It's been 2 days since the encounter with Doctor Blessings and Sanita Infermum. Tsuyoi and Pablo are in great shape, though they are not fully recovered. Tsuyoi has been saving his energy for later instead of fully healing the two of them.
Kori separated from the group temporarily for something 'personal' she did not choose to explain or reveal. This made Pablo grow suspicious of her again after his suspicion of her died down slightly.
They chose to stay in Eldoria until they got any idea of what to do and where to go next. Pablo has been conflicted these past 2 days. He killed Doctor Blessings because… he felt that he deserved it.
"Still looking for a cure, ye?" Tsuyoi tried to fill the silence. Pablo was lost in thought, he just nodded. "Hm."
It's not the killing part that unsettles him, It's the fact that killing didn't unsettle him that much, or even worse, Pablo is a bit worried when he realised he kind of liked that kill.
The two are sitting on a bench near the city center. Watching this nothing-burger city because they have nothing better to do. The wind is hitting them softly, carrying the scent of spring that is approaching with the month of Paria.
Tsuyoi fully leans back into the bench, letting his head drop to the back at the end of it. Pablo is sitting with his elbows on his knees, overthinking about the stuff that happened in his journey.
Pablo looked at his ring. He remembers every second of the fight with Sanita. How it felt, how it hurt and how much he liked it deep down.
Being the one that wins with no cheap loophole, with no tactic or trap… Being the one that wins with his strength, it was a dream come true. But he couldn't enjoy his victory over the thought of him killing Blessings.
He didn't care that much about killing Sanita. It was either him or himself. But with Blessings, there was no need to. He just did it because he wanted him dead.
Yet he doesn't feel remorseful.
But that's the problem. "Tsuyoi?" Pablo broke the silence and faced Tsuyoi, his voice was low and almost shaky. Tsuyoi didn't bother to ruin his comfort and raise his head, he hummed in response.
Pablo took a deep breath. "Do you remember when I killed that Doctor back in Thalorien?"
"Arzt?" Tsuyoi responded. Pablo shook his head. "No, the other one."
Tsuyoi laughed quietly, he raised his head and faced Pablo too. "You killed 4 people from the day we met, and 3 of them are Doctors. Do you have a problem with them?"
Pablo didn't find the joke funny and got annoyed with him. "No- I mean, yeah… They're all evil bastards but I don't personally have anything against Doctors. It's just that they happened to be one. Also, It wasn't me who killed Arzt-" He started ranting to defend himself.
Tsuyoi sighed and waved his hand in dismissal. "Dude, I don't really care who you kill. Anywho, why are you askin'?"
Pablo grunted, but decided to let it slide. "When I killed him, I saw him in my nightmares for the next few days. I couldn't erase that moment from my mind. It was necessary, yet-"
Tsuyoi's smile dropped, and he watched Pablo with a serious gaze. "But I still felt like a killer. But when it came to Blessings… I felt nothing except the first shock." Pablo quietly said.
He met Tsuyoi's gaze, afraid to say the next words. "Does that make more of a killer now?"
Tsuyoi exhaled. He fully got up in his seat and also put his hands on his knees. He faced the crowd of Eldoria in front of them. "That's a complicated business, man. Being a killer isn't something that's black and white. It's not… like- being a killer or not being one. It's really complicated."
This empty answer left Pablo disappointed. He sighed. "So another question added to the list."
Tsuyoi patted his back while smiling to reassure him. "Why are you asking me in the first place? That's something for you to figure out."
Pablo smiled too. He didn't react to Tsuyoi's touch. "Yeah, yeah. I know. But I figured I could ask for an opinion."
Tsuyoi got up. Pablo watched him get up and start stretching. "I can tell you this though. Most killers don't care. But you do, that's something right?"
Pablo decided to get up too. He thought about Tsuyoi's response. "I guess," Pablo looked around for the signs. They were in the city center so there should be somewhere for weaponry. "We were gonna get a Zweihander for me right?"
Tsuyoi nodded as he finished stretching. "Yep. I could teach you how to fight afterwards, cause you suck." He nudged Pablo with his elbow, Pablo laughed. "Right."
The two started walking through the streets. Tsuyoi could notice the way Pablo walks was more proper now. Like his body was stronger. He didn't walk like he was about to faint any second anymore.
They used the signs as a guide to find the Weaponry that could give Pablo the best sword money can buy. Though, a question hung on the mind of Tsuyoi for a while now. "Hey, man?"
Pablo stopped looking at the road and looked at Tsuyoi when he called him. "Yeah?"
Tsuyoi turned towards Pablo as he stopped walking. "We're friends now, right?" He immediately felt ashamed for even asking that question. How stupid is he? How stupid a man can be for asking such a question.
Pablo chuckled nervously in response to the stupidity of the question. "What? We-" He was going to say they were always friends, but that was a lie. Before this, Tsuyoi was nothing but a business partner Pablo kept tolerating. Even at his lowest, he begged for him because he was desperate.
"...Yeah. Of course we are." Pablo tried to hide his shaking voice. A wave of relief hit Tsuyoi as he continued walking. "Okay, just… wanted to make sure."
The question was very awkward. Which resulted in this equally awkward silence. As the two walked, the civilians side-eyed them with a mix of fear, confusion, recognition and admiration. Mainly for Tsuyoi, which caught Pablo's attention. "You're famous?"
Tsuyoi looked proud, he posed for the people watching him and answered. "Of course I am! I was Infamy's right hand man for 2 years! As a 17 year old!"
Pablo rolled his eyes watching Tsuyoi. "And then..?"
Tsuyoi's mood dropped. He kept posing but the shift was obvious. He tried to change the subject and kept walking. "Hey, there is the shop!" He pointed to the weaponsmith that doesn't look fancy at all. "Come on." He entered the door quickly. Pablo gave up on pushing further and followed him inside. "Alright."
Time passed quite quickly as Pablo didn't even realise it's been an hour already. He didn't know he would enjoy shopping this much. He learned a few things about himself he never before, all thanks to Tsuyoi. They didn't stop at buying him a sword and decided to get him some new clothes as well. "You're serious? I mean- I wouldn't want to be a weight on your shoulder dude. You don't have to pay for me." Pablo looked away, embarrassed that Tsuyoi is kind of spoiling him right now.
"Not at all dude. We robbed Arzt together, remember? It's your money too. Besides, you saved my life. Think of it as paying you back." Tsuyoi patted his back and kept moving. Even though Eldoria wasn't a special place, its shops were quite enjoyable.
Pablo watched Tsuyoi go. His words echoed in his mind. "It was you who saved me." Pablo didn't let the words leave his mouth. He dropped his shoulders and started following him.
Tsuyoi put his hands in his pockets and began taking wide strides. "Also that hair isn't it, my guy. Let's get you a buzzcut."
Pablo couldn't imagine himself in a buzzcut no matter how hard he tried it. "I'll pass." He smiled. Tsuyoi was about to bump into someone, but he swiftly dodged like he didn't even think about it. "Why do you like that long ass hair anyway? Don't get me wrong, it's good."
Pablo grabbed a handful of his pink hair and looked at it. "You think it's good? I've kept it because I was too broke and lazy for a haircut. But overtime, I've started to like it. I don't know, I guess I like…"
Pablo faintly blushed and looked away. "...Nevermind. Maybe I could shorten it, just a little."
Tsuyoi grinned. He liked seeing this side of Pablo. "After that, let's go to the bar I mentioned. The place I told the Magiborns to go." Pablo thought about Tsuyoi's idea, but couldn't really see his aim. "Do we have time for drinks?"
Tsuyoi kicked a small rock as he walked. "Not for drinkin'. The owner of the bar, Ms. Ayano, can give us the information we need." Pablo hummed in acknowledgement. Tsuyoi's connections were really strong, It seems.
Pablo bought a few things for himself. Mainly a new pair of shoes, a pair of pants and a robe he could wear to stay on the low. The shows were simple and comfortable to wear. The pants were baggy and the robe was a generic shade of brown.
He went to a hair salon because he couldn't trust a male barber to take care of his long hair. He was ashamed of going into a salon as a man but he had no choice. His hair previously reached the middle sections of his back. Now it ends at the upper parts of his back. He felt more comfortable like this.
After his personal stuff was finished, he followed Tsuyoi to the bar. He pondered about the name of the bar, 'The Dreamers'. How could this Ms. Ayano even help them? Could they trust her with their information? After all, they were basically terrorists waiting to be caught.
But he trusted Tsuyoi's judgement this time.
Upon entering the bar the first thing that caught his attention was how empty it was. The bar wasn't special really. It was big enough to host a few dozen people, but nobody except the owner Ms. Ayano was there. The door rang as they entered.
The bartender Ms. Ayano was reading a book, she looked up as she heard the sound of the bell. Upon realising it was Tsuyoi she smiled softly. She looked around 40, her beauty caught Pablo's attention but he wasn't really interested. Yet it was enough to be noticed.
"There he is. Have you lost your mind, sending refugees to me? Do I look like I run a charity?" She didn't sound angry or even mildly annoyed.
Tsuyoi sat down in front of her. Pablo just watched from a distance. "Did you help them?"
She put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand. "Of course I did." She gets up and goes to the back of the bar. She comes back while carrying a baby that appeared to be around 1-2 years old.
She made her sit on his toddler chair. "I managed to arrange a ship-ride for everyone that came here. But this one was an orphan. I decided I could keep an eye on him until I could find a place for him."
Pablo's heart broke as he looked at the little kid. How nasty was the United Government for experimenting on a kid like this, he wondered?
He sat beside Tsuyoi. He avoided looking at Ayano because he was kind of embarrassed. Ayano took a glance at Pablo and smiled. "Who's your girlfriend?"
Pablo looks up with the mention of him. He panics, thinking about what to say. "I'm… a boy. Well- I'm not his lover either! We're just friends. The name is Pablo." He feels so dumb for giving such an awkward answer.
Ayano hums and doesn't let her eyes leave Pablo. "Pablo, huh?" He notices how pale Pablo is, and notices how his eyes glow purple. Her smile drops slightly as memories kick in, but It's not visible on her face.
"So you have it too." Ayano says. Pablo can tell the emotions on her face despite her attempt to hide it. He can sense it. He can hear it.
Pablo's embarrassment fades away quietly. He realises the scale of knowledge she might have, just by her looks. "Too?"
Ayano smiled, clearly impressed by his ability to read her. "Interesting." She goes to grab a few drinks for the three. She can tell just by his appearance that Pablo isn't the alcoholic type. She gives Tsuyoi a bottle of muriatic acid and gives Pablo orange juice while getting tequila for herself. "Oh finally, the big guns!" Tsuyoi doesn't hesitate and starts drinking it.
Pablo watched Tsuyoi drink it in disbelief. But sighs in resignation as he is kind of used to him now. He takes a sip of his orange juice and looks at her. "What do you know?"
"That I know nothing," She takes a sip of her drink. "Except for the fact that you'll die." She says it without hesitation. Pablo sighs and rolls his eyes. "Heard that one before."
She leans in to watch his eyes. The glow in them… the pulse… It's too interesting and it hurts to remember at the same time. Pablo gets a bit uncomfortable by her invading his space. "You've felt it, right? That breeze hitting your neck every time you encounter mana?"
Pablo is unsettled by her remark due to how accurate it is. "...You have it?"
Ayano shakes her head in response. "No. But I knew someone who did. Tragic, really. Very tragic." She leaned back and went back to drinking. Tsuyoi watched the dialogue in curiosity, letting the two talk without interrupting.
Pablo took another sip of his drink. "What happened to- …Nevermind. They died, right?"
Ayano nods. "Yeah. Not from the disease though. But that's a story you're not ready for, trust me."
Pablo grunts at her refusing to tell him. But he knows arguing with a bartender is like trying to race a car. "Yeah well could they use mana too? Because I can, somehow."
Ayano finishes her drink pretty quickly. "Let me think." She puts a hand on her chin and starts to recall; "No, I suppose not."
She wasn't surprised by the fact that he could use it. Pablo was a bit confused with how normal she treated this. "Why do you act like you see a Dawnthinker with mana everyday."
Ayano can't help but burst out laughing. Pablo is even more confused by how weird she asked. Pablo furrows his brows in response. "What's so funny? Can anyone just give me a simple answer, just for once?"
She pours another glass for herself. Tsuyoi also grins watching Pablo. Pablo notices and pushes him jokingly. "What's the joke? I don't get it!"
Ayano grabs Pablo by the chin and turns him towards herself. "Because I do. Almost daily."
Pablo goes red in response, he can't look her in the eye. "...What do you mean?" He softly pushes her hands away. Ayano gets up and puts the tequila back on the shelf behind her. "I only saw one man that could use mana as a Dawnthinker. And I traveled the whole world. He was an… enigma, really. I never understood him until the bitter end." She talks like he is dead. The mention of 'bitter end' doesn't slip past Pablo's attention. He lets her continue.
"I've kind of feared him too. His behaviour always threw me off. Too friendly for someone that was… too godly." With each word she says, Pablo gets more intrigued. He can't sit still as he waits for her to finish.
"But I guess that's the cons of being stronger than everyone on Sub-Terra. Never being understood." With this, Pablo could only think of one name. The man designated as the strongest.
The United Government in its history only withdrew once. Once.
And that was against…
"...Nasaki Ryuko. Right? You're talking about him. Even I know that name." Pablo mumbles. Ayano nods with a hint of grief on her face. "That's right. He too has the ability to use mana. But he isn't infected like you."
He looks at her in disbelief. She mentioned seeing him daily. "You know Nasaki? Just… how?"
Tsuyoi decided to cut in, and he finished drinking his acid. He liked how it 'tingled' his stomach as he regenerated while drinking it. "Ms. Ayano here isn't your average bartender, Pablo. She was on the same crew as him. Not as a lackey, but as equals in rank despite the difference in strength."
He gasped. He looked at Ayano, then at Tsuyoi, then at Ayano, then at Tsuyoi. "That's…" The amount of things she must've witnessed during her travels must be insane. Could she be the answer he was hoping for?
"You seriously don't know how I can find a cure? Despite-" Before Pablo could finish, she interrupted. "Yes, despite traveling the entire world beyond the Ocean of Chaos, I don't know how to help you with your… disease."
Pablo clenched his fists and got up. "So we came here for nothing." Before he could take another step Ayano grabbed him by the collar. "But hey. I can still help. I know nothing about mana… but he does."
Pablo stopped and thought about her offer. "I'm listening."
Ayano lets go of him and grabs her notebook from under the table. She looked through countless pages and decided to stop at one particular page. "I need you to do something for me. Then I can make you meet with Nasaki."
Tsuyoi looked disappointed with the offer. "Huh? You owe me a favor, Ms. Ayano!"
Ayano faced him in annoyance, offended he even dared to say that. "You used that favor when you brought 50 refugees to my bar, genius." A look of utter resignation came from Tsuyoi. "That's fair." After that, Pablo looks at Ayano, his soul unwavering. Meeting Nasaki Ryuko could change everything.
"I'll do it." Pablo immediately regretted his words. Because now that time passed and he met the person Ayano told him to visit… Everything seemed more clear. He looked at the homeless man, holding a cup, begging for money.
The man had long green hair that reached his neck in the form of dreads. His hair looked like a nest. It had streaks of brown as well as other darker shades of green on his hair. He wore a blindfold that made Pablo realize he was probably blind.
Pablo tried to look away from him and turned towards Tsuyoi. "Do we have to?"
Tsuyoi nudged him with his elbow jokingly. "You got no choice, buddy. If we want to meet Nasaki, you'll have to get this guy sober. Meanwhile, I'll patrol the streets for any thugs harming local businesses. Good luck."
With a reluctant sigh, Pablo nodded. "Alright. Good luck to you too." Pablo waved towards him, Tsuyoi returned the wave but his was more expressive than Pablo's.
Pablo couldn't help but smile. "It's really not possible to stay moody when I'm around you." He said to himself.
He watched Tsuyoi leave and walked towards the homeless man. From a meter away he could smell him. Alcohol, dirt and maybe even shit. Pablo closed his nose immediately. "Eugh." The man had this weird… thing radiating from him. Pablo associated it with the smell.
The man noticed Pablo approaching him. He looked up. His mouth was open as his saliva dropped onto the floor. He couldn't even properly look at Pablo in the eye. His gaze missed right next to him. "...Ahahaha… Haha…" He laughed.
Pablo furrowed his brows. "I'd prefer patrolling, now that I think about it." He rolled his eyes. He crouched down to the man's level. "Hey, Mister. Could you… um- put aside that bottle of… holy shit is that pure alcohol?" He noticed the drink in the man's hands.
He immediately grabbed it from his hands and threw it aside. "How are you even alive..?"
The man seemed to protest, but was drunk enough to not be able to do anything. "Ms. Ayano sent me. You know, the bartender down the street? You can say goodbye to alcohol now. Because you're my ticket to meet Nasaki."
The man laughed even more, he pulled out another bottle of alcohol from God knows where and he held it up in the air. "Nasaki? Oh I know Nasaki… I know… him…"
Pablo groaned when he saw the other bottle. He threw away that one too. "Yeah yeah. Whatever you say."
The man tried to get up but tripped on his own feet and fell. Pablo caught him before he collapsed onto the floor. The man tried to speak, but it wasn't even comprehensible. "Doh yu der fua do ah bo…"
Pablo was left out of words and decided to keep it that way. "...I guess." He just helped the man stand on his feet by putting his arm over his own shoulder. The man seemed more heavy than he should be, this made it a problem for Pablo to carry him as he was very weak.
"'Get him sober', huh? How the hell am I supposed to do that? Not like I can separate the alcohol from his body." Pablo mumbled to himself.
As the man got too heavy, Pablo let go of him and let him walk alone. "I guess I'll just let you hang around until you get sober. I don't know how alcohol works." Pablo turned forward and started walking. "Am I really that desperate-" Pablo noticed the shift in something immediately. The smell was gone.
He quickly turned around to see the man missing. Pablo gasped and yelled in anger. "Damn it!" People around him looked at him in surprise and confusion. He was going to yell more but got embarrassed when people looked at him.
Pablo quickly scouted the area and tried listening for the walls. For the first time in a while, they were silent. He quickly sprinted and tried to locate the smell he left behind as a trail.
Pablo found the stench, and started following it. "Of course it leaves residue. Of course." He was kinda happy that the man didn't shower, if that makes sense.
Even though he didn't notice, his stamina has improved quite significantly. He didn't run out of breath every 2 seconds.
What he didn't know was, someone else was listening. Standing on the roof of the building next to Pablo. He watched patiently.
"That…" The man fixed his glasses. "...changes things."