Maeyurai had defeated two out of ten swordsmen and is currently on a two-win streak. He's walking around the west of Yugihanata with Asagi in search of Kirsaki, a quiet woman with blonde hair, as described by Sanrovina.
"By the way," said Asagi as she walked beside Maeyurai. "How did you block the explosions of my Crest of the Scarlet Edge?"
Maeyurai turned his attention to Asagi. "Crest of the—what now? Oh, that technique where your katana explodes when near me. I just conjured a barrier of fire around me, which lessened the power of the explosion."
"Then why did your stomach get burnt?" Asagi followed up. "Did you fail?"
"That's because there's not a place in my stomach where I can release mana. The reason why I managed to block most of the explosions is that you set them on areas where I can conjure a fire barrier easily without raising an arm."
"Oh, that's genius! I've never thought of that!" said Asagi in wonder, clearly astonished by Maeyurai's creativity. "But wait, there are other places you can release mana into?"
"Yeah," Maeyurai answered. "Actually, you can release mana from your pulse points! I don't know why this wasn't taught to Invokers, but you can release mana from your pulse points."
"I suppose there's something that you did also that made you able to see the Links I've placed, did you?"
Maeyurai didn't respond immediately. His ability, the Sense Boost, was something he didn't want to disclose out loud. "Well, I technically did," he answered vaguely.
Asagi raised an eyebrow at his vague answer.
"Hmmm, okay."
Maeyurai looked up at the sky and slowly stopped walking. It was cloudy and dark, a clear sign of imminent rain. The faint sensation of moisture in the air was starting to become thick, followed by a single droplet that landed directly on his left cheek.
"It's going to rain," he said softly.
Observing his movements quietly beside him, Asagi also lifted her head to look at the sky. "It is," she said as droplets of rain continued to fall.
Not long after, countless droplets descended, and the rain officially laid its gaze down on Yugihanata.
The two of them stood underneath the rain, catching each droplet with a silent, contemplative expression.
"You may have forgotten something," Asagi spoke up, eyes shifting to Maeyurai as she started to get soaked in the rain.
Maeyurai looked out of the corner of his eye before turning his head to look at her.
"Hm? What did I forget?"
Asagi paused for a moment as a smile crept up her face.
"You're forgetful," she said. "It's the free noodles. You won, remember?"
Maeyurai's eyes lit up in realization, suddenly reminded of his hunger.
"Ah, yeah, I did make a deal with you like that."
"You did," said Asagi. "Though, while fighting you, I didn't feel you were as strong as Kaienley. You were bluffing, weren't you?"
"Well, you caught me," Maeyurai chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just Elite-Level, but I know I'm almost about to reach General. Close, I think."
The rain continued to grow stronger. Each droplet increased in amount and in density, followed by the cold breeze.
Asagi let out a lighthearted laugh. "So you did lie to me, but still managed to steal the win. Your fighting style is quite creative for a Conjurer."
"Your way of using Emanation and its Links is very creative too, y'know?" replied Maeyurai, a single brow furrowed. "I'm just much more clever, though."
"Whatever you say. Let's go to Ishirao Noodles now, I'll treat you."
"Eh, I'm not in the mood to eat right now," Maeyurai replied. "Sure, my stomach is rumbling, but eating while drenched? I'd rather stay hungry in the meantime than eat good food wet."
"Okay—"
A thunder struck the ground at the center of the road, its blast reverberating across the street like a shockwave.
CRASH!!
Both Asagi and Maeyurai jerked up at the brutal roar of the sky, their heads snapping in the direction of the noise, the sheer intensity vibrating their bones.
The sound hit Maeyurai like a physical slap, leaving his teeth buzzing. His eyes twitched involuntarily, his heart jumping from shock.
"That was loud!" he shouted, shaking off the sting in his ears as the thunder rang in his skull.
Asagi, startled, instinctively grabbed Maeyurai's hand, her breath hitching as the distant rumble continued to echo ominously.
"I don't feel so good," she said, her voice trembling with unease. "I feel that we should find shelter before the thunderstorm truly arrives. It's also getting cold now."
Her grip tightened, and she started to walk away from the area with haste, bringing Maeyurai along.
Maeyurai's head turned towards Asagi, his feet following her steps. "Huh? Alright, sure..."
Asagi led the way to Ishirao Noodles, her pace quickened by an underlying feeling of anxiety. Her eyes quivered, and her pulse raced. She passed through the curtain of the entrance with Maeyurai, letting out a sigh of relief afterward.
The remaining customers and a few bystanders who went in to seek shelter stared at the two. Some people's faces were familiar, as they were the people that spectated their duel before Asagi and Maeyurai went into the alley.
The people shared confused gazes, silently communicating, 'Who do you think won in their duel?'
"Sorry for doing that," she apologized, her chest heaving with each deep breath. "I hate the sound of thunder."
Maeyurai nodded in sympathy, his eyes softening at the sight.
"It's fine, everyone is afraid of one thing."
Sitting on one of the chairs near the entrance, Asagi sighed, her head lowered in relief.
"I guess I can treat you to food now, huh?" she said as she turned her gaze to Maeyurai.
"Well, we're already here anyway," replied Maeyurai. "How much money do you have on you?"
"I have around 60 silver right now, it's enough for dozens of bowls."
Maeyurai's eyes widened slightly before saying, "60? That's a lot just for bowls of noodles. Do you seriously spend all that just eating?"
Asagi waved her hand dismissively. "No-no, I don't spend that much money just to eat! I'll get fat if I do."
Then, Maeyurai looked down at her clothes, his gaze lingering on her chest, thigh, and stomach.
"What are you looking at?" asked Asagi in a conscious tone, a bead of rain trickling down her cheek.
"You," Maeyurai bluntly answered. "Where do you keep your money? I don't see any pocket anywhere."
Asagi didn't answer immediately. A beat passed.
"You're just using that as an excuse to look at my wet clothes, aren't you?" she teased, a smirk tugging on the corner of her lips in amusement.
Maeyurai pulled his head back, his brows furrowing in denial.
"No? It's a genuine question."
Asagi laughed lightly. "Well, I keep them in a hidden pocket. I keep losing my coins whenever I walk around, so I keep them somewhere they won't fall or get stolen."
Then, Maeyurai shook his head, a smile forming on his lips.
"I don't think anyone would even dare try to steal from you."
CRASH!!
Another thunderstrike struck outside with a bang, the explosion incredibly loud, indicating it was in proximity.
Maeyurai's head flicked to the curtain entrance.
"It really is turning into a thunderstorm."
Behind the curtain approached a dark silhouette, its figure as tall as you would expect from an average woman. The person pushed the curtain open, taking a foot into the noodle shop.
It was a woman with a stoic face, carrying a katana on her waist. Her eyes were as empty as the abyss, a complete contrast to her vibrant, yellow hair. She tapped her foot on the ground, her leather boots wet. She looked around until her eyes landed on Asagi's sitting figure.
"Asagi?" the yellow-haired woman called in a monotone voice, her chest slightly heaving.
Asagi's eyes snapped to the woman by the door, her eyes expanding at the sight.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Kirsaki!"
With a perplexed gaze, Maeyurai shifted his eyes from Asagi to the yellow-haired woman, who was actually Maname Kirsaki. A grin of satisfaction crept up his face.
No need to go to the trouble of finding Kirsaki. She came to me as if we were fated to cross paths.
Asagi looked at Maeyurai expectantly, waiting for his next move.
"Is your name Maname Kirsaki?" asked Maeyurai as he stepped towards the disheveled Kirsaki. He was around four inches taller than her, making Kirsaki around 5'4.
"I am," Kirsaki answered. "I heard from Ibarra that an archer was looking for me. I didn't think I'd see you here."
"Huh?" Maeyurai squinted. "Ibarra? The swordsman in north of Yugihanata?"
"Yes," answered Kirsaki, her voice never changing in tone.
Maeyurai paused. Then, he opened his mouth. "Where is he now?"
"I don't know," Kirsaki replied.
While listening to their conversation, Asagi stood up and walked towards Maeyurai.
"Ibarra is a quirky man. He's infamous in both Yugihanata and Tahaktatsu for being unpredictable."
"Maybe," Asagi continued, "his unpredictable nature is what caused Euri to have severe social anxiety."
"Wait, what?" Maeyurai exclaimed, his confusion stirred up by the new information. "So you're saying that the reason Euri is so mentally weak is because of Ibarra?"
"Euri lives with Ibarra," Asagi replied. "People say that Ibarra's treating Euri poorly at home, but she can't find the courage to tell everyone."
Then, Kirsaki spoke up. "He's not a bad person, he's just an asshole—as people think."
Maeyurai's eyes narrowed. Isn't that the same thing?
Before the conversation about Ibarra could continue, Kirsaki turned her head to Asagi and asked:
"Why are your clothes torn apart?"
Asagi, not expecting that Kirsaki would point it out, froze for a moment. Water continued to drip down on the three of them as the thunder clapped once more.
"Oh, uh... I fought with Maeyurai—this archer beside me."
With lightning-fast reflex, Kirsaki snapped her fist towards Maeyurai's face, the force it contained as dense as a thick concrete block, and a collective gasp echoed from the customers.
Maeyurai stumbled two paces back, and Asagi immediately brought her hand to Kirsaki's wrist, stopping her from going any further.
"Agh... That hurt like hell," he let out a grunt, clutching his nose in pain. "What's your problem? We just met, it's not like I have any ill intent."
The impact of Kiraski's fist stung Maeyurai's nose bridge, his face smarting in pain, hands flying up to his nose.
"Hey, no! He didn't do anything bad!" Asagi exclaimed, pulling on Kirsaki's wrist with insistence.
Kirsaki's lips were shut tight. Her face distorted with a subtle scowl, veins popping on her forearms and neck as Asagi struggled to maintain her grip on the wrist.
"It was a duel! He came here by Sanrovina's orders," said Asagi as she stepped in front of Kirsaki.
"Torn clothes mean something," Kirsaki replied in the same monotone voice. However, there was an underlying sense of anger in her tone.
Asagi shook her head, her expression turning stern as she released her grip on Kirsaki's wrist.
"In the heat of battle, injury isn't entirely avoidable, Kirsaki. It doesn't necessarily mean that Maeyurai intended to hurt me."
Maeyurai rubbed his nose and moved forward, confidently approaching the angered Kirsaki.
"You know what? This is a good opportunity," he said before pointing his finger at Kirsaki, then to himself. "You, me, duel. Out in the downpour, where the storm is arriving. Let's settle this under the wet environment."
Without a word, Kirsaki turned to the cloth curtain and pushed past, going out onto the rainy sidewalk. Maeyurai traced her path with a weary Asagi on his shadow.
"Hey... Maeyurai," Asagi called, her voice diminished. "Be careful when fighting her. She's the second fastest swordsman in the entirety of this island."
Maeyurai nodded, understanding how much of a threat Kirsaki is to breaking his streak and mission.
"Second to Lucia, right?"
"That's correct," replied Asagi. "Only second to Lucia Pengororo, The Lioness."
Kirsaki led Maeyurai and Asagi to an open area near the docks, the damp air clung to their skin as the salty breeze from the sea wandered around. The rain never stopped, only intensifying the moment they reached the destination.
CRASH!!
Another thunder landed near Kirsaki, the cobblestone path underneath scorched from the intense heat it emitted. Kirsaki, however, did not react, as if she were accustomed to the thunderstrikes.
"Yikes, she's scary," muttered Maeyurai as he took hold of his longbow, lowering his head to avoid his eyes being hit by the raindrops.
Asagi watched from the sidelines, her lips quivering from the coldness of the air—and her fear of thunder.
Maeyurai glanced at her from the corner of his eye and said, "Asagi, you don't have to watch."
"No," Asagi replied in a firm voice. "It's my friend's and my opponent's battle, I have to watch this."
With a sigh, Maeyurai returned his attention to Kirsaki, who seemed to be waiting patiently for him to make a move.
But then, she took hold of her katana, and with a flash, she charged forward to strike down Maeyurai.