Sunlight drilled through my eyelids like a sadistic interrogator demanding consciousness.
I cracked one eye open and immediately regretted it, the light streaming through the window told me I'd overslept by at least two hours. My body felt like someone had wrung it out and left it to dry in a twisted heap. Yesterday's mental chess with Serafall had burned through whatever reserves I'd been running on, and apparently my brain had decided a hard shutdown was the only viable option.
CLANG!
Downstairs, something clattered against ceramic. A hushed voice murmured an apology to no one in particular. I dragged myself upright, mind still protesting, and made my way down the stairs with all the enthusiasm of a man approaching his own execution.
The kitchen spectacle made me halt in the doorway.
Asia stood at the counter, her small hands wrapped around a kettle that trembled visibly in her grip. Her blonde hair was still sleep-mussed, and she'd thrown on one of those modest dresses that made her look even younger than she was. Her green eyes darting between the kettle and the table where Kalawarner sat slumped like a wounded predator. The fallen angel looked like death had taken a personal interest in her. She had one arm wrapped around her midsection, and even from here I could see the fine tremor in her shoulders.
She be looking like a frog inhaling copium.
"I'm sorry...." Asia whispered, setting down a glass of water across the table's surface "I just thought....you need to stay hydrated, and I read once that ginger can help with nausea, but I don't know if we have any, and—"
"Silence"
Kalawarner's voice came out a bit hoarse and sharp, but she didn't look up "Just... stop hovering"
Asia flinched like she'd been slapped. She fumbled with a dish towel, wringing it between her hands "I only wanted to help.... You're in pain, and I—"
"I don't need your help" The fallen angel gave her a slight glare which was probably due to the after effects of potion "I've had worse. Just give me space, alright?"
Asia stayed rooted to the spot, while her gaze still fixed on the water glass. Kalawarner stared at the table like she could burn a hole through it with sheer irritation. Neither one of them had noticed me yet. I leaned against the doorframe and watched the train wreck unfold with the detached interest of someone who'd already accepted his fate as a supernatural social worker.
And, this is where the tough guy makes his entrance.
"Morning" I said, my voice was still rough from sleep "Nice to see everyone's getting along so well"
In surprise, Asia's hand knocked the water glass, sending liquid sloshing across the table. She made a small sound of distress and immediately grabbed the dish towel, dabbing frantically at the spill. Kalawarner's head snapped up, and I caught the flash of vulnerability in her expression before she could bury it under her usual scowl, which for a fallen angel was probably more humiliating than any battle scar.
"I'm sorry.." Asia said again, because apparently that was her default setting which needed an update "I was trying to make breakfast, but I'm not very good at it, and then Kalawarner was feeling ill, and I thought—"
"Don't worry about it, Asia. A normal breakfast with toast and milk would be a good start" I interrupted, moving into the kitchen before this could spiral into a full apology marathon "We're all running on fumes here"
I grabbed the kettle from Asia's shaking hands and set it back on the stove. She watched me with those wide, grateful eyes that made me feel like a better person than I actually was. All I needed was everyone to be functional if we were going to survive the next crisis that might inevitably crawl from the wall and I punch a hole through it.
Kalawarner was still hunched at the table with now less bothered expression on her face. Trying to act tough, huh.
"How bad?" I asked, pulling mugs from the cabinet.
"Feels like someone's twisting my insides into knots while simultaneously setting them on fire. I am not sure if it was a potion or poison that you gifted me"
"And yet you're not dead, so I'd call that a successful attempt" I poured water into the kettle, the mundane tasks grounding me in a way that magical bullshit never could "Asia, there's bread in the pantry. Think you can handle toast without setting off the smoke alarm?"
She nodded quickly, eager to have a task that didn't involve skipping on Kalawarner's minefield of a mood. As she scurried to the pantry, I caught Kalawarner watching her with an expression I couldn't quite parse.
It wasn't hostility, for sure. It was something more complicated, threaded through with guilt and discomfort and something that might have been regret if I squinted hard enough to look with Emotions BS glasses.
Well that explains why she was keeping Asia away from her. Since Kalawarner had tried to kill Asia for her Sacred Gear back at the church, that bit of history was now sitting in the room like an elephant wearing a neon sign.
I considered that while I watched Asia carefully arrange bread slices on a plate, She was trying so hard to be useful, to earn her place here. The girl who should be terrified of Kalawarner was instead playing nursemaid to her would-be killer. And Kalawarner, for all her irritation and discomfort, hadn't actually escalated. She could have. She had the capacity for cruelty when she wanted it. But instead she'd just told Asia to back off.
"Fascinating team we've built up here" I said, settling into the chair across from Kalawarner "Like a really dysfunctional sitcom, except nobody's laughing"
She shot me a look that could have scared Asia, but not me "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"I'm enjoying the fact that you didn't bite her head off when she tried to nurse you. That's called growth, Kalawarner. Stand proud"
"I will end you" she muttered, but there was no malice in it. She was too busy focusing on not vomiting, which really took the fun element off any death threats.
Asia returned with the toast, setting it down with the kind of reverence usually reserved for religious offerings. She hovered nearby, hands clasped in front of her, waiting for approval or instruction or maybe just acknowledgment that she completed her first official task.
I grabbed a piece and bit into it, giving her a nod "Good work, Asia. See? You got the useful skills right there."
Her face lit up like I'd given her an immortality potion.
Kalawarner picked at her own piece of toast with the enthusiasm of someone chewing glass. She managed two bites before setting it down and pressing her palm against her forehead.
Asia immediately tensed with that anxious energy ramping back up. I could see her preparing to launch into another round of helpful offers that would only piss Kalawarner off more.
"Asia" I said, cutting her off before she could lose herself "Go check if we have any ginger tea. If not, write it down on the shopping list"
She blinked, then nodded and scurried off, grateful for the direction. Once she was out of earshot, I leaned back in my chair and studied Kalawarner's miserable expression "You could be worse to her, you know. But you're not. Why?"
"Because I'm not trying to be what I used to be?" She didn't look at me "And because... I already gave you my word on cooperation and assistance"
I let that slide, because pushing would only make her defensive. The fact that she was sitting here, tolerating Asia's fussing aka help instead of lashing out, was enough.
She was keeping her word, in her own prickly, uncomfortable way. The rest would either come or it wouldn't. I wasn't going to force a redemption arc on someone who hadn't asked for one.
Asia came back with the shopping list, her expression determined "We need a lot of things. I made a list, but I'm not sure if it's right"
I scanned it. Basic necessities, some comfort foods, and about six different remedies for nausea "Good catch. We'll all go in an hour and buy before it gets crowded"
"We?" Kalawarner raised an eyebrow "I'm not going to a grocery store"
"Yes, you are" I said, standing and finishing the last of my tea "You need to be able to function in normal society if you're staying here. Plus, fresh air might help with the nausea"
"I don't need—"
"Wasn't asking" I grabbed the list from Asia's hands and pointed to her room "Now go and get dressed. Both of you. We will leave in twenty minutes"
Kalawarner looked like she wanted to argue, but whatever she saw in my expression made her think better of it. She pushed herself up from the table with a wince and stalked off toward her room. Asia watched her go, then looked at me with something close to worry.
"Is she going to be okay?"
"Don't worry, the after effects of potions are rough, but she'll bounce back" I paused "You don't have to take care of her, you know. She's not your responsibility."
"I know" Asia's voice was soft "But she's in pain, and I can help, so I should. That's what we should do?"
Well, that's the logic which came from someone who'd been raised to see suffering and respond to it, with no questions asked. It was going to get her killed someday.
"Just don't smother her" I said, looking at her "She bites when she is bothered too much"
Asia nodded like she believed the bite part "I'll be careful, Motohama san"
How can someone be so naive?
. . .
The grocery store was a circle of suburban hell that I'd been avoiding for weeks. I grabbed a cart and immediately regretted bringing both of them.
Asia clung to my side like a nervous duckling, her eyes wide as she took in the rows of packaged food and bright signage. She'd probably never been in a place like this, the Church had kept her sheltered, and her brief time with the fallen angels hadn't exactly included grocery runs.
Kalawarner, on the other hand, moved through the store like a predator in unfamiliar territory.
Her eyes tracked every person who passed, while keeping an eye for threats and escape routes. She picked up items without checking prices, examined packaging with visible confusion, and at one point tried to put a seventy-dollar cut of chicken in the cart before I could intervene.
When I steered her toward the more reasonably priced options, she scowled.
"What's the point of all this?" She gestured at the shelves "It's just food. Why is it wrapped like this?"
"Preservation and marketing" I said, grabbing a cheaper one "Welcome to modern capitalism. Everything's packaged to last and look appealing"
She looked genuinely baffled, which was quite amusing. A fallen angel who could summon spears of light and manipulate humans with ease, completely thrown by the concept of shrink-wrap and best-by dates.
"Great" I muttered under my breath "I'm babysitting a fallen angel and a nun at a grocery store...So much fun"
Kalawarner shot me a side glance "I heard that"
"Good. Then you should know I'm not impressed with your shopping skills"
"I've been alive for centuries. I don't need to know how to navigate human retail establishments."
"And yet here we are, with you freaking out over automatic doors" I pulled the cart to a stop in the cereal aisle "Asia, grab whatever looks good. Don't overthink it. I can buy them while keeping my budget and integrity intact"
I noticed Kalawarner was staring at the promotional display with an expression that suggested she was trying to puzzle out the purpose of a cardboard cutout advertising yogurt.
When the automatic doors at the end of the aisle whooshed open for another customer, she actually tensed, hand twitching like when her light spear would form. I grabbed her wrist before she could make a grocery incident and Ajuka would come for investigation.
"It's a door. Motion-activated. Not a threat"
She jerked her hand back, scowling "I-I knew that"
"Sure you did"
The walk home was quiet. Asia carried a light bag, her earlier nervous energy subdued. Kalawarner walked with her arms crossed, gaze fixed on the sidewalk ahead. The afternoon sun cast long shadows, and the neighborhood was drowsy with the weekend calm.
Halfway home, Kalawarner spoke.
"This is... peaceful"
The words came out reluctant, like she was admitting to a crime. I glanced at her. She was still staring ahead, but something in her expression had loosened, just slightly. Like she was acknowledging something she didn't quite understand herself.
Asia smiled, small and genuine "I like it!"
Kalawarner didn't respond, but she didn't look annoyed either. We kept walking, carrying our groceries like ordinary people, and for a few minutes, the world felt almost manageable.
No devils, no angels, no political bullshit. Just three people walking home with groceries, existing in the same space without immediate conflict.
It wouldn't last. I knew that. But for now, it was enough to be happy about.
---
The forest on the outskirts of Kuoh Town was far enough from civilization that we wouldn't attract attention, close enough that we could get back quickly if needed.
After all that calmness, I needed this. I needed the chaos to test my limits, to prove I wasn't running on borrowed time and luck. This wasn't a slice of life anime afterall, my life was on line with every unseen dangers of this world.
Kalawarner followed, looking significantly better than she had this morning. The potion aftereffects had faded to a manageable ache, and she'd regained some of her tough confidence.
She stretched her arms overhead, wings flickering into existence for a moment before she dismissed them "You won't be using ground powers or potions?"
I confirmed with a nod, flexing my fingers and feeling the familiar weight of Cross Tail's gloves "I need to know what my actual limits with these so far"
Asia had followed us out, settling herself at the edge of the clearing with her hands folded in her lap. She looked nervous but curious, her eyes tracking my movements as I tested Cross Tail's response time.
The metallic threads spooled from my fingertips with barely a thought, near-invisible in the filtered light, responding to intention as much as physical manipulation.
I'd been practicing obsessively since I got this Teigu. Hours spent learning the weight and tension of each thread, the way they could cut or bind or deflect depending on angle and force. It had become second nature, an extension of my own body.
Now I needed to see if that mastery held up against an opponent who wasn't human.
I was about to ask her if she was ready, but a notification made my brow raise.
. . .
[QUEST : SPAR WITH A FALLEN ANGEL (KALAWARNER)
[DESCRIPTION: Engage Kalawarner in a friendly spar to test and refine your combat abilities]
[REWARD: 1x RANK 2 GACHA TICKET]
. . .
Now, I am even more motivated!
"Ready?" Kalawarner was already grinning, probably dreaming of her first official victory while I was relying on just a piece of what, wires? But little did she know, it was far from any ordinary wires.
"Sure"
She came at me fast, years of combat experience showing in her fluid movements. Her hand snapped out, a light spear forming in a flash of golden radiance.
"Oh? You are approaching me?"
I twisted, threads already deploying, creating a web of razor wire between us. She cursed and pulled up short, changing the trajectory mid-step. The light spear dissolved and reformed, this time aimed low, trying to sweep my legs.
I jumped back, fingers dancing, and the threads responded like living threads of spider webs.
They shot out in a webbed pattern, creating traps that would tangle anything that crossed them. Kalawarner's eyes widened as she registered the speed of deployment. She took to the air, wings snapping open, trying to use aerial advantage.
It seems she has learnt to not goof around in her battle anymore.
Threads spiraled upward, tracking her movement, anticipating her trajectory. She dived hard right, and threw a light spear directly at my chest. I didn't dodge.
Instead, I crossed my arms, and the threads formed a defensive barrier with Haki, that caught the spear mid-flight and redirected it harmlessly into the trees. The impact sent vibrations through the wire, but the wired structure held.
Kalawarner landed twenty feet away, breathing harder now "You're better than I imagined. These wires are no joke!"
I was already moving, threads reforming into offensive configurations "Now, show me this is not your true potential"
She laughed, sharp and genuine, then came at me again. This time she was serious, no holding back, using speed and power to try to overwhelm my defenses.
Light spears rained down, forcing me to move, to adapt, to think three steps ahead. I let Cross Tail flow, creating shifting patterns of wire that turned the clearing into a lethal maze.
When she dove low, trying to get under my guard, the threads wrapped around her ankle mid-flight, yanking her flight off-course.
She hit the ground in a roll, coming up with not giving up easily look in her eyes and two light spears already forming in her hands.
She threw them in rapid succession, trying to pin me down. I sidestepped the first, deflected the second with a wire whip that cracked like thunder, then sent threads spiraling toward her position.
She tried to take flight again, but it was already too late for her.
The threads caught her wings, tangling in the feathers and joints, pulling her back down with inexorable force. She struggled, trying to use every bit of her strength, but I'd already maintained the tension needed to hold a fallen angel.
The wires tightened, not enough to injure but enough to immobilize. Within seconds, she was cocooned, suspended three feet off the ground, wings pinned, arms restrained.
She glared at me, chest heaving from exhaustion "You lied to me that this is the first time you would be using these threads!"
"Yeah" I approached carefully, making sure the restraints would hold "I'm using them for the first time....on you" I said, which only made her growl further in annoyance. Realising that she was tricked into believing that she had chance to win this one.
From the sidelines, Asia made a small sound of amazement. I'd almost forgotten she was watching.
Kalawarner was still struggling, more out of pride than any real hope of breaking free. I could see the frustration written across her face, the way her fists clenched as she realized she'd been thoroughly outmaneuvered. I let the threads hold for another moment, then released her.
She dropped to the ground, landed on her feet despite the awkward angle, and immediately rounded on me "Even with that potion boost... I would have still lost to you...."
I could see it in the way her shoulders hunched, the way she refused to meet my eyes. Kalawarner wasn't used to losing, especially not to someone she'd underestimated. But now she began to accept that skill and tactics could outweigh her power.
"Good thing you're on my side then" I said, allowing the threads to retract fully. "Otherwise I'd have to keep doing this every time you get mouthy"
She shot me a look that promised retribution, but there was something else underneath it. Respect, maybe. Or at least the acknowledgment that I wasn't just a lucky human who got a power boost from his superior and pulled a winning move in dire situation.
Asia had stood up from her spot, eyes wide and shining with something like awe. She walked over hesitantly, her gaze fixed on my hands. "That was... incredible! I've never seen anything like that."
"It's called practice and borderline obsession, Asia" I said, flexing my fingers to work out with the wires "You do something enough times, you get good at it. Or you die. Motivation is a hell of a teacher"
"Could I... I mean, would you teach me? I don't want to be useless if something happens"
I considered it. Asia had Sacred Gear, sure, but it was healing-focused. In a straight fight, she'd be a liability unless she could at least avoid getting hit, which I doubt she would be good at. Teaching her basic evasion and awareness might keep her alive long enough to use that healing where it mattered.
"Alright" I said.
Her face lit up with gratitude that made me feel more motivated.
Kalawarner was watching this exchange with an expression I couldn't quite read "You want me to help demonstrate?"
The words came out awkward, like she wasn't sure why she was offering. But there it was, the fallen angel who'd tried to kill Asia now volunteering to help train her. The irony wasn't lost on any of us.
"If you're up for it" I said "Asia, watch how Kalawarner moves. She's had centuries of combat experience. You won't match that, but you can learn to execute how she moves"
For the next hour, I put Asia through basic combat stuff. She was clumsy, apologizing every time she stumbled or failed to react in time, but she kept trying. That stubborn determination showed through, the same quality that had kept her kind despite everything the Church had put her through.
Kalawarner demonstrated with surprising patience, though she kept her distance and her tone distant. She showed Asia how to read body language, how to anticipate movement.
By the time we finished, all three of us were tired. Asia was breathing hard, sweat dampening her hair, but she was smiling.
Kalawarner sat against a tree, nursing her ego more than any physical injury. I was already mentally going through what worked and what needed refinement, planning the next training session before this one had even properly ended.
We sat in that clearing for a while, catching our breath, existing in the same space without the need for constant conflict. The forest around us was quiet except for bird chirping and the rustle of leaves. Peaceful, in its way.
In the next moment, the system flickered with notification that brought a smile to my face.
. . .
[QUEST COMPLETED : SPAR WITH A FALLEN ANGEL (KALAWARNER)
[DESCRIPTION: Engage Kalawarner in a friendly spar to test and refine your combat abilities]
[REWARD: 1x RANK 2 GACHA TICKET]
. . .
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