Aegis exhaled as he slid his helmet off, running a hand through his damp hair."I'm worried about Ketsuki."
Ryosen dropped onto a fallen log with a tired sigh."Well… we should probably head back anyway, dude. Typhon isn't coming back. I just, have a feeling."
At the Haven of Six
Sokudo dragged the unconscious Musashi behind him like a sack of potatoes, humming casually.
"Alright, I'mma go sell this dollar store Musashi guy back to the village 'cause I need money. See ya never!"
He kicked off the ground and vanished in a blur.
Kentarō blinked. "Glad your brother's finally gone. At least we finished five houses already."
"He finished all six houses," Katsu corrected, arms crossed.
"Yeah, that's what I said." Kentarō gave a thumbs-up with unshakable confidence.
Katsu stared at him. "…No you didn't."
Shichiro opened his mouth to join the argument, but stopped. A faint echo rolled across the plains.
Clap. Clap. Clap."WAAAAA!!"
It was unmistakably Ketsuki.
Shichiro squinted toward the forest. "Wow, someone's having a party without us."
"We should probably go to her though," Rokuro said, already jogging forward.
Ketsuki's Surprise
The group arrived to find Ketsuki bouncing in place, grinning with enough energy to power the entire Haven.
"HEY GUYS!! LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!!!"
Before anyone could ask,
Ketsuki popped into a puff of purple smoke.
And then.
A tiny bat shot up into the sky, spinning, screeching, and flying loops like a caffeinated mosquito.
Shichiro's jaw dropped."…Is that.. Ketsuki?"
The bat squeaked loudly, doing a backflip.
Katsu's eyes widened. "She… transformed."
Kentarō shielded his face as she zoomed past his head."BRO SHE'S GONNA HIT A TREE"
THUD.
She hit a tree.
Then bounced off. Then kept flying like nothing happened.
Ketsuki (still a bat) squeaked proudly:
"LOOK!! I CAN FLYYYY!!"
Shichiro started laughing uncontrollably."Oh my god, someone get her before she leaves the atmosphere."
Rokuro reached up like trying to catch a cat on a curtain."Ketsuki, GET DOWN FROM THERE! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO LAND!"
The bat squeaked, then spiraled downward in a chaotic zigzag pattern.
A purple puff, and she was back to normal, landing on her feet perfectly.
She threw her hands up.
"TA-DAA!! Did you SEE THAT?! I'm a BAT now!!"
Shichiro clapped. "Five stars. Incredible."
Katsu smiled despite himself. "That wasn't normal Heart usage… That was something else."
But Ketsuki was too busy jumping excitedly to care.
"I CAN FLYYYYY!!"
"I mean like.. Her name means Vampire.. I think." Katsu shrugged.