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Hero, Don't Kill The Demon King! Chapter 1: Lives Not Yet Thrown Away


Nanami Touko
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'Another fights ... yet only for "sport,"' Requiem noted, its cold rumbling voice intruding on Xalrei's mind even in the din of the crowd. 'You have proven your strength, now take up this blade and go to a place where it ... no, where I might do the same.' There was no purpose in battle without bloodshed for the cursed blade, and so the only recourse was to seek out conflict, however small or petty. That was far preferable to waiting around for these mock battles to end. Even being hurled into a pigsty was preferable. At the very least one of the creatures might wound itself, giving Requiem the opportunity to siphon its life away.

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It hadn't taken Bladen too long to get ready. Probably long enough for Asami to tease him about it, but probably not long enough for anyone else to make fun of him for it. Still, either way, only a few minutes after she had left him alone in the steam, he made his way out of the changing rooms back in his normal outfit. Wings hidden for now, though the slits in the back of his shirt would probably be visible for those who knew what they were looking for, he sauntered out, looking for the fox.

Making his way to the front of the inn, he spotted her, and wandered over to her, a grin on his face. "Hey there. You all ready to go? Wander around the town, I get to show off the company I'm keeping... Maybe I can even buy you something nice?" He winked at her, the small teasing tone in his voice not making it entirely clear how much of what he said was just for teasing or serious. He smiled and offered her his arm, wondering how she would react.

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Agni's words did some work after all, which was relieving. He had half a mind to give chase to Gabriela, who knows what she'd do in that state of mind, but making sure everything was well with Marina remained his priority. "Thank you." Best not to make Jezebel's mood worse, so Agni remained and let Marina peruse the shop as she wished.

Unlike when they were out leading human invaders, Agni had to trust these monsters to not do what... he would probably do if the situation was reversed. With his idle mind wandering, he went back to Lavinia's words, mentioning the staged nature of the church's displays of violent monsters.

...

It was somewhat long, but Marina had finished picking clothes before Agni had grown tired of his thoughts, it was only when she spoke to Jezebel once more that he dispelled his thoughtful stupor. "Are you done, Marina?" A few steps behind, he examined the pile she'd dropped at the counter. "It was a good idea to stock up, and thank you, Jezebel. I'll remember to speak with the general." Mmm... right, there was that still.

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Marina only quietly watched as she listened to the quick tangent Jezebel had gone on. She was right, and Marina was well aware of it. The amount of death she caused was unlike anything she had realized she was capable of of, and she was horrified of it. It was only the elf's words of there being good in humans that got her to really perk herself up a tiny bit. Nodding, she turned to Agni with another nod, checking all of her clothes.

"I think this should be everything... sans a hat and gloves." She replied with a small smile, but it quickly waned. Maybe Marina wasn't trapped in a situation where she'd be forced to suffer, but... there was still more to be done before she could forgive herself. At least there was a small start here.

Shaking the thoughts away, "Thank you, Miss Jezebel. I hope one day, humans and monsters can coexist without all this... this fighting. And I hope one day, I will be able to repay you for your kindness," her smile once again emerging from her face. 

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Gabriela was quite surprised to find a Zombie running the arena. Then again, this is not the kind of place she would usually go to, for enjoyment or otherwise. Her first instincts with men like these would be to seduce the money out of their pockets,but such behavior is unacceptable now that she is a mercenary. It would be best to just get to the others before her instincts took over altogether. "Hi. I'm a mercenary in hire of Asami of the Dawn. Would general Nessraya be around here?"

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"Beautiful...?" Jade no more, now dusky rose quartz, the merchant protested. "I think you... ah!" But her words were cut short as sharp canines slipped their way beneath the surface. Despite the exhortation not to move, the zombie found herself unconsciously arching her back further, but squeezing down on the rim of the tub with one hand, and Lavinia's leg with the other, her motion was kept relatively in check, the vampire's hand only sliding slightly along her stomach as it helped maintain her in position.

Jade hadn't quite known what to expect, but the feeling was better than she could have imagined. It might have hurt some, were she still living, but instead she just felt small points of pressure. That just meant the strange sense of pleasure coming from the exchange--whether it was as simple as being desired, needed, appreciated after so much time alone, or whether it was some vampire magic, the zombie couldn't say--that the deepening delight came with even less in the way of drawback than it would were she a normal 'victim'. Accompanying, but apart from, Lavinia's humming, Jade felt warm tingly sensations dancing along her nerves, and even underworked as they'd been of late, they remembered enough of their job to carry things along. It was breathtaking, and since she didn't much need air, there was no fearful sense of desperation as the seconds passed one after the other, bleeding into minutes before she remembered to inhale.

Then it was over, and the piercing points parted from her neck. Swinging the pendulum the other way, from tension to relaxation, with scarcely a conscious thought behind it, Jade slumped to a resting position, her back falling against Lavinia's waiting body. "I know I said I don't sleep," she started, "But after that, I almost feel like I could." A small, pleased chuckle punctuated the statement. "There's a... strange sort of serenity you've left me with. Is that normal?"

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This was new... Perhaps it was because Jade couldn't feel pain that she seemed so relaxed, but most weren't looking to get even closer to a vampire after being bitten. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Lavinia shifted back and let Jade have her little rest, shaking her head. "There is meant to be a relaxing, perhaps pleasant feeling from a vampire's bite, no one would want to be bitten nor continue to be, if it was simply painful... Yet I can only consider your reaction to be part in parcel to your inability to feel pain. Only being left with the calming sensation that follows, aren't you lucky?" Lavinia chuckled and let her fingers gently drum where they lay against Jade's stomach, swirling her tongue around her mouth a moment. Definitely salty... A bit heavy. Perhaps like a gravy? She'd go much better on a steak, than toast... How interesting~

"I must say, if you're so pleased by the sensation, I may ask for another serving in a few days time. Not that I wish to monopolize your body, but... We are traveling with humans, of which have been subject to the church's demonstrations. The less I go around biting everyone, the less trouble it will cause, I believe. So... If such a beauty wouldn't mind me leaving little holes in her neck, I would be delighted." Really, Jade's moment of protest was completely uncalled for. As Lavinia had thought and mentioned before, she wasn't rotting, and her skin was far from a sickly green. It matched her name almost comically, and combined with her hair that the magicks had seemed to leave alone, Jade was far from ugly. Far even from mundane... I wonder if this lack of confidence comes from somewhere specific? Is it just a symptom of being undead? Does she think little of herself for being a zombie...? Hmm...

"Whatever you decide..." Lavinia smiled and took a moment to hug Jade just a bit. "Thank you for the meal, and the lovely talks. Just as you feel you could perhaps tempt whatever keeps you awake to finally meet its end... Maybe having such a nice moment will let my body remember what warmth is supposed to feel like~"


"Huh, really? But she... Then why..." Taliyah was majorly confused, blinking and shaking herself back into the conversation as Ayane posed her question. "Uh, wh... Nope! I was actually really surprised to see you at all, miss Ayane. I've never seen any horns like that before... What, are you?" Taliyah had half circled the girl, looking her up and down, trying to find, maybe a tail or some scales, fur, something of the sort... But, she could've passed for human, if not for those horns. "Seriously, I've never seen anything like you..."

"And she's done it!" the announcer's voice came through the walls to the entrance. Nessraya was already done with her round, it seemed. "The general shows why she has such a station! Let's hear it for the strongest mage in Vaia!" The crowd was really loving it, it seemed.

The zombie attending the counter looked over at Xalrei and her little group, before glancing back at the siren, and nudging his head towards the coliseum. "She'll be comin' out in a moment, if you can wait. And don't say that name again... I ain't ready for more surprises today. My heart stopped decades ago, but yer all tryin' to give it an attack anyway." He huffed and shook his head, looking back over at Xalrei. "Come collect your winnin's, dragon! Good show."

"Oh, if Nessraya is done... Well, er, miss Ayane, did you wanna go first? If you were gung ho enough to jump out at Xalrei, you came here for the gauntlet, right? Or did you already go?"


Asami had been waiting near the entrance, miraculously dry and looking almost as perfect as she had earlier. Did she use some magic to cleanse herself and her clothes, or was she simply that thorough with changing? Whatever her secret was, she was as proper as she was going to get, waiting for Bladen. "You're really keen on showing me off, aren't you~?" Asami gladly took his arm, having managed to contain her embarrassment from earlier. "Where to then, Bladen~? Aensbrook has a few sights, but it isn't quite a bustling city..." Out of the inn they went, Asami matching his pace, heading in no real direction. "There's an arena... Some shops, perhaps food... I wouldn't mind the arena, simply for some spending money, buuuuut, I'm not exactly the sturdiest~ I don't really know how well I'd do, hmhmhm."


"Those are right here," Jezebel tossed in, settling a sunhat onto Marina's hair and holding out a pair of brown leather gloves. "I do, too... If only so we can stop killing each other just for existing. I don't know what stick got up the church's ass, but at least when things were tense, we could live without fearing humans. Now... Well, I'm sure Agni can regale you with my initial reaction to him entering the store." Sighing, and daring to get just a bit close to her customers, Jezebel ruffles the hat just enough to shake up Marina's hair some. "Take care of yourselves, and Agni, thanks~ Don't forget your clothes!"

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"A kitsune..." That wasn't a foreign word for her. Though she found it strange that there was someone else out here other than herself, maybe she'll know where to look. Then came Taliyah's questioning. Yeah, that proves that oni weren't a common thing here. Finding that girl might be harder than she thought. "...that's complex. I am...well was human. But now I am slowly turning into an oni." Then came the cheers for their general's round. Seems she was done. "First? Well, I came to settle this oni blood of mine. It craves battle you see. But Xalrei's bout seems to have cleared it a little." She looked aside. "And I did drop in unannounced, I don't think they'd allow me to fight anymore after that."

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Graciously taking the the gloves from Jezebel's hands, she gave a quick nod. Unfortunately she didn't expect another person to ruffle her hair again, but that's a small price to pay to keep her identity as incognito as possible. She gave an embarrassed laugh. Nodding again with a bit of a brighter smile, she then when back to the pile of clothes, and grabbed the coat. After putting it on and equipping her gloves, she folded up the rest of the clothes into a neat stack, and taking them into her hands. A sigh or relief, she turned around to Agni, then back to Jezebel, giving a bow again.

"Thank you again, so much. It was a pleasure meeting you too... and take care of yourself, too! Yeah, um..." She looked over to Agni, "We'll be sure to bring over Nessraya as soon as we can, right?" Her chipper voice suddenly taking control of the sudden mood swing she seemed to have caught herself in.

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That was it, then. Stretching her arms behind her head as she moved to float out of the ring, Nessraya popped out at the entrance to see Taliyah and Ayane speaking nearby... so they hadn't watched then. Oh well... it also seemed Gabriela was here, sans Marina... that wasn't a good sign. Moving over to the front desk, the succubus leaned on the counter as she reached it.

"Well my good man, I think I'll be claiming my spending money~ Mmm, Gabriela, where has Cianna gotten to, if she isn't with you?"

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Taliyah seemed to have taken an interest in Ayane, rather than return to the stands, so the dragon had lingered on the bottom floor. Ayane seemed decent enough, despite jumping her, but Xalrei wasn't comfortable leaving Taliyah alone with such a... volatile monster. The woman had said she was an oni, whatever that was. Did that have something to do with her behavior? Either way, Nessraya returned after a short while, Xalrei unable to view her rounds. Well, that's Nessraya for you.

She joined the general at the counter to collect her winnings; though, perhaps unlike Nessraya, she didn't know what to do with it. "If you want to fight, Ayane, you should. I'm sure that if you put on enough of a show the crowd'll forget all about your sudden entrance."

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"...Yes. Whenever she can."

Agni's response was delayed, another remark on the church got him thinking again... alluding of a time where one wouldn't be afraid of humans. It definitely rose some questions, but Agni was sure he'd exhausted his goodwill with the shopkeeper already. He simply walked over to the counter, so as to not forget his clothes there, then followed Marina. "Once again, thank you." Getting clothes for Marina was one priority done. Good.

"Ma... Cianna, well." He'd still take a while getting used to this name, for sure, "So, to the inn to drop these clothes off first? Then, if you could answer, I'd like to know where the others are."

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Gabriela sighed loudly. "Well, we ran into Agni at the tailor, and the shopkeeper there helped us keep their identity a secret by disguising them as vampires.

Gabriela then looked down. "I am afraid I lost my temper, and embarrassed myself greatly, so I left Cianna with Agni and came here. I gave them my money... I am sorry, general Nessraya..." 

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"Hm..." Xalrei did have a point. Perhaps the crowd will be fine if she puts on a good enough show, it was worth a shot. Besides, her blood wasn't entirely settled. Wouldn't hurt to get all the destructive urges out before she gets comfortable in a crowd. "...very well. I will attend these matches." She bowed slightly to Xalrei and walked off to get herself entered. "I hope I entertain you." She spoke to Xalrei before she made her exit toward the arena staff for entry.

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Stepping out from the tailor, for a time, Marina truly did feel a lot better about things. She was sure something would bog it down, but for now, it was a nice feeling. Unfortunately, that time may have just come as quickly as her chipperness came. Now it was her and Agni. Nessraya's words from last night echoed, the encounter with Erephis only making them ring ever stronger in her mind.

"Um, I know Nessraya, Xalrei and Taliyah all went to the arena..." She was able to manage out, as she looked around a bit. She didn't want anyone approaching them as they walked, not when she had her chance to settle what she needed to settle. Maybe it was too early, but if she didn't ask now, finding out the answer may be too late...

Marina soon began walking towards the Inn's direction, eyeing around, then directed her attention to Agni, "Agni. I... I have something important I need to ask. Something that's been bothering me..." And now she could only pray she'd get the answer she wanted. Hopefully... Hopefully...

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"Yeah, missy, it ain't no problem," the zombie called over, fetching money for Xalrei and now Nessraya. "You did somethin' stupid, but the crowd enjoyed it, so it ain't no skin off our backs, y'know? Yer good to challenge as you wish... Still can't believe I'm dealin' directly with the general... And dragon girly, you put up a fantastic show too."

"Oh! So you're gonna go too, Ayane? Then, I'll go after you do... Xalrei! Make sure you watch me, okay?" Taliyah bounced in place a moment, before turning and running after the horned girl, hoping she could impress the dragon in some way.

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Feeling Lavinia shift beneath her clued Jade in to what she had actually done. A brief moment of distress, as she remembered something about morals half heard from earlier, and she wondered if things were going to get weird, if this had been the wrong idea from the start. But that was soon enough put to rest when the vampire remained as calm and collected as she'd been this whole time. The merchant had worried over nothing, just a simple repositioning.

Settling back into the calm feeling from before Jade listened to Lavinia talk. She had to giggle as the vampire proclaimed her lucky. Something this small and insignificant, yes, clearly that was why she'd been brought back from the dead. That's not what the woman had meant, clearly, but the zombie couldn't help but find it funny nonetheless. The joke was followed by a rather sensible suggestion, though. So sensible Jade couldn't even pretend to get upset about it if she'd wanted to. Which of course she didn't. Even if the vampire had suggested it from selfish motives--though she claimed not to have--that was no black mark against it. A proper dose of selfishness was the ingredient to success in all trades.

What did trouble Jade somewhat, was yet another reference to her being good-looking. She'd have been happy to hear such a thing when she were alive. The merchant knew she were no pampered princess, not about to have a shot at winning a pageant against a real beauty, but she'd have been willing to play along, to want to believe. But now? Jade had finally become more or less comfortably numb to the pervasive casual racism about her condition. If she let herself come back around to have any sort of pride in that aspect of herself again, well that would only make it hurt more the next time someone cringed back, or she were denied a service she really shouldn't have been.

...Not to mention she objectively was a far cry worse in that regard than when she'd been alive to begin with.

Gently shaking her head, Jade replied, "You don't need to butter me up so much to get what you're after. It makes sense, we can do it when everyone's asleep, even, to keep anyone from being disturbed." Protestations aside, though, she allowed herself to be hugged, settled into it. And hearing how Lavinia's comment was phrased, she couldn't help but answer back.

"That would be nice, wouldn't it? If a warmth of the heart like this could somehow become a warmth of the body for you? And if it doesn't work this time, then next time instead of you hugging me, we should try it with me hugging you? Ah, but I'm getting ahead of things, assuming failure already, how gauche of me." She reached out and gently pulled the arms around her even closer, an apology for her lack of faith, and an attempt to help make it happen.

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Bladen couldn't help but smile as she took his arm. It wasn't something he was used to, and he suspected he wouldn't have the chance to get used to it with this fickle fox, but it was nice while it was happening. "Well, of course I am. It might even make some people think I tamed a fox. Stupid people, but still people." He shot her a smirk before considering the question. "Well... Honestly, compared to my village this is plenty big enough. I'm not really one for the arena, but if you want to go, I would be more than willing to cheer you on in the stands. Otherwise, some food could be nice." He hadn't realized it, but he was starting to get a bit hungry...

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"Is that so? You may want to, umm... preserve her work and kind deed by being a tad less... open about that, Gabriella." Nessraya replied... this was a difficult situation. The siren hadn't left Marina alone, but only with Agni had the potential to be even worse. Should she go and try to find them? Taliyah was blending in well enough courtesy of accompanying Xalrei, and the arena was a poor place to try anything, what with all of the armed combatants and all. Accepting her winnings from the front man, Nessraya gave him a parting wave and a wink.

"Thank you very much, kind sir~ I'm going to go check up on our stragglers... you should join the others in the stands, perhaps even go a few rounds if you're feeling confident, Gabriella. And don't worry too much... I'll make sure everything is taken care of." The General added, placing her hand on Gabriella's shoulder and giving her a pat before floating towards the exit, a decent bit heavier than before thanks to the influx of coin.

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The oni had entered the arena, a little bit miffed. They had taken away her beloved Orochinagi and given her a long iron stick of a sword. It didn't feel right in her hands, but a blade was a blade and she knew how to handle one. So she accepted it. "..." Her blood rose as her eyes gave off a very faint red sheen. It was time for battle!

The first opponent was an armored dwarf. Quite an interesting first opponent, but her battle tendency didn't discriminate. As long as the opponent has a weapon and the will to fight it was good enough for her. The dwarf's attacks were easy to predict, and his slow movement and short reached put him at a severe disadvantage vs Ayane's speed and precision. It was simply a matter of finding the perfect place to strike when an opening presented itself, which she did. A few quick strikes floored him quickly. "...next."

The next opponent had appeared, a vampire. A hunter of some sort she assumed. He seemed a bit more of a threat than the dwarf,  but his weapon of choice was his downfall. Ayane had a ninja companion once, they trained to the point where she can just about predict the shurikens path. His technique, while rougher, was still somewhat similar to her training. She dodged the blade and saw a perfect chance to strike him down. It was over soon after her strikes. "...next."

The third had arrived, a warewolf with a gun. Now this was different from the opponents she had faced before. Guns were a bit rare in Izuna. Nevertheless she kept her wits about her, and was on high alert when he pulled it out. Mccloud had pulled the trigger, his shot was accurate. But Ayane rose the blade in defense, just barely forcing it to deflect into the ground. While he reloaded she jumped in and did a powerful slice. The gunman was floored. "...next!"

Her final opponent had appeared. A handsome elf with a sword Ayane could only describe as "impractical", moreso given his build. Yet here he was, hefting it as if it were a feather. Ayane sensed this opponent was in a whole new level compared to the rest. "..." With a breath she had rushed in to meet with the man, trading blow for blow as the sound of steel echoed through the arena. He was certainly impressive. At some point during their clashes he got serious. The man took a step back with his blade raised on high, and with a powerful leap he brought it down quite bravely. The swing broke through Ayane's defenses and dealt quite a blow. "Augh!" She was brought to her knees. Oh yeah, this man was trouble. "...damn you!" She growled and rose up. "HAH!" Not to be outdone she rose up her own blade, letting it flare up in rage. She dashed in as quick as she could and let out a single swing, as fast as the wind. But to the elf, it almost seemed like he was facing down five swings, all coming at once. And on fire to boot! He could only dodge so many as they overwhelmed him, and in an instant...it was done. Ayane was by the man's side when her attack was done, and the man himself was on his knees as some blood burst out. Though thankfully, despite how painful it looks, his life was in no danger. "...it's done." The samurai rose up and had walked off the battlefield. Her thirst was sated, there was no need to continue.

Edited by TheRoon
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"Thanks. It was a lot of fun to test myself." Winnings securely stored away, she made her way into the stands just in time for Ayane's run at the arena. The first few rounds went as suspected, with Ayana handling her opponents with ease. Though the way the Oni fought was far more graceful than the dragon's own style, and that in and of itself made the fights entertaining to watch for Xalrei. When Puff stepped out Xalrei could feel the excitement building in the crowd. He was one of the stronger arena contenders. How would Ayane fair against him? 

After one round things already weren't looking good for the Oni. She was sure that after a hit like that Puff's victory was all but assured; however, Ayane managed to grasp victory with a swift counter-attack. By the end of the fight, she was standing, clapping and cheering for Ayane. After a display like that she was a bit surprised to see her walking out. Perhaps she'd already satisfied her blood?

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"Mmm, maybe later then... I'm not much of a fighter, but gold's gold. I was mostly hoping to cheer you on from the stands, I'm sure that I'm quite the motivator. Buuuuuuuut, if you're not interested, what good would forcing you do? You're plenty happy, let's keep it that way." Smiling mischievously, Asami hugged his arm tighter, wondering about his mention of food. "If you were hungry, we should've stayed at the inn~! You could've gotten a nice, warm meal there... Or me, hmhmhm~" Her teasing was interrupted by the gentle flapping of wings, spotting their general out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, my. Nessraya! What are you up to~?" Sure, it was a date, but a moment of interruption wouldn't hurt. Maybe it would give her an idea of where to go next, just food was leaving her drawing blanks... I know a few, but... Mmm... Which one...


"Wow!" Ayane was super cool too! She'd stopped after the big sword dude, but it was clear she really knew what she was doing, even with a standard weapon... Taliyah was so stunned that she couldn't even say anything when the girl walked back in, she was just gawking in awe, almost forgetting to close her mouth when it was her turn.

"And now, shocking even myself, we have another newt! Even being a younger dragon, I'm sure she's going to put on a show! Give it up for Taliyah!" The crowd blew up again, today's showings had been fantastic! Another dragon!? After the first, the general, and such an impressive showing from this unknown monster!?

Taliyah ran out to thunderous applause. She knew it wasn't exactly real, she wasn't a dragon, so this... It was fake, but it was better than getting booed at. Spotting Xalrei in the crowd, she swallowed hard and nodded. "Time to do my best..."

First up was the weakest of the bunch, from what she'd seen. Even so, his axe could pose a problem. She was fast, but was she fast enough? Their first clash spelled out that she wasn't, taking a gash to her arm, as she tried to get in swings through his armor. Maybe that swing woke her up, because he didn't land another, and her flurry of small blows eventually led her to hitting the jackpot, and knocking him over.

"Hoof... Not, done yet." One quick run through of healing, and she was up against shurikens. She didn't have the toughest scales, but these dinky things weren't enough to get through her enough to cause her to lose! With enough speed to keep up with the man, he was down in no time.

But a gun? More than strong enough to get through. She'd never been shot before, and after today, she never wanted another iron shell to rip through her. It was a unique pain, one that she thought wouldn't last, but it burned worse than a cut from a sword. Still, this wasn't enough. She'd managed three wins! It was giving her some hefty bravado, enough that she'd regret it in a moment.

Maybe he was upset from his thrashing at Ayane's hands, maybe she was simply ill matched for the fight, whatever it was... The swordsman trounced her in no time flat. She didn't even manage to land a hit, before she knew it, the flat of his blade was colliding with the back of her skull, and she was out cold. The crowd wasn't upset, though, it was nice for them to see the arena's fighters pull out a win. Medics quickly ran into the arena to collect her, healing her as best as they could, but it would be a good few minutes before she'd wake up from a hit like that.


"Do it when everyone's asleep? You make it sound so immoral..." Lavinia snorted, she couldn't help it, Jade's wording and her earlier wonderings about the morality of this all left the comment rather unfortunate. "Ah, it would be nice... Next time, is it? Going to get into the habit of having me bathe with you? Really, Jade, and here I thought I was being too forward, hahah!" A full on laugh this time, Lavinia was quite amused. "Still, it would be nice to be able to turn a simple hug into such warmth. Alas, I don't think this time will be the charm, but... Yes, perhaps next time~" Still, there was the comment of buttering her up, honestly... Where did she get that idea?

"Though, since your back has been mended, I would suggest we not idle here for too long. We'll be prunes soon, if we're not careful. Warmth or not, I've managed to become comfortable enough to sleep... I wouldn't leave you like that without warning, but this is a dangerous situation to stay in so carelessly~" Lavinia didn't shove Jade off, but she did shift forward just a bit, testing to see if the merchant would agree with her proposal. "Since I've handled the matter of our rooms, that just leaves restocking... As our new merchant, perhaps you'd like to accompany me to the armory, and the goods store in town? See what wares are available, help me haggle a price... I'm sure you've stayed a merchant for more than your good looks." Lavinia smirked, if Jade was going to deny her compliments, she'd have to sneak them in whenever she could.

"And if not, if you'd rather continue to relax, or simply go over your own items, check on the Nightmares... Then it's truly been wonderful, Jade, my lovely new friend. Nice to no longer be alone in this journey through the afterlife." She smiled wryly, this really was an afterlife, wasn't it? They simply had corporeal forms, but ghosts were ghosts, in the end... Oof, troubling thought, that. Best to shelve it, I don't want to upset myself and ruin this mood. Really, don't be a fool, Lavinia.

Edited by SnakeMomMelissa
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"To the arena? We should probably give that a look, then." A place for bloodsports was hardly desired for during the war, but if this village had one... some could make a profit of it anyways. Perhaps they were making use of that for some profit. Not too bad an idea, for them. Maybe it'd be a fruitful outlet for Xalrei's... temperament.

Marina herself decided to visit the inn they would stay at first. It'd be a nice idea to stop by as well, so Agni was more than fine complying. All things considered, Marina was in a much better mood than in past days, that relieved Agni as well. It seemed fleeting, however, as she stopped and turned to ask something of him, levity escaping her face. "Of course. What is it, Marina?" Evidently, something was bothering her... there could be several reasons as to why, in the past few days. Agni did not take a guess.

Edited by Xinnidy
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There was a pause after his question, continuing for several minutes as they walked. 

How to word this? Marina started thinking as she got closer to the inn. She hoped... "It's been bothering me for a little bit. It became... more prevalent when I was talking with Nessraya last night. I want to leave the thought behind, but after Erephis showed up, knowing that Thesephine had no faith in me..." Soon enough, upon reaching the inn, she grabbed Agni by the arm, running as quick as she could to a corner, away from the rest of the town, as few windows as possible.

Marina paused again, afraid again. What if it wasn't an answer she wanted, what if Nessraya was right...

Just let it out, Marina! It's too late to back out now!

"Agni," She began, her voice quiet, ashamed, "Is your loyalty to Marina... or to The Hero?" And her face soon hid away from Agni's look, afraid of what he'd say.

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"YEAH! GIVE IT TO 'EM, TALIYAH!" Xalrei had moved to the edge once Taliyah had walked out, both for a better view and to make herself more visible to her friend. Seeing her fight though was a lot more stressful than she'd thought it'd be, at least the first round was. All she could do though was cheer her on though, so she did just that, loud enough to be heard over the roar of the crowd. "SMASH 'EM! SHOW 'EM WHAT YOU CAN DO!" Taliyah was putting on a good showing and that only made Xalrei cheer harder.

Seeing her go down to Puff, especially so hard, was nearly enough to get her to hop into the ring to check on her. The only thing that stopped her was the swift response of the medical team, a quick reminder that Taliyah wasn't in any real danger. Still, she was worried for her friend and quickly left the stands and headed for the waiting room. She passed by Ayane on the way and gave her a wave, but that was about it. 

Taliyah was lain out in the waiting room, still out cold when Xalrei arrived. She couldn't do much else than wait, so she sat down beside her and placed the lizardgirl's head on her lap. Laselia did it for her when she was younger, so she figured it was a good idea. She was proud of her lizardgirl friend. She'd made it all the way to Puff and even had it in her to challenge the elf, even if that wasn't a smart move on her part. Though Xalrei wasn't really the right person to fault her for that.

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