and gets close.

“Delux Boys is incredible, they're really friendly, there are challenges, games, the baths are amazing; we'd have a blast.”

“If there's no other option, I'll go.” But the name doesn’t look very appetizing.

Daichi stands up straight and lets me go. “Great! It's a good plan. Although we still need to train; that stroke of luck won't be with us forever.”

“It wasn't luck!” Both of them look at me and don't believe me. “You know what? I'll prove it to you.”

I try to summon energy; it's a struggle. I manage to create glimmers of filigree and my fingertip flickers. “Only your fingertip can make that shine? Kai, just admit it, it was luck; we need to keep training.” Yuki speaks, somewhat seriously, but also teasing and taunting me.

“You'll hurt yourself and then I'll have to carry you again… Come on, Kai, it was luck.” Daichi says, laughing and I don't want him to laugh. I said I'd prove it and I will.

I recall that moment; I remember the anger, I see their laughter and their disbelief. They don’t really trust me and I won’t be carried by Daichi again!

“IT WASN'T LUCK!”

As I shout, I swing my arm upward making a beam of light shoots from my hand into the sky, followed by a loud boom; an explosion of clouds in the sky.

“See? That's how powerful I am,” I proudly declare, looking at them; they are both in awe.

“That wasn't your magic, I think—” Yuki starts, but something falls from the sky between us.

We approach to see what it is; it's a small, glowing energy bird that suddenly stops shining and fades away, leaving a piece of paper behind.

“That is…” Daichi begins to say.

“The King's Seal,” Yuki finishes.

What the hell have I just done?