Just A Date At The Beach

Takao and Sumire lounged side by side on a sandy ocean beach, he in swimming trunks and she in an alluring swimsuit that made Takao’s heart race. A fishing rod stuck upright in the sand between them, and their weapons rested behind them. The summer warmth was just starting to fade in Sukiya, but here in the south it was always warm. The hot sun and sand combined with the cool ocean breeze made for an excellent combo, and the sound of gently crashing waves was extremely relaxing.

Takao was thoroughly enjoying their quiet date at the beach, though that wasn’t the true goal of their beach trip. He glanced at the scar that fully circled his wrist where he’d temporarily lost his hand. Despite their efforts to locate them, they’d seen no sign of Karou or Mia. Sumire had successfully erected a simple barrier around Teien that would alert her if Karou crossed it, but Takao didn’t like the idea of just waiting for her to return.

There was nothing he could do right now, though, so he decided to just enjoy the soothing atmosphere and his time with Sumire. He picked up the fishing rod and pulled on the line, trying to encourage something to bite.

“What should we do next?” Sumire wondered aloud.

“We wait for something to tug on the line.” Takao said deadpan.

“Not that! I mean, when we get back to Sukiya! What should we do next?”

Takao laughed.

“Dragon Festival is coming soon. Games, dancing, food, celebrating our benevolent dragon god Sumire. That should be lots of fun for you.” Takao poked.

“I do love Dragon Festival! Could do without the dragon cleric’s long-winded tales of my greatness, though.”

“I figured that would be your favorite part.” He teased.

“Not when you’ve heard the stories hundreds of times!” She snapped. “At least we have plenty of spending money. I can’t wait to try all the food!”

“Ahaha! I knew the food was your favorite! Well, since the winter march is coming, we should be fine even if we splurge a little. There will be plenty of monsters to go around, after all.”

“Ugh! I hate winter! The cold is my enemy!” She declared with a feigned shiver. “How about I stay in the apartment by the warm fire while you hunt monsters in the snow?”

“We’ll get you a coat.” Takao said with a sympathetic pat on the back.

Sumire groaned, which made Takao chuckle.

“Do all dragon god’s hate the cold?” He asked.

“Not all, but most. Karou hates it even more than I do, so she’ll probably hole up somewhere warm till spring. If she’s still the Karou I once knew, that is, which may not be the case. She wasn’t acting at all like when I knew her. The magic she used to teleport wasn’t hers. Plus that eye that popped out of her forehead, and the voice that spoke through her. It was all so— strange. I wish I could see her again and try talking to her. Find out what’s really going on.”

“I think you’ll get your chance.” Takao assured. “Do you think she got the amulet from whoever that voice and eye belonged to?”

Sumire activated her magical storage and retrieved the golden amulet in question. She examined it closely for what was perhaps the thousandth time.

“Seems likely. She was never good at making things like this. That was more my specialty.”

After staring at the amulet for a moment longer, she sighed.

“Let’s do it.” She said.

Takao nodded and took the amulet from her. He threw it far out over the ocean, and Sumire shot it with lightning that shattered it into pieces.

After much discussion over the past month, they’d decided the amulet was too dangerous to keep, and had to be destroyed.

“That’s that, I guess.” Sumire said in defeat.

“Hey, it’s okay. You said yourself there was nothing more we could learn from it.”

“I know. It’s for the best. I just wish I could’ve gleaned something from it to help us find Karou.”

“Well— maybe we’ll run into her during our A rank advancement test. Maybe she’ll ambush us outside a dungeon, or maybe it’ll be her and Mia.” Takao joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Ugh! Don’t jinx us! I hope I never see that horrible woman again. She makes my skin crawl!”

Takao smiled and was happy to see Sumire smile too. They laughed as they discussed their mutual hatred for Mia and debated what horrible things may be waiting for them in the A rank advancement test.

“That reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask you about something Karou said. Are we bonded?” Takao questioned, trying to sound casual.

Sumire blushed, looking startled by the question.

“Well— no.” She answered while avoiding eye contact. “There are certain— requirements that have to be met first, and we haven’t met them all yet.”

“Like what?”

“Like— wait! Why do you want to know?” She countered.

“Uh— Just curious.”

“Hmm? Is that so? In that case, I’ll tell you what the requirements are after you’ve met them. If you ever manage to meet them, that is.” Sumire taunted with a wide grin.

“Come on. How am I supposed to meet them without knowing what they are?”

“Not my problem.” She whistled.

Takao smiled at how his question had backfired on him. He pondered his response as a fishing boat drifted lazily by out on the water.

“Then, I guess I’ll just have to stick with you till I meet every— single— requirement—. No matter how long it takes. You might just be stuck with me forever.” He said matter-of-factly.

Sumire grinned ever wider.

“It can’t be helped then. You’ll have to accompanying me for as long as it takes.” She said, imitating his tone.

They laughed and leaned in close, sharing a brief kiss before separating and turning away from each other, bashfully.

Takao cleared his throat. He was feeling suddenly hot, but had another question he’d been wanting to ask for a while. “There’s something else I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why did you descend to the mortal realm anyway?”

Sumire looked surprised.

“I never told you? It’s because—”

The fishing rod Takao was holding suddenly shot out of his hands, and disappeared beneath the waves, causing Sumire to pause mid-sentence. They exchanged an inquisitive look. The waves lapped the shore gently. The fishing boat dragged a net lazily through the water. Nothing happened, so Takao relaxed.

Huge tentacles burst from the water and lashed themselves around the fishing boat. Screams disrupted the peaceful environment, and both Takao and Sumire jumped to their feet, grabbing their weapons.

“Time to work! I’ll tell you later!” Sumire said as two orbs appeared behind her, and her feet left the sand.

“I told you we could catch it with fishing!” Takao called as he followed her into the air.

“Don’t act like you planned this! You wanted to bait it with a fishing rod, not a fishing boat! Your plan stunk!”

Takao laughed as he and Sumire dove toward the ocean, weapons in hand, and ready for battle. No matter what came their way, be it demon, dragon god, or kraken, with Sumire at his side, he had no doubt they could handle it together.

Sumire’s Exposé!
The dragonian village Nettai receives a great deal of tourism due to its warm tropical climate and picturesque beaches. The nearby beach, Crescent Bay, is an especially popular honeymoon destination, as legend holds that visitors will receive good fortune while visiting during momentous life events. A local saying goes: As one arc in our story comes to an end, another begins, and if our new arc is shared with the ones we love, then how can our story be anything but beautiful.

Thanks for reading!