Broken Contracts (Hana ✗ Sen)

[Hana]

None of their attacks had connected with any part of their body, blades clashing together and creating friction and sparks. It looked vicious and perhaps in its own way it was to the oni and the onlookers, but in truth they were more or less playing with each other. Enjoying the clash of their attacks, pushing each other to back off and strike again. Selene strained her arms against the unrelenting pressure of Ignis against the butterfly swords, meeting his eyes and arching a brow. "You think such strength can hope to make me yield?" Her voice was low enough that only they could hear it, as close as they were, a taunting lilt beginning to appear. She wasn't going to win through brute force that was his specialty - she was going to use it against him. He was, after all, applying such pressure, building up momentum that wouldn't be stopped - and so she slid underneath his sword, a screech resounding as the edges of their weapons hissed past each other.

Twisting one sword in a reverse grip in her other hand, she punched upwards, the crossguards acting as brass knuckles aimed at his jaw. It was more aggressive than she normally would do, but she was following a rhythm. Strong then swift then strong then swift - forms that she could flow easily to and from as she followed it up with a spinning swipe that dangerously almost grazed the fire demon.

 

[Mu]

His eyes followed his partner, her body ducking under his sword while he was mid swing. The fire demon growled, he had no time to twist himself around in time to protect himself. He spun quickly, twirling his sword as he gripped it in reverse, smashing against the brass knuckle with to the flat of his sword. The grin on his face was enthusiastic, a glint prominent in his eyes. Now this was the Selene he was used to seeing.

With no time to block the following swipe, his brought forward his healing arm, the blade sinking into the bandage-encased arm. Phynex merely cocked his head at her, he felt no pain from it at all, instead throwing his arm and the butterfly sword off of him. Gripping Ignis once more and now on the offence, he shot forward like a flicker of light, stopping just inches away from the huntress with his legs apart and tense, sword snaking forward for a single deadly thrust when...

"Stop!" the oni called out, looking astounded with the battle. The fire demon snapped back to life, his weapon halting in motion, the tip of his blade uncomfortably close to her body if not for the butterfly swords. "My word, that was... that was amazing!" Their guide threw their arms up in surprise, bringing them back for loud applause.

 

[Hana]

At first she was startled at the fact that he brought up his recovering arm to block her attack, and then her eyes narrowed calculatingly. So he was using it to block, not feeling any pain at all...? She would have to talk with him later on about proper recovery and care of an injury. The heat and the battlelust was still thrumming in her body after a while of not coming together with him like this, the last time they did being back in Nora. She jerked away as he threw the blade away from him, immediately crossing the swords as he lunged forward. Selene glared, crouching on one leg and blocking his sword just as it darted towards her, the blades screeching against each other as she deflected it away from her. With a hiss, the huntress unexpectedly forced one of her swords to point at his throat. It was a stalemate, the fire demon hovering over her with his sword held still. The demon sword pointed at her chest. She was breathing heavily, the swells of her breasts rising and falling.

Despite the oni halting them from sparring - testing - against each other any further, neither of them immediately drew back their weapons. Their eyes were still locked on each other's. There was a grin that was almost feral on Phynex's face, mirroring the slight smile that slowly formed on the huntress's. "Stalemate," she whispered at him, with a mildly amused tone. How had they gotten so absorbed into winning over each other? She had seen how much force he put into his attacks, as well as how he aimed for the more vital parts on her. If he didn't know her so well that she could block or evade those, the onlookers would have thought he was seriously trying to injure her.

 

[Mu]

His grin didn't leave his face, eyes still locked onto her violet-blue eyes. "Stalemate," he repeated after her, slowly moving away from Selene, the blade dissipating from his hands, the embers and the streams of flames kissing her skin. He was the first to break eye contact with the huntress, bowing politely to the oni with his chest still slightly heaving from the battle. "Thank you," he said, the adrenaline not yet having fully left his system as their guide began showering the two with compliments.

"That was so ferocious, we don't see battles like that often." The guide seemed extremely excited at what he had just seen. "Beautiful, beautiful. Here, Selene-san..." he took the butterfly swords off from her, as well as Phynex's guandao. "We have plenty to work off from now, your forms do need improving but you both have the grasp of the basics." He gave the butterfly sword a spin, waving it in the air before explaining some of the corrections they wanted to make to their own custom sets. Selene's one were highly likely to end up a bit lighter, and made out of a less shinier metal to attract less attention. Her butterfly swords, probably following the vintage design rather than the modern one. Phynex's guandao generally needed to be heavier for him to wield better, and be able to withstand high temperatures from his abilities.

After noting down personal aesthetic choices and gushing even further about how he had conjured Ignis, bombarding the fire demon with questions of his own race and how weapons were created in the West, it was time for the two foreigners to leave.

 

[Hana]

Oddly, after the second demonstration had concluded, Arashi hadn't mouthed off with yet another one of his caustic yet amusing comments. The redskinned oni was observing the both of them, looking oddly calm for someone of his temperament. After his fellow kinsman had finished babbling on about the weapons and the possible adjustments, he coughed audibly and clapped the other on the shoulder. "A wordy bastard as ever, Masahiro. You'll talk their ears off before long, but they need to go." He looked over at the two foreigners. "I'll be seeing you lot once your weapons are finished, so you better haul ass to the palace training grounds once I call you out. I don't tolerate lazy fucks. Got it?"

Selene nodded and turned away from the males in the area, quickly adjusting the layers of the kimono she was wearing. The women of the East didn't wear underwear underneath these robes because it ruined the bustline, which should remain smooth. The edges of the sarashi she had wrapped reasonably around her own chest was starting to show with how she had loosened the opening at the front above the obi. The slit up to her thigh was a lost cause, but one she didn't really feel remorseful about. It was only now that she mused that the oni blacksmith must have seen an eyeful or more skin than he would see in the forges when she saw the way he flushed upon catching her eye. "Thank you for having us here, your weapons are of an admirable quality."

 

[Mu]

"A- Ahaha, thank you. Selene-san. It is my honor." He bowed low in response to the huntress, skittering to lead the group back out to the entrance. The fire demon turned to look at Selene adjusting her clothing, his eyes roaming down to the long slit she had created down her kimono with a small frown. It wasn't as if he wasn't aware of the male eyes of these oni blacksmiths looking down at her, probing at the rare sight of skin that usually wasn't shown in public. He sighed inwardly. The kimono she was wearing was hard to properly adjust back to its original condition, since such formal clothing usually required another person's help. It was hard fixing the obi, which held everything together. The fire demon quietly untied the string of his haori, shrugging it off before draping it over his partner. She was his lover, after all, leaving him dressed in a dark kimono and hakama. "You won't be able to cover everything now," he whispered as he leaned in, shooting her a smile partnered with sharp and piercing eyes. That possessive quality of the demon never left him.

 

[Hana]

Staring after the back of the flustered blacksmith, Selene wondered if bare skin was such a rare sight among the mountain oni that it was enough to send them either staring or embarrassed. Back in Nora no one would have batted an eye at such a high slit up the side of a dress, it was normal among women to wear whatever they liked. She sighed and gave up on adjusting the loosened edges around the collar, the obi was difficult to adjust by one's self - and while walking at that. It was either she pretend it was normal and the oni smiths gave up on staring at the exposed skin of her leg as she walked, the nape of her neck, or the back of her shoulders or she further drew attention to it by trying to adjust the clothes.

She diverted her attention to a sudden weight covering her shoulders, a cottony fabric draping over her mangled kimono. "Hm?" A whisper tickled her skin as a certain demon leaned close to her ear. Eyes flickering sideways towards Phynex, she paused as he leaned in. He had taken off his haori to put it on her, and noticing the look in his eyes, she looked back intently. "... Thank you for the cover." Her hands reached up to his, placed on her shoulders as he had just given her his haori. Momentarily caressing the backs of his hands, she drew hers away and slowly fixed the haori to cover herself more fully, understanding his intent.

It wasn't as if she was going to walk around looking like this the entire day for more and more people to see. There was little else to do after they had met up with Arashi in the forges, and soon they left for home - or Kimyotake's house.

Night had fallen over the Eastern land and they had reached the Old One's house. Selene noticed that Kimyotake was once again absent, most likely her presence was needed at the palace... Or with that redskinned oni. It left the house to only three people, Crow sequestered away in his own room after retreating with his own food, muttering about catching up to his seal studies for his master. The foreign pair sat across from each other, dining on a simple meal of rice, vegetables, and fish. Without Kimyotake, it turned out all three of them only had basic knowledge of what to prepare. "You were magnificent back there," the huntress commented as she watched the fire demon eat his meal. "And a surprise as well."

 

[Mu]

Phynex blushed slightly at the compliment, lowering his chopsticks. "I haven't really practiced properly on someone with equal footing before," he chuckled. Of course, he had trained with Kimyotake, but even with the Old One supposedly holding back the fire demon found it difficult to gain the upper hand using any of the techniques he had learnt or even fighting how he normally would with Selene. The dragoness fought on with a cheery smile that annoyed the fire demon the more they sparred, but he couldn't blame her. She was many times his age, knew so much about the world and had participated in wars of times long gone. If he came from a harsh environment, then she came from the true hell. On the other hand, he could play with Selene and train with her with confidence, they understood each other so well they could just be messing around or taking each other seriously.

"The guandao was interesting, I want to learn how to wield it better. Maybe it would be more comfortable to swing a stick around." His voice trailed off thoughtfully before Phynex looked up to smile at the huntress. "You looked elegant as usual with both those weapons. Any... chance you'll also be using the bow for combat one day?" he locked eyes with Selene, the curiosity reaching his eyes. Whatever her answer was going to be, his grip on both his chopsticks and bowl tightened. He was still thinking about the second prince even in this situation. The fire demon sighed inwardly, he really needed to get over that. Just a little bit. It did no good gnawing at the paranoia at the back of his mind. He was scared, and unreasonably so at this point.

 

[Hana]

Setting her bowl down, she narrowed her violet eyes at the minute tightening of his hands that she couldn't miss. "It is a masterfully crafted weapon. I would use it if the situation or the work best calls for archery." Archery was part of her skillset which included a vast array of weaponry. As a weapons master, it wasn't surprising that she had mastery over the bow just as well as most weapons she had been using for a long time. And Phynex knew that, even told her he liked seeing her use her skills. However... That wasn't what was bothering the fire demon now, was it? Looking into his troubled face, she pursed her lips. Her own reassurances would become increasingly redundant by this point, that there was nothing much she could do aside from hope her own honest actions would lessen his unreasonable worries. Phynex had to work through it himself, because she had repeatedly tried to talk to him about this already.

"But I think I'm satisfied with either the knives and the swords. We're going to train for what we've chosen." A week seemed like so short a time to most, but considering the huntress's instinctive grasp of weapons she could pull it off. Phynex also showed enough promise with the guandao. Chuckling quietly to lighten the atmosphere - an action not often done by Selene - she lifted her bowl once again. "We'd better not disappoint Arashi-sama, don't you think? He seemed quite thoughtful after our trials earlier. And you get on well with him." Or he was trying to.

~
​

"Wrong! Your posture is fucking off the mark - spread your feet a bit wider and bend your legs more. No, not like that - are you a prostitute, because that reminds me of one!"

"You lack power in your swings - stop relying on just spinning it around. You're not a damned street performer and you need to use your arms as well."

"Do five hundred of those swings before you can take a break."

Training under Arashi was a colorful experience. The Old One had... No filters, to put it bluntly. And he stuck to his word - he worked both of the foreigners hard in the one week that he had them under his thumb. Shouts and curses could be heard from one area of the training grounds near the palace, the red-skinned oni was in top form as he growled out orders and corrections to their stances and postures. Often watching from the side was Kimyotake... Kaguya, and a whole slew of royal guards... And what looked like a lot of court ladies and young girls.

Day 1: Basic Stances and Attacks.
Day 2: Improving upon the basics.
Day 3: Forms and Kata.
Day 4: Sparring with Kimyotake and Arashi.
Day 5: Advanced.
Day 6: ...
Day 7: ...

The pair of Old Ones would have been a literal nightmare to fight in a true serious battle. Arashi had apparently broken a lot of swords from his raw strength alone if he didn't control himself and he needed more specialized materials if he was going to fight with them, unless he used his spirit sword. Despite that, he still had enough control if he tried to keep things precise - precision applied strength meant he had all the force of a hurricane targeted in a very small area. If Naberius had accidentally cut a mountain in half - Arashi could have carved an artwork out of it. And that was an honest comparison, because he was known as the finest and strongest swordsman in his land for a reason...

One week passed by in a whirlwind of studying and learning how to use the weapons. Selene took it with her usual grace, listening unfazed to the Old One's brash teachings and applying it with ease into her own swordsmanship and use of the knives. Because they were so busy, Selene didn't often get a chance to talk with Phynex. Both of them were surprisingly exhausted after a day of nothing but rising to meet Arashi's demands. Awake and at the training grounds at dawn, only going home after the sun had set - it was good training, but it was harsh. Surprisingly, she found herself coming to enjoy it despite the horrified expressions the royal guards shot her and Phynex - apparently, the Old One was terrifying enough in normal training.

On the last day, they stopped early and had one last training battle against Kimyotake and Arashi in front of the Emperor and his family to show off their newly acquired skills with the training - and the newly forged weapons.​

 

[Mu]

Phynex had never been worked to the bone like this before. In his memory, he did not remember a time where his very bones ached with fatigue and his eyelids refuse to cooperate with him in the nightly hours. It was hard to keep awake, much less have time to talk to his partner and lover. The first thing he wanted to do when he came back from training was always - take a bath, eat, then go straight to bed. It was a vicious cycle of repeating the same action over and over, then on Arashi, then more yelling before he introduced a new form. The days moved slowly, but he was always hyper aware of his surroundings. They had not yet received their new weapons, but the forges had graciously sent some from their storage that matched the weight of they would eventually get for training. The fire demon could feel the gliding of the metal against the wind, each breath he took and the step he moved. The beads of sweat forming, the grip on the guandao. Even though the training was harsh, he knew he was improving... and he couldn't help but have fun.

Crowds would often form around the perimeter of the training grounds, watching the two foreigners practice again and again. Believe it or not, both Phynex and Selene worked even later than the day shift guards, since the fire demon would see them coming back from the palace and sometimes stopping by the training grounds to gawk at the two of them. He spotted Kagura gazing at Arashi with an odd expression, sometimes with Xiyu right behind her waving at the demon and the huntress. Kimyotake was a regular visitor and often sat off to the side drinking tea, feeding herself - and their trainer - snacks. She would join in to assist them too, and Phynex was almost glad to take a break by listening to a gentler voice. Stern, but gentle.

The training spars with Kimyotake and Arashi were hell. Even though it was just training, it seemed impossible to even land a hit on both of them. The female Old One was not one for blade against blade, so she was primarily their opponent when it came to learning how to effectively use their foe's dodges to their advantage. In the beginning, it was like trying to pierce water. Phynex and Selene, using all of their techniques to land a single hit, even without her shamisen she seemed to weave through the air and sidestep all of their complex strikes like it was breathing. "If you can't even land a hit," she had teased, "fighting Shiru-san would be even worse."

On their final day, a mock battle was going to be organized. Their brand new weapons against either Arashi or Kimyotake, the latter almost pleased to be having another battle with the fire demon. He heaved a sigh where he sat in the hall of the Emperor, the Old One enjoyed his suffering, didn't she? A special guest had joined them as well, the familiar face of the oni that had been their guide. His eyes were all wonder and awe at the Emperor and the Empress, as well as at the Old Ones and the royal family. He had brought along what the Longya Forge had been working on for six days straight.

First, he presented Phynex with the guandao. As he pulled back the cloth wrapped around the head of the weapon, he revealed a masterful piece of art. From where the fire demon sat, he could already tell it was more elegant than the ones he had been training with. It looked as if it was radiating with heat, the silver blade emerging from the mouth of a dragon, dotted with jewels that looked like fire was burning within. The serpent had been engraved on the side of the blade as well, the intricate and detailed lines proof of the artist's skill. A signature had been engraved along with the dragon on one side, the signature of its forger. Lined with gold and having a red tassel attached to the swordcatcher indent of the guandao, it made the weapon look more like something to be hung up on the wall rather than be wielded as a weapon. But he quite liked it, and the fire demon was sure to use it often.

 

[Hana]

"Eye-catching," Selene piped up with an ironic raise of her brow, amused at the shining eyes her partner directed towards the new weapon. It was a beautiful weapon, reminding her that a lot of the Easterners valued a sort of beauty that was able to coexist yet even with their weaponry. The oni bowed to Phynex once more, waiting for him to take the guandao into his own hands for the first time. When Phynex was holding the guandao, the blacksmith turned towards the huntress and took the two other parcels from behind him. Her brows rose. There were...

"We've never seen a lady fight so beautifully with what we considered a brutish weapon before," the blacksmith confessed, smiling at her. "Despite your decision to choose the deer horn knives we decided to forge a pair of butterfly swords fitting for you, Averill-san. Consider it a token of our admiration." With that, he unwrapped the carefully tied parcels around the weapons, letting it open in front of the royal family and their guests. Inside the first package was the pair of knives she had requested, glimmering faintly at the edges like the curve of the pale white moon she was named for. They were much more simplistic than the grandiose appearance of the guandao, just two elegantly curved crescents intersecting together, looking almost too dainty to be considered weapons. The handles were a simple black.

In contrast to the delicate appearance of the knives, the butterfly swords were made of a less conspicuous material, the surfaces of the blades coated with a material that lessened the shine. Instead of shining, it looked as if the blades absorbed all light instead, making it perfect for using either in daylight or in darkness. In accordance with the lady foreigner's tastes the decoration was simplistic except for the engraving of her name in Eastern characters on one side of the sword each. She had asked for no tassels on her weapons, and they had respected her decision.

Selene accepted the knives first, examining it in her hands and nodding in satisfaction when it met her requirements. And then she held the 'gifted' swords with a slightly arched brow, before looking to the blacksmith. "Thank you, Masahiro-san." The oni's dark skin seemed to flush darker. She turned away, pretending not to have noticed or choosing not to comment.

 

[Mu]

Nodding to Masahiro, a guard announced the mock battle between Kimyotake and Phynex to the Emperor and his family. The princes and the princesses stopped murmuring among themselves, with the first princess and the first prince's gaze locked onto the weapons they had been given with a smile on his lips. The second prince seemed more interested in watching Selene's reaction to receiving her weapon, while the second princess looked at Phynex. The third princess was preoccupied with playing with the tassels hanging off her bowsman brother's clothing. The female Old One shed off the outermost layer of her kimono as she stood up, letting it pool in her seat beside Arashi to give her more freedom to move. Moving to the clear area in front of the Emperor's throne, she picked up her shamisen as if it were a weapon. Phynex knew better than to underestimate that instrument of hers.

As he moved to stand across from her, the Old One winked. "Your father would be proud to see where you are standing now," she commented lightly with her usual cheery grin. He smiled back her, but he couldn't help but feel nervous about his position. There were a lot of people watching... but there was also that thirst to show off the skills he had learnt from training with Selene and Arashi.

At the guard's first signal, he moved to the proper starting stance, one leg forward and both hands on the pole. One near the blade facing up, the other near the bottom facing down so that the blade pointing up to the air. Phynex took a deep breath, readying himself to charge as soon as the second signal sounded - but it was Kimyotake who moved. Like lightning she sped forward, forcing Phynex to take a few steps back to assess the situation as she thrust the butt of her shamisen forward. With her strength, a good knock from that would hurt. He brought the blade down to clash with the instrument, swinging an arc to meet it again on his right to stop her quick follow up. Like this, they parried several times, with the fire demon attempting to jab at the dragoness without prevail. Her instrument was her shield, meeting his guandao with a dull 'thunk'. Whirling the guandao around his body, she leapt or ducked too quickly for him to land a hit, managing to push him off to move forward with another thrust. This time, Phynex was ready for it.

Holding the guandao upright, he let her shamisen pass through his stretched arms until it was sandwiched between his chest and the pole. He heard a slight gasp from Kimyotake as he pulled it back, slamming the neck of the instrument against him but trapping the dragoness' weapon successfully before bringing his pole under her forcing her to let go and give him the victory. With a growl he twisted her arm further, but she merely returned his enthusiasm by allowing the power he was applying to his counter to flip her own lightweight body over his head and making him release her, landing on her feet less than disturbed or sweating.

Phynex charged, moving with light feet with confidence with the weight of his weapon no longer holding him back. He swung the guandao with power, either the blade was going for her or the end of the pole was. Either was deadly if it could hit, but she accepted it with the back of her shamisen, taking a few steps back every time he pushed. He continued to swing and thrust, using his throat and shoulders as an axis to slash at her head-height to have her duck, only for him to shift the circular motion to his chest to force her to step back even further. Seeing an opening at the staggering of her feet, his flowing motions halted in favor for a powerful jab at her abdomen, failing as she caught his attack once again. "Is that it?" she seemed pleased at Phynex despite her light-hearted teasing.

With a step forward he jabbed once more at her face, Kimyotake moving to intercept with her undamaged musical instrument. Flipping his blade horizontally, he delivered three consecutive blows using full force, shoving the Old One back as she winced at each clash. He pushed even harder, his blade slicing right over her head as she ducked quickly, lowering and making herself a prime target for Phynex who jumped up to smash his guandao straight onto her shamisen - applying his entire weight to the strike. While her instrument was pressed up against her, the fire demon's blade brushed against the skin of her hand, still grasping the neck of her shamisen.

"Stop!" the guard called out, snapping Phynex out of his adrenaline-fueled excitement, bringing his weapon back to him. Phynex stepped back, heaving and breathing hard but grinning widely as Kimyotake stood up, dusting herself off. "Well done," she looked at her hand. "A small victory, but skin contact nevertheless."

 

[Hana]

As the people seated around them at the announcement of the first match, a certain royal's stare proved piercingly curious enough to make the huntress's head turn. The second prince's gaze was directed her way, dark eyes unmistakably looking at her. Unlike the rest of his siblings, whose eyes were glued to the two figures approaching the 'arena' or who was fixated with their sibling as usual. Selene lowered her newly acquired swords in front of her, turning away just before Yinbao could realize she knew. It was enough to make her avoid him in case Phynex noticed. And she had a match between her lover and an Old One to focus on, something much more demanding of her attention than some prince.

"Strange, I had assumed it would be the Lady Kimyotake against Averill-san."

"Why make Averill-san fight Arashi-sama? He would trounce that poor lady with his brutish swordsmanship!"

A secretive smile, more miniscule than even the white-haired woman's usual faint smirks, touched her lips. Little did they know. While she knew that in an actual battle a youkai of Arashi's caliber would cut her down with frightening ease, even a prodigy of her generation's skill couldn't stand up against an Old One, this was just a limited spar. With Phynex's guandao being the impressive weapon it was, people thought that he was the better match for Arashi.

"Phynex-san looks nervous. Will he be alright?" One of the royal advisers seated just behind her mused aloud, eyes flickering between the fire demon and his partner. Selene took one look at Phynex and raised one shoulder in a slight, nonchalant shrug. She knew her partner's anxiety when she saw it, and despite the nervousness that caused the bright, phoenix-golden red heart of his aura to tremble ever so slightly... It was anticipation that lit up the nerves in his body as if it was on actual fire. "He will make it through." A passive-sounding murmur. To the eyes of the royal court, it looked as if the elegant, stately young woman with the bizarrely unladylike swords in front of her had just dismissively brushed off her bodyguard's worries. She was as cold as ice, a yuki-onna to them even as her strange ryu bodyguard was surely of the scarlet flames - perhaps it was this contrast that caused her to be so indifferent? It reminded them of someone with a similarly snowy appearance.

And the wheels of the gossip mill continued to churn ever so continuously behind their backs as Prince Yinbao looked on...

When the battle concluded, Selene looked over her shoulder and met the earlier adviser's eyes with an arched brow. "Well. What do you think, Goro-san?" The man was spluttering slightly as the battle concluded in Phynex's small 'victory'. He had managed to touch an Old One, and even if Kimyotake was not actively trying to savage the fire demon, or at full power, it still put the fear of kami into such people's eyes to see Phynex do something impossible for but 3% of the Eastern population to even do. "I've also trained him well. Why do you think do I have him as a bodyguard?" Her tone held a slight tinge of something that was almost playful, or was that sarcasm the people were hearing? The sudden greed in humans' eyes at the sight of potential power was one thing, the interest she saw in them now directed towards the fire demon was another. She wasn't at all pleased to see it, but the fire demon had something to prove. And now he did, in front of the royal family of this foreign land.

And now, it was her time to prove herself.

She raised herself from the cushioned seats quietly, shedding off the top most layer of her clothing - her haori. It was a blessing that some occasions did allow her to wear a haori and an appropriate top that made it easier to move in.

As she walked towards the center, she felt the weight of even more stares on her back. The fight between Phynex and Kimyotake had just stoked these people's appetite, and now they wanted to see more. The pressure was on her.

But as usual, Selene didn't at all appear affected by it, her expression was almost infuriatingly similar to someone who was taking a leisurely stroll through the gardens of the palace...

Except she had the deer horn knives hanging low on either side of her waist and the butterfly swords held in each hand.

"If you manage to surprise me, girl, I will treat you and your ryu brat to a night out with me and Kimyotake." Arashi sounded almost friendly as he called out to her from across her end, hand set on the grip of his sword. For a moment the entire room was riveted to the sight of the legendary sword the oni wielded - the one whose name he refused to tell others and who he treated almost as a person. If Sankawamaru were here, he could attest that once, a long long time ago in the far past, a certain female Old One was almost infuriated at the 'close' relationship the oni had with his sword - whch apparently identified as a girl. Only for her anger to fall apart once she realized Arashi treated his sword like his own child. It was an odachi, a sword normally hard to take around because of the length of the blade - a whopping three feet. But considering who was using an odachi this time - a massive oni - it wasn't troublesome for Arashi at all. His sword also had another form that could be activated, but it wasn't needed for this display.

"Then I will endeavor to do my best to surprise you, Arashi-sama," just as casually, the huntress replied. She looked - and she was a tall woman among these people - petite when compared to the oni. Arashi could make a normal sized man look feminine and small, so that wasn't a problem at all.

And so the signal was set.

It took three connecting movements for Selene to shift ever so slightly to the proper stance to use the swords, and the last one was spent leaping out of the way as a massive odachi whipped past. The breeze from the force of the oni's attack caused a literal ripple in the air, visible even to the people and clearly audible. If she had let herself be hit by it, she would have been cleaved literally in half. Most people thought Arashi would be the lumbering slow mountain of the Old Ones, but no - he was fast for his size...

Barely giving her any time to block, the odachi came swinging once again in an upward slice only to hiss and sizzle again as sparks clashed between it and her two swords. The audience could see the literal tremble in the lady's arms as she kept it from touching her, and for a moment the fight looked worryingly like her arms were going to give out - only for her to cause eyes to widen as she let her arms loosen and she spun around the massive odachi, this time going on the offensive. She wasn't going to win this through strenght, either. And despite Arashi being massively fast, speed had always been her forte even if she knew he had to be holding back.

Compared to the earlier fight, the ensuing clashes was like an incredibly dangerous game of cat and mouse. Only the mouse fought back. Selene would be at one spot and gone the next just seconds before the odachi sliced an afterimage of her in two, body nimble and acrobatic as she parried for a moment before evading his strikes. It looked like Arashi was forcing her on the run as she leaped away and circled around him with narrowed eyes.

Arashi shouted as he spun around and blocked an attack from behind, when most people's eyes were still riveted to where she once stood. His defense is strong...

But she had to get a brush along the back of his neck. Wouldn't that be a surprise? The people were confused, why was this foreigner not actively trying to hit Arashi? Phynex was enthusiastic about it.

But she had other ways, and she was only going to lash out once she was sure it had been secured. Keeping calm as always.

His counterattack threw her back and flipping the swords in both hands to align with her arms under her sleeves, the huntress flipped back a few times to regain her balance. She weaved away from his ensuing swings by taking advantage of rolling to the side or somersaulting over the blade - they didn't think he wasn't going to strike while she was skittering away, did they? Even if she was a woman. The blade rushed chillingly close to the huntress's waist when she bent over backwards, went underneath it and then broke past his guard from under the massive sword. She could hear Arashi's gasp.

Damn. The response time was still as prompt even if it was difficult for him to maneuver the odachi once she got up close and personal with him - yet he refused to use his bare fists. She immediately ducked out of the way as the chance to hit him was lost, leaping up and standing on the flat of the odachi for a split second - invariably reminding people of Sankawamaru - and used his shoulders as a handstand to flip over him and behind him, before she sliced forwards with the deer horn knife and Arashi was forced to move forward and away.

The knife touched the back of his neck to draw a thin line of blood.

 

[Mu]

As Phynex returned to his seat and covered the blade of the guandao with the cloth it had come with, he nodded and offered a smile of 'good luck' to the huntress, ignoring but inwardly smirking at the faces the ministers and advisers behind him were making at Selene's comments. A lot of people in the world underestimated her, and women in general, because they were considered the fairer race. Phynex thought that in the East, with the presence of women like Kimyotake and Crane, that they would see the strength inside the huntress. But he was starting to think that they were only wary of female youkai or that you needed to earn their respect.

He didn't bother paying attention to the way the swordsman called him a 'brat', considering it was one of the more lighter names he had been called during his time, and instead half listened to the snide comments made at Selene now that she had finally left her seat and was out of earshot. "Look at how small she is, she's going to get crushed." One man whispered a bit too loudly behind his cup of sake, his eyes twinkling at the white-haired woman.

"She would make a good trophy wife," his partner added. The fire demon could tell he was somewhat drunk, but as soon as he turned his head ever so slightly, glaring at the man with fiery eyes - he shut up. Phynex agreed that compared to Arashi, she looked like a lost little rabbit. But he knew her better, and had seen her take down even bigger demons in his life.

At the signal of the guard, Phynex found himself watching her every movements as she danced around Arashi, deftly avoiding the powerful sword strikes. He was powerful and he could feel it - everyone in the room could as his very swings produced shockwaves that knocked the unprepared back. He was smiling to himself - or was it at Selene? - as she weaved in and out of his movements, disappearing and reappearing as if she was using magic. Arashi was fast, but Selene was faster. Or, at least she was at whatever amount of power the oni was using. There were moments when his heart soared, such as when she spun around his odachi, and moments when his heart sunk, when the blade was way too close to the huntress for his liking.

But when she broke past his guard; Arashi's guard, there was a collective gasp from the people around. It was the same gasp as when he had finally pinned down Kimyotake, the surprise of seeing something so uncanny and so unusual right in front of their eyes. Phynex's eyes were shining as Selene flipped over him, lashing out for her perfect chance of skin contact...

And she won.

There was a round of cheering and applause, murmurs of surprise and praise filling the room. The second prince in particular seemed surprised - Phynex had noticed the way he had been looking at her the entire fight - but he quickly composed himself and applauded with the rest of the audience.

"Beautiful, absolutely beautiful." The Emperor praised, a wide smile on his lips. He looked young sitting on the golden throne, the adrenaline of watching the battle having gotten to him. "A wonderful performance, thank you, Averill-san and Phynex-san. Kimyotake-sama and Arashi-sama. You have learnt so much in the course of a week, I could see it in your movements."

"Yes," Kimyotake nodded. "You two have improved a lot. I wish you two well on your mission, I know you two will do well." She pulled on the outer kimono layer she had shed back on, curling an arm around the swordsman who had also seated himself back down. "

As everyone began gossiping, the Old One continued to talk. "It was very fun being your mentor. But once you arrive at Neo-Edo, it would be better if you take your questions and mail to Arashi here or perhaps even Shiruchishi. I will be hibernating soon." She nudged the oni, an apologetic expression painted on her face. "Sorry, Tomato-chan..."

 

[Hana]

Instead of looking angry as most people usually saw of him, Arashi wore an almost savage grin on his face as he turned around after the huntress pulled her knife away. It made him look even scarier to the guards around the entrances, who quailed at the sight of the swordsman smile so happily. Selene supposed it was the way the oni showed appreciation, because he suddenly stomped over to her and clapped her back strongly. "Fuck if I didn't see that coming, girl! You've got balls!" The huntress had to dig the fronts of her shoes into the ground to keep from toppling over at the strong clap, but otherwise just nodded respectfully. "Thank you for confirming my masculinity in front of everyone in the palace, Arashi-sama," she added after a moment with a hint of dryness. The advisors sitting with Phynex were aghast at his language.

Arashi gave a loud bark of laughter, and clapped her back once again before they parted. Selene pursed her lips as she almost fell over, catching herself at the last moment. "You're manlier than most of the royal guards in this fucking palace - maybe they should wear kimonos instead and I could finally get a decent one to train in you. And you make the pansies in the court look like fragile ladies. It's damn amusing!" The two Old Ones present clearly had their favorites to dote on - and by some manner of luck, the gruff and hot-tempered swordsman apparently took a liking to the huntress. Who was his exact opposite in terms of temperament. If Kimyotake doted on Phynex like a son... Selene didn't know if she was supposed to call Arashi fatherly. It was slightly disturbing.

"I am sure, Arashi-sama, that you make all men look very womanly next to you," Selene quipped back with a tart little bow. She looked dead serious, but the oni burst into laughter as they were walking away from each other. She inwardly snorted at the flushed faces among the advisors as she slid into her seat next to Phynex. Were they so sensitive to such comments? No wonder they were dead appalled at Arashi despite respecting his strength. Apparently, they also thought Sankawamaru was indecent.

She turned to Phynex and murmured low enough for only the fire demon to hear. "Except for you, of course." There was a little smirk on her lips as she met his eyes. Of course.

"Tch. No need to fucking apologize, just go get your damn sleep and I'll be waiting and keeping idiotic little fuckers like Sankawa out of your room." Despite his words, Arashi looked almost like he was sulking next to Kimyotake.

 

[Mu]

The Old One stifled a laugh behind her sleeve, pouring her obvious lover a cup of sake. "I can see you're not happy with it, you can still come talk to me, you know~" She seemed to look a bit sad herself, "It's a bit lonely without Crane-san here. I miss her." It was clear that Kimyotake enjoyed the company of Crane as a fellow woman, and Phynex couldn't help but ponder how close their relationship was and what they had gone through as Old Ones. After all, they had a lot of years under their belts.

However, something else had caught his attention. "Hibernation?" he questioned, tilting his head at Kimyotake. Dragons in the West tried not to hibernate anymore. It was too dangerous, as anybody could murder them in their sleep. It was a risk that nobody wanted to take.

Kimyotake nodded. "Hai, hibernation. Maybe it's because I'm old-schooled, but I can't last through the winters anymore." She smiled brightly at her 'pupil'. "Don't worry, I have everyone else to look after me." She poked the oni in the arm with a playful look, "Especially this one. He takes pride in chasing Sankawa-chan away from our room." The Old One took a sip of her drink and sighed, before chuckling at something that Arashi had just said. "Thanks for making me imagine my eel little brother in a kimono."

Phynex joined the two Old Ones in a short burst of laughter before turning to pay his attention to his lover. "So, do you mean to say I'm the manliest in your eyes?" The fire demon winked at her, tempted to loop his arm around her but afraid to do so because of his public image. It would be ludicrous to see a bodyguard be so intimate with the woman he was supposed to take care of.

Now that the battle was over, it was time to feast. As the Emperor toasted everyone who had arrived, and picked up his chopsticks to start the meal, the room exploded with chattering. The handmaidens directed the foreigners to their seats, away from the Old Ones and right beside Yinbao and Zhaoju, who blinked as they shuffled down the room to sit beside them in front of tables piled with food. "That was an elegant battle, Averill-san. I thoroughly enjoyed it." Yinbao turned immediately to welcome the two foreigners, but her sister didn't look too pleased.

"I can't believe that man over there fought Kimyotake-sama with a spear. Did you see how she used her shamisen and blocked everything?" Zhaoju muttered, trying to lower her voice but instead it was loud enough for the fire demon to hear.

Yinbao shot her a look. "Be quiet, Zhaoju. Phynex-san was just as elegant." He blinked at the fire demon. "I have seen the guards train here for years and none of them were like you just then. And you have only practiced for a week."

Phynex wasn't fond of the man but... he had to take a compliment at least. "Thank you, Prince Yinbao." He was wary of the prince and his relationship with the huntress. Daring himself and pushing the social limits, he grasped Selene's hand under the table, hidden among the many layers of her kimono. "It was hard work, but it was worth it."

 

[Hana]

"Thank you, Prince Yinbao," the huntress echoed after her partner, feeling the touch of his hand suddenly on hers after he pushed past the layers of her kimono sleeves. Selene didn't look down, instead turning to pick pieces of lobster from an elegant arrangement in front of them. If he was going to use his hand he usually picked up chopsticks with to hold her own, she might as well get food for him. Casually, the huntress placed the tender white and orange flesh of the lobster, simmered and immersed with a sweet and savory sauce, in a small bowl meant for a guest and pushed it in front of Phynex. "You'll like this one." Pulling her hand away, but not before a lingering sweep on his skin, she mimicked the other guests who were picking their choices in food.

She glanced at the second prince after getting some fluffy white rice and steamed fish with scallions, soy and ginger. Not really tasting the food after taking a small nibble on it, she lowered her chopsticks for a moment and watched the two royal siblings interact. Yinbao was incredibly patient or tolerant of Zhaoju, for the princess was currently trying to get him to talk to her. "You two share a close relationship," Selene ventured first, noticing the glances that Yinbao not so subtly sent in her direction. "Among your siblings, you two seem to be the closest." Because while Xianyi was the most social of his siblings, he was the Crown Prince and probably had a distance from the rest of them in some ways. Minxian and Xiyu were full siblings, but the first princess was far too immersed in her work, while Xiyu was still trying to find her own niche among her siblings' many talens.

And Zhaoju wasn't very close with her full brother at all. Instead, she seemed to look up to Yinbao the most. Yinbao who the courtiers and advisors whispered was more or less a replacement to the Crown Prince should anything happen, and even then Minxian was the most competent of the siblings when it came to leading people.

"What do you like to do outside of archery?" She raised a brow at him. Despite all their interactions so far he had shown little interest in any activity outside of marksmanship or hunting. If he was staring at her all this time, he was probably seeking to talk. Only he seemed even more... Stunted than even the huntress at starting a conversation. What an introverted prince... Selene wondered why Phynex did not seem to notice this, but Yinbao was an awkward young man. He was either trying to make friends with her or her own partner was right, but the latter seemed less and less likely.

 

[Mu]

Looking a little forlorn as Selene pulled away, the fire demon picked up his chopsticks and slowly began to pick at the food Selene had given to him, following the others in pouring himself a drink and choosing foods that he liked all while paying quiet attention to the conversation between the four of them. He had to admit that the lobster the huntress had given to him was delicious with a mouthful of rice, the fire demon quietly chewing away as he listened in.

The second prince nodded, his expression not even changing a single bit. Phynex was not sure if he was just shy or as he was sure Selene had noticed, extremely introverted. Maybe it was because in the West, everyone was forced to interact with one another in order to help each other survive the onslaught of demon attacks, but he had never met something extremely shut off before. One could argue that people like Belinda and demons like Orion were introverted, though they were nothing compared to Yinbao.

"Yes... Zhaoju sticks to me all the time," he murmured. He was pointedly ignoring his bowl of food as well, resulting in Zhaoju doing the same. "She wants to learn archery from me." The second prince blinked nonchalantly as he continued, though a hand had come to rest at the top of Zhaoju's head, in a moment of brotherly affection. "I don't particularly understand why as our brother is a far better role model as he will be king-"

"No~! You can be king too, you know!" Zhaoju smiled widely, flashing teeth. She only had eyes for the second prince despite the group conversation. "You're just as cool, just as strong, just as smart and just as handsome as big brother." She seemed to be pouting when Yinbao shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

After that, an awkward silence fell over the group. Yinbao didn't seem very good at holding a conversation. He always seemed to look bored, or interested in something nobody could see, or daydreaming. At least, until Selene entered the room. Then Phynex was painfully aware of his sudden change in interests and attention. The fire demon was also curious as to what his hobbies were. Unlike Xiyu - who was also very shy - he was less vocal. He didn't have anyone around them like Kaguya either.

Yinbao was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "I like to hunt. I go to the mountains every morning to train and hunt. You've met my falcon, I consider it my best friend."

"..." Phynex was silent as Yinbao said no more. He tugged at Selene through the connection they had, no doubt feeling the same concerns as she was. The awkwardness hung in the air, and it was thick enough for the second prince to take notice of the situation.

He heaved a sigh before the awkwardness spread to a visible expression on his features. "What about you? I am curious about your relationship with Phynex-san."

 

[Hana]

... Well, that confirmed her thoughts. And everything he said was already something the huntress had noticed by herself, there was nothing new to contribute to the conversation when he answered her questions. Only confirming what she already knew. The stiffness that hung thickly between the huntress, her partner, and the prince could have been cut with a knife. She brushed back against Phynex briefly, pausing as she realized the fire demon had actually picked up on it. As decorated and respected Yinbao was in archery and hunting, and even if he was a prince, he was simply... Ungainly when he tried to talk to other people. It reminded her of herself quite a bit, and feeling almost sympathetic, the huntress arched a brow at his question.

"Phynex is both my partner and protector," Selene answered carefully, glancing at the fire demon's face. "On the day I became fifteen years of age, I summoned him through magic and we entered a contract together where he will aid me in battle and whatever work I need to perform." It was a more impersonal way of admitting she had a working relationship with Phynex, something she hadn't done in a long time. Her friends back in Nora and the hunters already knew there was something going on with her and the fire demon, but in here, no one did. Her eyes softened slightly, just enough for the prince and his younger sister to notice. "As you can see, we have known each other for years and we are close to each other's hearts."

How was she going to avoid saying the actual nature of her relationship with him to the prince's face...?

 

[Mu]

"I see," Yinbao said flatly. Even though he had said he was curious, his tone suggested otherwise. However, he leaned forward, wanting to listen to more. He had noticed the change in the huntress' eyes talking about the fire demon, and for a split second his eyes shifted to meet the man she was speaking of. Quietly, the two men gauged each other, neither of them knowing what the other was thinking. Phynex did have his suspicions though, his monstrous paranoia gnawing at his insides. "You speak highly of him, even though he is a bodyguard," the second prince mused, his voice changing ever so slightly - though the fire demon could not quite put his finger as to what exactly was different. As the prince reached for his cup of tea, he sighed heavily. "I wish some of us could be so close, in the palace and the courts it is not good to be too involved with a maid or a guard."

He shuffled to turn back towards the table, looking at the once more. "So I hope nothing more than a respectful work relationship will between you two, Selene-san. It is for the better."

The grip on the bowl Phynex had tightened as he heard those words. What better did he know? Who was he to speak up about their relationship? He restrained his growls and outburst, focusing on the food in front of time to soothe the anger that was starting to spark to life. Phynex didn't even notice that his arm was trembling, the pulsations under the bandaged arm beginning to hurt the more he got frustrated thinking about what Yinbao had meant. Was he trying to compete against him? Did he know that they had something between them? Even though he tried to not overthink it, he couldn't help himself.

-​

Lying down on the bed beside the huntress in a comfortable sleeping robe, the fire demon still found himself thinking about the prince's words. As he made himself comfortable, he looped his arms around Selene, drawing her close for a quick kiss on her cheek. In the privacy of their room, the fire demon didn't mind showing his ever-growing feelings for her. There was no one here that would judge them.

For most of the night, Phynex was silent but clearly awake. Brown eyes were blinking, staring out through the propped up window or the closed screen doors, one hand rhythmically stroking along the strands of Selene's hair. Their clothes for tomorrow's journey had been packed and stored in their travelling chests, their weapons cleaned and wrapped tightly in cloth and put aside against the wall of their room. Soon, this place that they had called home would be left behind - at least for a few week - as they make their way to a new place in this alien country. Phynex wasn't scared of that prospect anymore, but he had so much more to think about. Like Yinbao. Who was he, and what did he mean to the huntress? What did he think of her? Since he did not know of the true nature of his relationship with the huntress, did that mean he wanted her for his own? Phynex was aware the second prince had not yet taken a wife, and judging by his introverted nature he was not surprised. There was his own problems with proposing to the huntress as well. He needed to show more dominance and confidence, then. If Selene was not willing to openly admit such a private relationship - and he understood why from the prince's words - then he was going to have to physically show that she was already his partner. He was going to leave no room for doubt in Yinbao's mind.

There was so much he needed to do here. Even though he was an exile, he was still a representative of the West. He was just as much of a diplomat here as Selene was. He still had to earn everyone's respect. Hearing how his father Naberius was spoke of, despite his background and his occupation as a horrific demon general, the way Kimyotake spoke fondly of the demon as if he was still alive or the way Sankawamaru recognized him instantly as a younger version of his father... Phynex knew that he had to get that sort of respect from them as well. He wasn't going to disappoint his father, nor sully his name in this country. He wanted to be a son that the infamous Fourth General of Asmodeus could be proud of.

And as for Selene... he looked down at her, the huntress having fallen asleep. He smiled, planting a kiss on her slightly parted lips. The fight with Arashi must have tired her out. These days he was always stressing out about Yinbao's ulterior motives, worried about their relationship together. He trusted her, he trusted her more than anything. And with new resolve in his heart, he was going to follow through with what he had promised himself. And follow through unfulfilled promises as well. Like, sealing the deal with her. He really wanted to spend the life with the woman in his arms, she made him so happy even in he darkest of times. Phynex had to do it someday. Life was not always kind to him, he had gotten into too many scrapes. The heavens must have been smiling on him when he had been given chance after chance. The fire demon had been blessed to find her, yet he lost her. Then, he found her again. Lost her when he turned away - but she forgave him. And now in the East, he was going try to-- no, he will make sure that she gets the happiness she deserves.