Saved by the Holy Darkness

Tatsuya couldn’t believe his luck. Just when he thought he had finally cleared a great obstacle, he now found himself before another one. He was at a loss at how to respond in this situation. He had met many absurd people in his life but never one like this. The Amaru princess, despite the surrealness of her words and actions, was nonchalant in her behavior as if she expected herself to be just another ordinary person.

“May my ears grasp your name, Grand Savior?” asked the princess with a handsome grin.

“What?” asked Tatsuya in confusion.

“Your name,” translated the butler.

“Owatatsumi Tatsuya.”

“Omatsuri Tatsuya!” shouted Sharina grandly. “What a fantastic name!”

“Owatatsumi!” corrected Tatsuya. He wasn’t unfamiliar with people getting his name wrong, but it still irked him nonetheless.

“Owatatatatsumi Tatsuya!” repeated Sharina.

“Owatatsumi!” corrected Tatsuya.

“Owatatsumi Tatetsuya!” said Sharina.

“Owatatsumi Tatsuya!” screamed Tatsuya in irritation.

“Well, Grand Savior, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” said Sharina with a bow.

“If you’re not going to use my name anyway, then why bother?!” cried Tatsuya. ‘Just talking to her is already making me exhausted!’ he cursed to himself.

“It is the will of the Holy Darkness that we are to meet,” said Sharina. “The winds have brought to me the forthcoming cries of bloodshed. The stupidity of mortals have angered the Holy Darkness. Brother will kill brother across the land! Never before have my heart yearned for the settling of darkness peacefully within the breast of fellow kin. Its cries echo through my body like the pulsing of a river pounding away at the dam of uncertainty! Oh, I shall lay judgement upon this foolishness. My thirst for righteousness have made this cursed eye of mine throb like the beating heart of a demon.” She clutched her eyepatch as she said the last line. “It is written within our hearts that we shall lay down the sword to stop this tide of blood from washing away our people. The Holy Darkness wishes only for peace!”

Tatsuya admits that he was captivated by her speech. But he also knew that they were just the ramblings of a madman! He didn’t understand any of them at all! Yet, her charm somehow gave him the false sense that he really did know what she meant by her words. ‘She’s crazier than all of the other princesses combined,’ he bemoaned.

The butler stepped forward and spoke once his mistress was finished. “It must be the will of the heavens that we have met. Recently, I have received news that a war is going to be fought between two tribes. This war between tribes is foolish and immature and will be the destruction of our realm. Hearing this has made me yearn for peace more than ever. I want to take action and prevent this tragedy from taking place. We shall work together to save our people and land from being destroyed. Peace is what we all desire. So speaks, My Lady,” translated the butler.

Tatsuya was overjoyed to receive this bit of help from the butler. “Finally, someone who can speak normally!” he cried happily.

“No, you are wrong, Owatatsumi-sama,” said the butler. “The way My Lady speaks is the real so-called ‘normal speak’ of my people. However, we Amarus have learned over time that our unique speech is not receptive to the other tribes at all. Therefore, many of the royal servants, as proclaimed by the royal family since olden times, are schooled in the way the other tribes converse in order to act as translators.”

“The way you’re saying it makes it sound like your tribes speaks an entirely different language,” said Tatsuya.

“I shall say that we do,” said the butler with a chuckle. “By the way, it is rude of me to have not yet introduce myself. I am My Lady’s personal butler, Shade.”

“Your princess was just talking about a war between two tribes, right? Which tribes?” asked Tatsuya.

“The children of fire and ice,” answered Sharina.

Tatsuya knew immediately what she meant; he didn’t need a translator at all. “So they restarted their feud,” he said with a sigh.

“One full moon has passed and the drums of war are forever getting nearer,” said Sharina. “We must approach the children of fire and deal unto them the divine will of the Holy Darkness. Foolish is a mortal who believes the spilling of blood shall quench the thirst for peace.”

“One moon?” asked Tatsuya. “Y-You mean that one month had passed?!” he exclaimed in horror. He couldn’t believe that he was down there for such a long period of time! How was that possible?! It felt like only a week had passed by when he was down there! Could it be that time works differently in the abyss? It was the lair of a Celestial Dragon after all….

“I need to return to the Draco kingdom,” he told them. “Can you take me there?”

“The stars shall illuminate our way,” said Sharina with a bow. She then walked back to the carriage.

“If you please,” said Shade, gesturing for Tatsuya to follow.

The group got into the carriage and they were off. While inside, Sharina continued to monologue in her weird way of speaking: “I knew it by the vision that had chanced upon me since time of yore that we would at last acquaint ourselves under the spirit of the Holy Darkness. The blood that runs through your veins screams of righteousness and your heart is undoubtedly forged by the steel of heroes. Tales of your heroics have reached my once deafened ears and woken me from my evil slumber. The vanquishing of the Golden Evil that dare to defile our proud blood at the expense of millions, and the end that which you brought his wicked ideals to have shown me that you are indeed the one that my heart had been waiting for since my birth from the universal womb. I have longed to witness your greatness with my own eyes. And I pray that you are sincere for my soul will be shredded to a thousand pieces otherwise.”

Tatsuya could only nod his head the entire time she spoke. He then turned his head to Shade. The butler cleared his throat and proceeded to translate: “I knew from the first time I saw you that we were destined to be together. This is because you are a hero through and through. I have heard of your exploits before and those stories made me very interested in you. In fact, they have brightened my world and made me want to take an interest in the outside world. I especially liked the story of how you defeated the Evil Terror, who have done many evil to our world, and stopped his plans. It had shown me that you are the kind of hero that I would love to love, something that I have wished for ever since my youth. I have been longing to see your powers for myself. I would hope that those stories are true and your heroism is true, otherwise I would end my life out of disappointment.”

“Ohhhh!” said Tatsuya with a nod. “Wait, what?! She would kill herself if she thinks that I’m lying about myself?!”

“That is what My Lady wishes,” said Shade.

“That’s crazy! And shouldn’t you stop her from going through with such a crazy idea?!” exclaimed Tatsuya.

“If that is My Lady’s wish,” said Shade.

‘These guys are crazy!’ thought Tatsuya. Suddenly, the princess’ words from before hit him. “What does she mean by ‘love to love’?” he asked the butler.

“My Lady has fallen in love with the heroes of yore,” said the butler.

“So she admires them,” concluded Tatsuya in relief.

“But you, Owatatsumi-sama, is of a different breed of hero. Your legends have transcended her expectations of a hero and grabbed her heart. And ever since she went out to see you that day during your medal reception for defeating the Yellow Terror, she has fallen head-over-heels for you,” said the butler. “You may not look like a hero in appearance, but your heroic heart and soul transcends that. That is why My Lady has taken a liking to you.”

Sharina placed a hand in front of Shade to stop him from talking. “If you believe my heart to be false, I will prove to you with the Holy Darkness as witness that it is true. If your heart is beyond my grasp, I will reach for it even into the abyss of nothingness that which all existence shall return to,” she said with a cool smile.

Tatsuya couldn’t help but feel a pang of admiration for how cool she looked when she said all of that. His heart was beating really fast as if it suddenly went into overdrive, and his face was flushed with embarrassment. ‘She’s strange…but so cool!’ he thought to himself. ‘She’s a dangerous one for sure.’

They made it to Jaculus City and decided to rest for the day. Tatsuya hadn’t been back here for a while and nostalgia was beginning to set in as he scanned the familiar scenery. They got off at an inn and Shade went inside to make their reservations for the night. While he was gone, Sharina touched Tatsuya on the shoulder, grabbing his attention. She then kneeled down and gently grabbed his right hand. Tatsuya didn’t know what she was doing, but he was frozen in place like a statue—too afraid to move and too entranced by this atmosphere. Sharina then brought the back of his hand to her lips and kissed it. Tatsuya’s heart exploded upon contact. He couldn’t believe just how soft and supple and smooth her lips were. So soft…. Now, the only thing going through his mind was her lips. Oh, how wanted to feel them again; how he wanted her to kiss his hand again; how he wanted to kiss…. Tatsuya quickly turned around and punched himself in the face. ‘Get a grip on yourself!’ he berated himself. He turned around and glanced at Sharina, yet the first thing his eyes went for were her lips. Again, he turned around and punched himself in the face.

“Grand Savior, what demon possesses your hand?” asked Sharina.

“It’s nothing!” quickly replied Tatsuya. “More importantly, what did you that for?” he asked her.

“To show you that my heart belongs only to you,” she answered back shamelessly.

‘Too cool!’ thought Tatsuya in agony. Finally, he realized that the townspeople were watching the entire thing and he became scarlet in the face. The citizens wore faces that were a mix of intrigue, admiration (mainly towards Sharina), and bashfulness. ‘This is so embarrassing!’ he exclaimed in his head.

“Grand Savior, you have become scarlet like a phoenix,” said Sharina, pointing out Tatsuya’s face.

“I know!” wailed Tatsuya.

Sharina realized that the people’s stares were the cause for Tatsuya’s condition and quickly apologized for the scene. She then asked them, in her own strange tongue, to be on their way. The citizens dispersed without protest. “My will have been conveyed to the masses, Grand Savior,” said Sharina with a bow.

“Please don’t call me that,” Tatsuya told her. Hearing her call him “Grand Savior” felt really wrong to him on so many levels.

“Then how shall I address you?” asked Sharina.

“Anything but Grand Savior,” Tatsuya told her.

The Amaru princess appeared to be stumped by those words. “What title shall befit the one chosen by the will of the Holy Darkness, if not Grand Savior? However, the Grand Savior despises such a title and wishes for another. Therefore, I shall use the wisdom of darkness to conjure up another. Oh, blood of darkness that runs through my veins, I bid thee to unlock the wisdoms of ancients and grant me the vision of a name befitting the chosen hero!”

“Please do it without all of that drama?” Tatsuya pleaded, though it was obvious that she was ignoring it.

“Chosen One!” suggested Sharina.

“Denied!” shouted Tatsuya.

“King of Heroes!”

“Denied!”

“Prophesied One!”

“Try Again!”

“Divine Warrior!”

“Too extravagant!”

“Champion of the Gods!”

“Too over the top!”

“Maharaja of Legend!”

“What the hell is that?!”

“Héros Légendaire Né du Sang du Dragon!”

“Now you’re just speaking in tongues!” cried Tatsuya. “Just call me Tatsuya,” he told her with an exasperated sigh.

“Tatsuya?” asked Sharina.

“Yes?” he replied back.

Sharina became silent for a moment. “That feels too plain,” she finally said with a displeased look on her face.

“Now you’re just being picky!” said Tatsuya in retort. “Gah, I don’t care anymore! Just call me whatever you want.”

“Grand Savior,” said Sharina with a smile. Tatsuya didn’t say anything back and just let out a deep sigh.

“Ah! It’s Big Bro!” Tatsuya turned to see Daro rushing up to meet him. The young Python’s appearance was cleaner than before and he seemed more healthy and fit.

“Daro! Long time no see! How’ve you been?” asked Tatsuya.

“Better than before!” said Daro with a laugh. “I’m actually working right now. My bosses take really good care of me. Are you staying in the city?”

“Just for the night,” replied Tatsuya. He then realized that Sharina was looking at the both them and he introduced her to him and vice versa.

“The princess of the Amaru tribe?!” shouted Daro in disbelief.

“Shhh! Not too loud!” shushed Tatsuya. Daro immediately clasped his mouth with his hands and apologized. The two friends talked until Shade came back out to announce that the preparations were ready. Tatsuya and Daro said farewell to each other and went their separate ways.

Shade sneaked in close to Tatsuya’s ear and whispered the following words: “Owatatsumi-sama, I had wanted to reserve a two-person room for you and the princess to spend the night together. However, it appears that such rooms are all occupied. In the end, I could only acquire two separate rooms for the both of you. I apologize for my incompetence.”

“Don’t apologize!” Tatsuya quickly told him. The butler looked at him with his head tilted in confusion. “I-I mean, you did all that you could do. That’s all that matters.”

“Understood,” said Shade with a nod of his head.

Tatsuya heaved out a sigh of relief. ‘There is no way I’m going to be able to sleep in that kind of situation,’ he thought to himself. Everyone went into their separate rooms and settled in. Tatsuya was finally alone once more. All of that travelling had tired him out. But more than anything, it was the interactions with the Amaru princess that drained him the most.

That night, right before going to bed, Tatsuya decided to take a relaxing bath in the inn’s public bath. There weren’t anyone at all at this time and he had the entire area to himself. Once he got into the warm water, he let out the most relaxed sigh he had ever uttered in ages. The water soaked his body and covered his tired skin like a comforting blanket. He could feel the fatigue peeling away from his body like the shed skin of a snake. It rejuvenated him with a new glow that returned to him the youth that he had lost during his time in the dark abyss. Finally, he could loosen his body and enter a state of needed repose. “Ahhh! I needed this!” he uttered satisfyingly as he lowered his lower face into the water.

The door to the bath slid open and a new guest entered. ‘Did someone else come in to take a bath at this time? I thought I was the only one,’ he thought to himself. Tatsuya, who had his back to the door the entire time, turned around as the footsteps got closer to the bath.

“Ah, I apologize for my impertinent tardiness,” came the last voice he had expected to hear right this moment.

“Ahhhh!” screamed Tatsuya in a high-pitched voice unbefitting a man like himself.

The new guest who had decided to come take a bath at this moment in time was none other than Sharina. And to make matters worse: she was naked. However, she didn’t appear bashful at all. In fact, she unashamedly revealed everything to Tatsuya as her hands were placed on her hips the entire time. Sharina’s body was the most muscular female body Tatsuya had ever seen. Of course, he hadn’t notice it at all before since she wore her dress the entire time, which had brilliantly disguised her otherwise strong physique. However, she wasn’t buff or ripped or overly muscular like the bodybuilders or action-movie stars back in the human realm. But her body was still well-toned and fit. Her arms were well-sculpted like marble features, her legs were dripping with strength and vitality, her toned six-pack abs would make any professional athlete jealous, and her back was broad but still beautifully feminine. But the thing that drew Tatsuya in the most, unfortunately, since he was still a boy after all, and didn’t really make much sense was the size of her breasts. Despite her muscular body, her breasts were firm and had a magnificent shape and didn’t pale in comparison in size to the other princesses’ at all (with a few exceptions). Tatsuya, whose face was flushed like a ripe tomato, tried to avert his eyes from them. ‘How could I focus on anything else?!’ he cried to himself internally, ‘But I have to try!’ In his attempt to switch his focus, however, as luck would have it, he only put himself in an even worse position. He did well to avoid her breasts, but now found himself face-to-face with another beast. The curvature of her abdomen had charmed his infernal eyes to gaze upon what laid below….

“Ahhhhh!” screamed Tatsuya. He jumped out of the water and tried to make a run for the door. However, Sharina quickly placed a hand on him and he stopped in his tracks.

“Apologies for my presence,” she said humbly. “But the Holy Darkness have bestowed upon me his will and wisdom. In order for our bond to strengthen and our hearts to connect, we must undergo this ritual of nightly baptism.”

“Eh?” squeaked Tatsuya.

“My own words pale in comparison to the power of those of the Holy Darkness, but I beseech you, Grand Savior, to not go against his will.”

“H-His will?” asked Tatsuya.

“We shall partake in this ritual together.”

“Together?!” Tatsuya couldn’t believe what he was hearing. First of all, this was the only conversation he had had with her all day that wasn’t the least bit cryptic or complicated in its meaning. Second of all, she really just asked to take a bath with him?! ‘No, no, no, I can’t deal with this right now!’ he told himself….

How did this happen? How did this happen?! Tatsuya was now back in the bath…with Sharina bathing right next to him. He remembered that as he tried to leave, she had asked him one more time and even kneeled before him, reminding him of those scenes in anime where the knight would kneel before the princess when making a promise or request. He remembered thinking that it was so cool: her words, her actions, her character. ‘How did I let myself get caught up in her coolness?!’ he admonished himself.

Tatsuya suddenly felt a very firm yet soft sensation brush against his arm. He flinched and glanced over to see Sharina casually soaking really, really close to him. The space between them was nonexistent! However, she was the least bit bothered by it and acted completely normal. As Tatsuya watched her, he found himself drawn to the eyepatch covering her right eye. He then remembered that Shade was wearing one, too. ‘I wonder if it’s something particular to Amarus,’ he wondered.

Sharina turned to face him and Tatsuya couldn’t help but blush upon seeing her glistening amethyst left eye. “Grand Savior, please hear my request,” she told him.

“W-W-What is it?” he stuttered.

“Please allow me to cleanse your body,” she requested.

Her words immediately brought Tatsuya back to his senses and he vehemently denied her request. “No, thank you! I can do it myself!”

“But the ritual,” protested Sharina.

“I said I can do it myself!” he replied back adamantly.

“I shall purify your body!” insisted the Amaru princess.

“I don’t need help doing that!” insisted Tatsuya.

Sharina let out a deep breath. “Please forgive my insult, but this is to serve the will of the Holy Darkness!” she declared. She reached out to grab Tatsuya, prompting him to escape from her grasp like a mouse being chased by a cat.

“I said I can do it myself!!!”

That night, Tatsuya slept rather peacefully. And it was because of this peacefulness that he was able to wake up at the slightest of sounds. He heard the window to his room creaking ever-so-slightly—the sound of someone opening it from the outside. Since his room was facing the opposite direction of the moonlight, he wasn’t able to make out the intruder at all. He thought about making a sound to drive them off, but a weird feeling crept over him and he decided against it. The air around him felt a little cold and stale. The room itself was silent except for the shuffling of feet, though inaudible to the average ear, of the intruder.

Tatsuya slipped out a finger from under his blanket and placed it in front of him. He then summoned a very tiny blue flame. The light from the flame allowed him to see his intruder a little clearer while also blending in with the dark bluish-black background. He observed the intruder and couldn’t help but feel like he had seen them before. The only definite conclusion he could draw from the intruder was that it was a man.

The intruder suddenly turned to where Tatsuya was sleeping and Tatsuya immediately extinguished his light. The intruder walked forward and approached him. By now, Tatsuya had his eyes closed and was trying hard to pretend to sleep. “Fooling me will get you nowhere,” came the man’s voice.

In a flash, Tatsuya jumped out of the bed and landed right on the other side of the intruder. He then grabbed his pen out to draw his sword. However, the intruder was quicker than he had anticipated and struck him from under the chin. Tatsuya was sent flailing backwards towards the window. He stopped just short of the opening and steadied himself. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” he asked the intruder.

“My name is Gintei and I am here to kill you,” replied the intruder straightforwardly.

Tatsuya immediately straightened up. “That’s the first time I ever heard someone who was trying to kill me give me an honest answer,” he said in a half-praise.

“I am honored,” said Gintei. He dashed forward and sent out a palm straight for Tatsuya’s chest, sending him out of the window.

As he was falling down, Tatsuya straightened his body and made sure to land on his feet. Gintei quickly followed after and almost gave Tatsuya a really nasty injury with his Dragon Regalia: a gleaming silver spade with knife-like edges. Tatsuya instinctively jumped out of the way and landed on his bottom. “You could’ve killed me!” he complained thoughtlessly. “Oh, right, that’s the plan,” he remembered as Gintei slowly approached him with his weapon drawn.

Tatsuya was ready to draw his sword again. Then, out of nowhere, a bronze chain wrapped around his body like a snake and ensnared him. The chain tightened around his body and restricted his movements like a straightjacket. He tried to fight against it, but all of that jumping around had wasted a great deal of his energy; and now, the chain’s weight weighed down on him to the point where any energy he had left was quickly being sapped away.

Gintei approached him in a calm manner and raised his weapon. With only a nod of respect, or maybe it was pity, he brought down his spade with the force of a tiger. Tatsuya was prepared to have his soul vanquished. There was no way he could escape from this trap. Moreover, he didn’t expect to die immediately. First of all, the Mark of Marduk wouldn’t let him. Second of all, even if by some freak accident it doesn't work, he wouldn’t be gone just yet after learning more about the true nature of the Dragonborn from Shenlong. Whatever the case it may be, he was prepared to see this through.

The sound of clinking metal and the unexpected silhouette of a dark figure stepping right in front of him surprised Tatsuya. This new exciting development made his already anxious body even more antsy and tense. “Praise the Holy Darkness for granting me this vision,” came the voice of Sharina. “I shall execute my duty to protect the one I love.”

“Sh-Sharina!” stuttered Tatsuya.

“Despair not, Grand Savior. Do not let the demons win your heart and beckon you to their vile domain. Look towards the Holy Darkness and let him guide your heart towards liberation and happiness. If you fail to notice the Holy Darkness’ love, then I shall guide you toward it. I will be your shield to protect you from the wickedness of the demons of the hellish abyss. Look unto me and I shall share with you the boon of the Holy Darkness!”

“Um, sure thing,” said Tatsuya in reply. “Anyway, thanks for the save!”

“Just as the Holy Darkness wills it!” cheered Sharina. With one swipe of her weapon, the Amaru princess slashed through the chains and broke Tatsuya free. She then stepped forward and pointed at Gintei with her weapon. “Transgressor of evil, prepare to have your soul judged by the Holy Darkness’ greatest disciple. Tremble before the power of darkness and know that the shadows shall consume your soul for your sins.”

Gintei said nothing and gripped tightly onto his weapon. Sharina scoffed and got into a ready stance. Without another word, both combatants rushed forward and commenced their battle. As they fought, the moonlight shifted in their direction and illuminated them. For the first time, Tatsuya could clearly see Sharina’s Dragon Regalia: a giant black scythe with a crystalline crescent blade that glittered in the moonlight like the purest of obsidian stone. She wielded the weapon expertly and had no trouble keeping up with Gintei at all. However, her movements were far from refined. Instead, Sharina fought with what one would call a “fighter’s intuition”; her movements were wild and unpredictable, but powerful and efficient, hitting her opponents with a precision that others could only achieve through decades of training. The animalistic nature of her fighting style wasted no unnecessary energy or movement, despite what it may look like to observers, and were quite beautiful in a brutal and savage way. But more than anything, she was the coolest person right now in the entire universe.

However, if there was one con to her style, it is that she relies a hundred percent on offense; meaning that she has no sense of defense at all. As a result, for each move she successfully lands on her opponent, she receives a move back and welcomes them with open arms. Gintei’s weapon and his methodical approach combined to deal injury to her arms, legs, shoulders, back, and chest. Additionally, the blade of his spade cut her arms and legs and face, leaving bloody slashes on her body. Her clothes became shredded by the enemy’s weapon, exposing more of her skin and receiving even more bloody slashes. Still, Sharina didn’t back down and only attacked Gintei with sharper and sharper moves. Eventually, she cornered him and had her scythe placed dangerously near his neck with the tip just centimeters away.

Gintei stopped. “An unexpected development,” he said. He made his weapon disappear and closed his eyes in surrender.

Sharina smiled and let out an arrogant scoff. “The Holy Darkness is not so evil as to slay a defenseless man. He has taken pity upon a sinner like you. You shall be grateful for his wisdom.” She then lowered her weapon.

“I am grateful for this act of mercy,” said Gintei sincerely. “I may have been sent here on a mission to kill my target, but before I am a killer, I am a man bound by honor. When we meet next time, I will spare your life. But when we meet again, I will not hesitate to carry out my orders as necessary.” He then bowed and then disappeared into the night. When he did, Tatsuya could hear another voice following closely behind him; the voice was young and boyish and familiar. He didn’t give it that much thought and turned his attention to Sharina.

“Was it the right decision to let him go?” Sharina asked Tatsuya.

“It’s alright,” replied Tatsuya. “I have a feeling we’ll meet again,” he added grimly. He then smiled and said thankfully, “But man, you really came at the right time! I was about ready to die once!”

“The Holy Darkness knows all,” she replied back mysteriously with a smile and a bow.

The moonlight shone upon the Amaru princess like a spotlight. For the first time tonight, thanks to this particular situation, Tatsuya became aware of something about the princess that he had been too ignorant to notice before during the fight. Due to the fight between her and Gintei, Sharina’s clothes were shredded. Now, standing rather shamelessly exposed before Tatsuya, was the Amaru princess with her beautiful dark skin gleaming in the moonlight, her supple arms twinkling like stars, her smooth and voluptuous legs glinting like sparkling treasures, her silky hair glowing like moon rays, her stunningly curvaceous hips and alluringly slender waist charming all those who gaze upon them, and her magnificently enchanting chest. Tatsuya’s face became more red than a cherry as he gazed at her naked breasts.

‘Stop it you animal!’ he admonished himself. He quickly turned away and shouted, “Your clothes! Your clothes!”

Sharina looked down at her shredded clothes. “So is the consequence of battle,” she said like a warrior returning home from the battlefield. It was apparent that she wasn’t the least bit embarrassed at all by this situation. In fact, she couldn’t understand why Tatsuya was having problems with the way she was. “Grand Savior, why must you turn away from me? Am I that unsightly to you?” she asked him seriously.

“T-T-That’s not it!” screamed back Tatsuya.

“Have you perhaps been attacked by a plague? Shall we take you to hospice? Is it the seasonal plague that strikes our hearts during times of fire and ice?” asked Sharina.

“I’m not sick!” replied Tatsuya adamantly. Before he was finished, Sharina had turned his face to her with a caress and hugged him tightly. She placed her forehead to his to check his health. As she did, Tatsuya could feel her naked breasts resting atop his own through the skin of his shirt. This only made him even more redder, his heart beat even faster, and his internal body temperature to rise even hotter.

“My Lady,” came Shade. He appeared behind his mistress and handed her a new dress to change into. Sharina accepted her butler’s suggestion and changed right then and there. As she did, Tatsuya turned around to give her her privacy. By now, Shade was also standing next to him in order to give his mistress the privacy she needed. “Thank you, Owatatsumi-sama,” whispered Shade. Tatsuya glanced over at the butler and saw that he was wearing a very sincere smile.

‘This guy is way different from Vajra and Draupnir,’ thought Tatsuya positively to himself. ‘He’s definitely a good guy.’ Sharina had replaced her clothes by now and Tatsuya turned back around. “Next time, take better care of your clothes,” he told her.

“Why must I let myself be bothered with frivolous things when in battle?” she asked with a serious expression.

“What do you mean?” asked Tatsuya in surprise.

“This is a rather common occurrence, Owatatsumi-sama,” explained Shade.

“You mean—!” came Tatsuya, to which the butler nodded. ‘That’s why he came prepared with a change of clothes!’ he finally realized. He glanced back at the princess and thought, ‘This chick is definitely crazy!’

“All enemies must tremble before the might of the Holy Darkness. Let it be known that their sins will not be forgiven and they shall atone for it with their life. The Holy Darkness shall judge their souls and bestow upon them the punishments befitting their crimes. His will shall flow unto me and I will enforce his law. To that end, no frivolities shall consume my strength and narrow my vision,” said Sharina.

“Taking care of your clothes is not a frivolous act!” retorted Tatsuya.

“Such frivolities include the brainless quarrels that lead to needless bloodshed! So is the fate of mortals like us, tempted by our desires,” said Sharina, ignoring Tatsuya’s reply.

“Owatatsumi-sama, we should go back to sleep,” interjected Shade. “We will leave for the Pyroignis Empire tomorrow.”

“You’re right,” agreed Tatsuya. “I already had enough excitement for one night.”

“We shall make our way to the kingdom of fire once the day star rules the sky,” came Sharina.

“Yes, My Lady,” said Shade with a bow.

‘She just repeated what we already discussed,’ thought Tatsuya, ‘But she made sound even cooler! How does she do that?!’

That night, Tatsuya slept like a log. At first, he had wanted to sleep lightly in case another attack happened, but he unconsciously gave in to his desire and entered a deep sleep. It has been so long since he could sleep like this. His days training under Shenlong was brutal, but they yielded great results. That was great and all, but being able to sleep freely like this was a luxury that he was grateful to have again. That night, as he slept, he didn’t dream about anything at all. But even so, his body felt light and his mind was clear. It was the most calm he had felt in so long. It was the best feeling in the world. And that night would also be the last time he would ever experience this luxury again for some time. Because tomorrow, come sun up, he would be going back to the Pyroignis Empire. And he would be going into battle.