Don't Mess with the Hot Daughter! [PotK]

[Takaki Saeko]

Port Cirrus, Kaminari no Kuni
Day 1, 1500 hours

The train ride from Kumogakure to Port Cirrus was just as the Margrave had promised – luxury at its finest and most vulgar. From the fine calfskin leather seating to the velvet-lined sleeping chambers and one-on-one service from not only a dedicated stewardess but also a personal barber and masseuse, no expense was spared on the traveling shinobi. The journey had taken four hours, but for Joukuu, it seemed much shorter – a three course meal, haircut, shave, massage, and acupuncture session occupied his time until he stepped onto the platform at the central station of Port Cirrus, where a chauffeur waited nearby bearing a placard reading: “S. J. from Kumogakure”.

From there, it was a short ride in an enameled black limousine-carriage to the Dee Estate, located within an exclusive section of the city that had been reserved for housing friends of the Shogun, and thus free of the congestion of the rest of the metropolis. The houses of the high-ranking nobility of Lightning tended to be extravagant affairs, and this one was no different. The main mansion was a typical neo-classical-style affair with sweeping columns and gold filigree lining the doors and windows. Unlike many of the others that they had passed on the way, however, this one had no significant perimeter wall or large, iron front gate staffed with a multitude of intimidating-looking guards. The Margrave had been right – it would be a tough sell to defend this place from an outright attack.

The Chauffeur dismounted and quickly opened the door for Joukuu, beckoning him to emerge before getting his bags from the trunk and setting them down on the ground. As the young shinobi stepped out, he immediately knew that he was being watched. Tilting his head back, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair shining in the sunlight from an upper balcony, and the unexpectedly pretty, smiling face of a teenage girl wearing a white sundress. Realizing that Joukuu had seen her, the girl abruptly blushed and bolted back into the house. A moment later, the front door opened, revealing a jovial-looking older man in a suit and a surprisingly young-appearing woman with a resemblance to the girl from the balcony.

“Ah, greetings, Agent! I’m Count Dee Buradomiru, and this is my wife, Countess Sadako. Please come in, come in! Let me get your bags for you!” said the Count, unexpectedly striding over and picking up Joukuu’s luggage before re-entering the house.

“A pleasure to meet you, shinobi-san,” said the Countess, curtseying. “I have prepared some small refreshments for you in the salon. I hope you like them!”

"Darling, where’s Kimiko? I thought I told her to be ready for our guest,” said the Count.

“She’s probably being a bit shy, honey,” said the Countess, chuckling with motherly affection. “The agent here is a rather handsome-looking man. I’m sure she wants to look just right for him. I remember spending hours trying to select the perfect hairclips when we were courting, dear.”

“And of course, you look as beautiful as when I first laid eyes on you, Sadako!” exclaimed the Count, planting a kiss on the woman’s cheek.

“Oh stop, darling! You’ll make me blush in front of our guest!” she giggled, before regaining her composure. “I apologize, shinobi-san, we’re acting like teenagers ourselves. In any case, please, take a seat. We’d love to discuss the business at hand with you,” she said to Joukuu, motioning to one of the couches in the main salon of the mansion. In the center, a generously-sized table was ready with a tea service and trays of sweet and salty snacks.

 

[Ii Hissori]

Well, that was certainly an experience. Joukuu had never really taken the train before. Even when he was out in the world exploring, Joukuu had walked everywhere. This was something he did not even think existed. Joukuu was shocked at the way he was treated. As soon as he boarded, Joukuu had his bags taken from him. He had been escorted to his seat, and given a fresh bottle of water and a warm rag. The seat itself was so soft, that the former vegetarian had to wonder what it actually was. It was an hour before the train started, and Joukuu enjoyed just relaxing there. Then the real fun began.

Joukuu never had a message before. At first, Joukuu was embarrassed to take off all his cloths but his underwear, but soon he was in heaven. Eighteen years of repression, hard training and fighting had kept this teenager’s muscle tight and stress filled. Then came the haircut, which really was nothing more than a shape up and snip because of the way Joukuu kept his hair. He did like though the professional, blow dry, shampoo, and scalp massage he got. The shave was of course not needed, but well welcomed because he had previously shaved that morning.

The meal though, oh the meal was great. It started off with fresh bottle water, and a spring salad. The salad had all the freshest vegetables gotten probably from the people going to the port to trade. Then a worm fillet was the main entrée, and it came straight from the desert itself. It wasn’t as well seasoned as the ones that had broken Joukuu’s three years of not eating meat, but it was extremely good. Finally, the dessert was the last part of the three course meal. It was a sinfully good chocolate, chocolate, chocolate cake. The rest of the time, Joukuu sat alone in his compartment reading reports and sleeping. Eventually, his excellent trip ended when he felt the train lurch forward to a stop, and he disembarked gathering his bags which had been stowed away.

What now? Joukuu thought as he looked around before finally spotting the sign that said ‘S.J from Kumogakure’ He would give a wide grin and walk over kindly greeting him before having the bags taken from him and being ushered into the carriage. This was also strange and new for Joukuu, who had travelled everywhere by foot. He adapted though as he looked out the window of the carriage, watching everything.

As they pulled up to the Estate, Joukuu wasn’t fazed or seemed to care about the lack of defenses that the estate had. When the carriage stopped, Joukuu slowly got out and stretched his legs. His olive-green eyes looked up though just to catch the a glimpse of a blushing beauty. He would blink though and even hear an old oak door creep open follow by two people come out.. The people he was assigned to protect. His pale pink lips pulled back in a warm smiling as he prepared to be greeted.

“Hello!” The kind Shinobi said as he bowed politely to them smiling all the while as he paid his respect to them. However, while he was paying his respect Joukuu had his bag snatched out of his hand and then was left alone. What just happened? Joukuu said somewhat shocked by the overly nice behavior. He quickly regained his composure and followed him inside. Again, Joukuu bowed this time deeper to the lady as he smiled. However, the idea of more sweet snacks made his stomach turn.

“Oh thank you so much.” He said politely. Inside though, he was already kicking himself. A shinobi’s body wasn’t use to such a rich diet of food, and even on vacation, Joukuu was piteous when it came to spending his riches. The thoughts though of gaining weight on this mission was cut when he heard something about courting the girl on the balcony and then the kiss was too much. His cheeks turned cherry for a moment.

“It is perfectly fine.” Joukuu said in a soft timid voice. Public display of affection was not his forte and he really wished that he had his bright yellow mask right now. Slowly sitting down though, Joukuu looked at snacks, waiting for the count’s to get theirs before going to grab his own snacks of mostly the sweet fruits.

Spoiler

MTF
Word Count: 730

 

[Takaki Saeko]

The Count and the Countess took their seats around the snack-laden table, letting Joukuu do the same. As the young shinobi sat down, the Countess started to pour a rich-smelling green tea into his cup. The heady aroma signaled that this was one of the highest grades of tea available.

“Ah, now to business,” said the Count, sipping from his cup. “I’m sure my friend the Margrave explained to you, but you’ll be living with us for a month starting from today, essentially as our bodyguard. We’ve never really needed someone like you around, but with all the threats we’ve been getting lately, well, now we do. It’s a pretty awful situation – I’ve always tried to maintain an open-door policy with my subjects and neighbors, but now we’re forced to live like shut-ins. Oh, the threats aren’t coming from my subjects – they know they can always approach me directly with their concerns or gripes - they’re coming from some strange terrorist group that’s been harassing my colleagues in the Council of Nobles.”

“Now, dear, no one’s actually attempted anything. I’m sure it’s all just rumors,” said the Countess, cheerfully.

“Still, my family’s safety is paramount, so I had Mizuki hire you, Agent,” said the Count. “Now, I just want to be clear with one thing – yes, you’re protecting us all, but your number one job is to protect our daughter, Kimiko. If you ever have to choose between us should some dangerous situation arise, you are to save Kimiko. I’d gladly sacrifice my life for my daughter and Sadako would do the same. She’s our precious treasure, more than anything else in this world.”

“And the other thing, Agent, is that as her mother I want to give her as normal a life as possible, even with these threats looming over our heads,” said the Countess. “Like any other young woman, she likes to do things such as go shopping and go to karaoke with her friends and attending balls and dances. So I’d like you to accompany her to these things, even if it means leaving us back the house. We’re mainly homebodies, anyway. Don’t worry, we’re not stupid, and we won’t take unnecessary risks while we’re not under your protection. Why, you can even pretend to be Kimiko’s boyfriend!” chuckled the countess.

“MOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!” protested a girl’s anguished voice behind Joukuu. He turned around to see the same pretty blonde girl that had been peeking at him from the balcony, her face now beet red in embarrassment. In her hair, unlike before, were now a set of mother-of-pearl hairclips. Her body, accented by the white sundress she wore, was a study in the idealistic proportions of a nubile maiden, from the curves of her hips and breasts to the seductive, tiniest hint of baby fat around her abdomen.

“Sorry, dear! But isn’t he cute?” said the Countess, smiling at her daughter, who only flushed redder with that last remark.

“Ah, this is my daughter, Kimiko,” said the Count. “Darling, why don’t you say hi to our new bodyguard, Agent Shukke…, er, sorry, can we just call you Joukuu? Anyway, he’s going to live with us for the next month, and he’ll be sleeping next to your room at night!” he announced cheerfully, only to have the girl turn tail and run back up the stairs from whence she had come.

“Ah, our apologies for her running off like that, Agent,” said the Countess, clearly enjoying herself. “She’s just at that age, you know? I can tell she wanted to impress you – those are her special hairclips.”

“Many young counts and barons and even a marquess or two have come seeking her hand in marriage, and she’s turned them all away,” said the Count, smiling fondly. “And that’s fine with me – too many girls in the nobility marry at too young an age, and they never have a normal teenage life. So I respect her wishes and want her to choose who she marries when she’s ready. Of course, she’s maintained her purity as well, despite dating boys freely.”

For a very, almost infinitesimally brief moment, the Countess rolled her eyes at the last statement.

“Anyway, so there you have it, Agent. Oh! Before I forget – your sleeping quarters are next to Kimiko’s. Of course, I know that as an honorable man you’d never do anything untoward with my daughter in the middle of the night, so I won’t insult you by giving you that warning. I do, however, want you ready to burst through the walls at the drop of a hat like the Kooru-Aidu Man if she’s in danger,” said the Count, referencing a popular television commercial involving the mascot of a sports drink company. “And with that, unless you have any questions, I think it’s getting late in the afternoon, and you probably want to set up your room and such. You’ll have free run of the place, of course. Later on I’ll introduce you to the maids and butlers, as well as our other guards,” he said, rising to his feet.

“Why don’t you go and meet Kimiko on your way up?” asked the Countess. “She’ll want to talk to you without her embarrassing old parents around, anyway,” she said, giggling.

With that, Joukuu was left to his own devices.

 

[Ii Hissori]

Sitting there hands in his lap waiting for the Count and Countess to do something. It was the countess though that made the first move, and that surprised him. However it was the count who decided to talk. Mumbling a gently thank you to not speak over the count, Joukuu’s sun kissed hands politely took the tea cup as he kept his olive-green eyes focused on the count. His basic briefing was basically the same one that the Margrave had given him. It was sweet to hear that the countess cut in and try to back up her lover. After all, that was real love.

“Don’t worry, you two have nothing to fear. I am sure I can protect everyone.” Joukuu said as he nodded. Again the mission seemed simple enough and nothing would get in his way. He would of course listen to them and protect Kimiko more than anyone else, but he had enough tricks to make sure they would always be protected. It was after that though, that things seemed to get complicated.

Hearing what this girl did, honestly scared the eighteen year old. Sure, his heart rate didn’t even raise at all when he faced bandits or assassin’s in low numbers, but the idea of shopping with a women, singing, and attending the box social scared the shinobi almost senseless. He did not let it show beside a single bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. However, he blushed at the idea of being the young heir’s boyfriend. He had never even had a real girlfriend yet or even a kiss! Something though caused Joukuu to jump as he turn his head to see the pretty girl standing there staring the trio. Then he was called cute. At this, Joukuu’s cheeks turned beat red. Taking a sip of his tea, finishing it Joukuu tried to steady himself.

“Hel-“ Joukuu started before the girl turn tail and ran. He sighed softly, maybe for the moment his emergency was avoided. He would turn his head. “Joukuu is fine.” He told the count as he shifted in his seat a bit awkwardly hoping that his awkward blush was forgotten about. He would just nod a long with what the countess was saying. It was then at this point though that her purity was brought up, it didn’t seem to faze him this time as the comment of it was brought up so many times. He did noticed though the rolling of the countess eyes. It was then brought up his sleeping quarters and he blinked.

Maybe it was a dull moment, but Joukuu had no idea what the Kooru-Aidu Man was. Joukuu had never even been allowed to watch a lot TV when he was a child and after he was kicked out of his house, the boy never really had another chance. In fact, it was when Joukuu had brought Noe that Joukuu at the behest of Hayata Shin, had bought the twelve year old a TV to put in the living room of his old sensei’s house.

“I defiantly will.” Joukuu said as he stood up. He took two of the smaller sugary cookies and grabbed his bag. Ready to go to his room and introduce himself to the girl, Joukuu had one last thing to ask. “Is there anything else tonight I have to be on duty for? Any place and time I need to be?” Joukuu asked lowly as he waited for his answer.

Once he got his answer, Joukuu would walk up the stairs to get to his room. He was again shocked at the room he got, but did not have time to really look at it. Gently he put all his bags down in the room and strode over to the next door. Taking a deep breath, Joukuu knocked on the door. The only thought going through his head was what mysterious things could be in a girls room.

Spoiler

MTF
Word Count: 600+

 

[Takaki Saeko]

“Ah, not for the moment, although I suppose your duties as a bodyguard start now, technically. If you wish to scout out the mansion you’re free to do so. Tomorrow, Kimiko wishes to go shopping in the city, however, so you’d best accompany her there,” said the Count, shrugging.

“Good night, Joukuu-san! Try to get some rest!” said the Countess cheerily.

Seeing as there were no immediate orders, and that he still had to deposit his luggage in his room and check the place out, Joukuu made his way up to the second floor of the mansion, where the family’s rooms were located. It was a spacious estate for sure, and the interior architecture was of the typical Lightning Country nobility-style, with large, high-ceilinged hallways and sweeping, floor-to-ceiling windows. The ANBU’s assigned room was right next to Dee Kimiko’s as promised, and proved to be a pleasant surprise. Fully furnished, it sported a generously-sized bed with a down comforter and pillows, along with an ornate desk in the corner with plenty of inks and space for documents. Carpets covered the marble flooring and there was even a walk-in closet and a walk-in private toilet (a Bakunin “Hydro-Pleasure” model, one of the newest available). As a bonus, the lightning was fully electric as well. Still, he had one more task ahead of him, which was to at least meet Kimiko, who had apparently wearing her “special” hairclips for him before her mother had sent her off convulsing in embarrassment.

“Come in…” responded a female voice from the other side of the closed door, in response to Joukuu’s knock. The ANBU opened the door, striding into a teenage girl’s room for probably the first time in his young life. It was a heady experience for sure, and for the first few moments, he stared at her room unable to do anything more. An overload of pink and white, lace, frills, and stuffed animals adorning the bed, along with the scent of perfume and a slightly musky hint of aromatic body that for some reason excited him in a strange, welcome-but-unwelcome way.

“Hello?!” said Kimiko to him, somewhat concernedly as she waved a hand in front of his face. Instantly, Joukuu snapped back to attention, bringing an excited expression to her face. “Hey, are you really a shinobi?! Can I see your swords? Can you do a jutsu or something?” she asked excitedly, bending down to look at the handles of his katana. “I’ve heard about you guys in the movies and papers, but I’ve never seen one of you so closely before! Are you an ANBOO? Can I see your mask? Oh, I’m going shopping tomorrow. Will you come with me? I really want to show you to my girlfriends! They’re going to flip out when they see you!”

The barrage of questions seemed neverending. But then again, perhaps the girl was blabbering because she was somewhat nervous as well? It was up to Joukuu to interpret it and decide how to proceed.

 

[Ii Hissori]

Joukuu was stunned. What WORLD had he stepped into. What had become of him? All five of his senses were battered at once. Never before had Joukuu seen so much pink in one room. Everything seemed so bright. Joukuu’s room was dark and mostly forest colors or just plain grey. This though was completely different, everything seemed so expensive, and well girly. On here bed was a plethora of stuff animals which begged the question of what she did with all of them? All of the lace and frills screamed of girl, and again it wasn’t something Joukuu was use to seeing. Then the questions started.

Swirling in his head, Joukuu tried to process each one, one at a time. However, she just kept going and going. does she ever need to breath? Joukuu thought as he continued to nod along. Eventually though, Joukuu got the moment to speak.

“I’ll answer all your questions.” He started in his tenor tone, cutting her off as quickly as she could so she wouldn’t start speaking again. With a flash of his pearly white teeth, Joukuu nodded. “First off, Yes I am a real shinobi from the Kumogakure.” He said as he undid the sheath of his sword from his belt going and holding it out to her. “And yes you can see my sword, just be careful, it is incredibly sharp.” He told her laughing some. He had to think though, smiling Joukuu pulled out a piece of paper.

It had been a long time since the teenager had done this little trick. In his hands, Joukuu was folding a piece of paper into a small human like figure. “I would be honor to show you a jutsu.” He said as he kneeled down onto the carpeted ground. Weaving a few simple hand signs Joukuu’s hands glowed green before slowly, the paper doll stood up and started to slowly walk towards her. Joukuu smiled. Still got it. He thought as he looked up at her. The next question he registered though did take him off guard, causing him to draw a breath inwards.

“ANBU members are not allowed to talk about being in ANBU, though if you are lucky… you might get to see one around here.” He said as he looked at her chuckling nodding as he looked at him. “I would be honored to go shopping with you. It sounds like a fun day.” He told her as he just stood there waiting for the next freak out.

Spoiler

MTF
Word Count 400

 

[Takaki Saeko]

“Wow! A real ninja-to!” gushed Kimiko as she grasped Joukuu’s sheathed weapon in her hands, her mouth slightly agape. With a tugging motion, she pulled the blade slightly out of its sheath, marveling at the glinting of the metal, the fierceness of its honed edge, and the undulating pattern of its hamon where the steel had been tempered to withstand blows from other blades. “It’s so long and hard…” she gasped, her eyes widening. With a start, she realized what she had just said, however, and quickly handed the sword back to the ANBU, face flushing red.

Fortunately, Joukuu seemed not to have paid attention to the little Freudian slip of hers and continued with a demonstration of his telekinetic chakra skills, seemingly imbuing life into a piece of folded origami. Kimiko in turn squealed delightedly, clapping her hands. As she bent down to look more closely at the animated figure, Joukuu could not help but catch a glimpse of the tops of her breasts spilling over the cut of her dress, and if he looked closer, he would even see the slightest hint of transition from pale skin to light pink…

“That’s amazing, Joukuu-kun!” she said, smiling happily, smiling even brighter in response to his final statement. It was obvious that if he was hedging his answer like that, he actually was an ANBU – the elite shock troopers of Kumogakure’s shinobi ranks. “You’re a real shinobi, that’s what matters! I’ve never actually seen one before….that means you’re my first! And you’re totally bishounen too! Yes!! Kimiko-chan wins!!!” she whooped as she fist-pumped in the air…before again realizing what she was doing and blushing red. “Sorry! Heh, I just get like that sometimes…” she muttered sheepishly. “Anyway, I’ve read all about shinobi in Takagi Masao’s books. I totally convinced my dad to get me his ‘Raikages of Kumogakure’ book for my birthday last year and it’s SO cool! I totally want to be Kagetsu Kiyo and have my way with that hottie Yukimura Enishi…but then again it was also sooo tragic what happened to the two of them in the end. I like, cried for a week after reading what happened to her!”

Realizing she was babbling, she stopped, chuckled nervously, as if chiding herself inside for looking like a little kid in front of a dashingly handsome shinobi boy. “Aha…ah, I’m glad you’re coming in me – coming with me tomorrow! My two best friends will be there, and I think you’ll like them! Anyway…uh, I gotta go to bed! Later!” she said, turning away and flopping into her bed. It was an unspoken signal for Joukuu to leave.

Sometime later, after Kimiko was satisfied that the shinobi was elsewhere, she lifted her head from her down pillow, realizing she was sweating and that her heart was racing uncontrollably. One thing was for sure – S. Joukuu was not getting away from her clutches.

The Next Day​

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The sun shone brightly over the finely cobble-stoned streets of the wealthy district of Port Cirrus as Joukuu walked along yet another strip of ultra-high-end stores catering to the tastes of the ultra-rich, most of whom happened to be nobility, but with a fair amount of merchant-class commoners in the mix. True to form, this was a heavy-duty shopping trip with Kimiko and her two friends as promised. One of them, Tachibana Asako, was apparently the niece of the Chancellor, and the other, Anzu Seira, was the daughter of the Baron of Anzu province. All of them spent money like water gushing from the statue of Aion the Dawnbringer in the central plaza of Kumogakure, although for Joukuu the shock of seeing so much cash dropped on a whim was perhaps only outweighed by the pure giddiness and terror of being asked to judge which girl looked best in a bikini! (As well as a one-piece, sundress, formal dress, miniskirt, and all variations of hair up or down and in between, making for a lot of judging and critiquing demanded from the poor ANBU).

Asako and Seira, while fairly flirty and friendly themselves with the new, handsome bodyguard apparently assigned to Kimiko, did not seem to believe or truly comprehend what Joukuu actually was, and thus did not carry the same glimmer in their eyes that Kimiko seemed to. And of course, since he was the only male in the group, he was the one stuck with the duty of carrying all of their bags (naturally).

It was mid-afternoon by now, and all four of them sat at a table in an outdoor café, sipping on frilly drinks. Kimiko and Seira were animatedly discussing the newest episode of “Jesus Saito’s Biblical Adventures” and Asako was busy texting on her mobile vocoder-telegraph, when all of a sudden, a looming shadow fell across the table. Actually, four shadows.

???​

“Yo, Kimmy-baby! Fancy running into you here!” said a new arrival, a slick-looking, taller boy around Joukuu’s age, and flanked with three of his friends, all of whom smiled daggers at the girls. Kimiko drew an involuntary breath, a shade of worry falling across her face.

“Oh…hi Shinji-kun…” she answered warily.

“What’s the matter? You look like I shat in your milk,” said the boy, Shinji, his previously cheery expression marred with a flash of malevolence that seemed to have trouble going away. “Whatever, I’ll forgive it. Hey, come with us to the club and we’ll all have some real fun,” he said, smiling broadly again.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Shinji-kun... I have a lot of stuff here I just bought and my parents are expecting me back before nightfall, so I really can’t make it. I hope you understand,” said Kimiko, rising from her chair nervously. Seira and Asako took the hint, also rising with her.

“Whoa! Sit down! No one told you you could leave. Send your manservant there back with the goods, problem solved. Now, we’re all going to go and have a good time. Just some dancing, some shots, you know. Then we’ll hang back at my place. Don’t you wanna chill out and spend some time away from daddy?”

“I…do, but I’m with my girlfriends here and I really need to get going home and I can’t just send Joukuu-san here back alone and…”

“Typical,” snorted Shinji. “You buy your girlfriend dinner and gifts and she won’t even give you the time of day.”

“I went out with you once, Shinji, and that was it. I’m not your girlfriend…”

“Whatever, you just need to know your place,” he said, grabbing roughly at her arm and yanking her along with him…

 

[Ii Hissori]

With a wide smile, Joukuu surveyed what he did. She seemed excited, and so happy, so joyful, and Joukuu was very happy with himself. To him serving as a shinobi was about pleasing the citizen’s, and about making their lives as easy as possible. He then blinked a bit as he listened to her. Never before had he heard of this book about the Raikage’s but he would make a mental note to check it out. He would also make a note to tell her some point that he was related to the current Raikage, as he was his cousin. Finally, she told him it was time to head to bed.

“Good night.” He told her with a small polite bow. It was with that he turned and left to go back to his room. He spent the rest of the night in the bed in his boxers, relaxing. He didn’t exactly fall asleep quickly; ready to jump into action if it was needed. He did not need to be called to action and fell to sleep quietly and peacefully. Everything after that seemed to happen so quickly after that. He showered, got dressed, and ate by himself before coming down and taking the young maiden down to the port to go shopping.

The day of shopping itself was enough to warren a mission payment as Joukuu had to spend the time awkwardly blushing and telling them his opinion on how girl’s looked in their potential cloths. Thankfully, Joukuu never told them that they were fat, or that they were they did not look good in them. However, Joukuu was able to tactfully tell them which he thought was best for them to wear, and what he thought did not fit them. He had noticed that the two girlfriends, Asako and Seira did not understand where he came from, or what even his bicep band meant. He seemed just like some escort for the princess. It was went they were sitting at the café when something actionish to happen.

With a sip on his raspberry lemonade, Joukuu’s olive-green eyes carefully watched the male who was taller than himself and seemed to have a small gang behind him. Carefully, he watched them, and he noticed how nervous Kimiko got, and this put Joukuu on edge. As he started to talk to this Shinji, his hand went down to his blade gently tapping on it. For someone untrained they probably wouldn’t notice this subtle yet aggressive move, but to Joukuu it helped.

A frown spread across Joukuu’s pale pink lips as he heard the tone he took with Kimiko. It was not a tone a true gentleman should ever take with a woman. He would not rise with the girl as he hoped that she could sort it out and he would not have to get involved with this apparent other noble teenager. He continued to sit sipping on his drink quietly listening and surveying until Kimiko was grabbed. It was then in less than a blink of an eye, the shinobi was standing up his hand placed squarely on the solarplex of the other boy.

“She said she did not want to go with you, and that she is not your boyfriend.” He told Shinji making sure that his Kumogakure emblem was clearly visible as long as with his swords. He slowly pushed him away as if waiting for him to react and to defend the three girls if he did decide to attack.

“Now why do you go back to your house and prepare to go find yourself a new girlfriend.” Joukuu said sternly as he stood there, stepping in front of the maiden.

“And have a good day to.” He said giving him a polite smile, though his stone olive-green eyes gave him a silent warning.

Spoiler

MTF: 642

 

[Takaki Saeko]

Shinji’s face twisted from its previous casual sneer to a dumbfounded gape and then to an expression of pure malice as Joukuu placed a hand on his chest. Something like this simply did not happen among the nobles of Port Cirrus.

“What. The. Fuck?” he snarled at Joukuu, roughly smacking the ANBU’s hand away. “Hey, manservant, let me introduce myself. I’m Matsudaira Souemon Shinji, the Viscount of Owari. And you just laid a hand on me. That’s an automatic death sentence by torture, you retarded fucking peasant,” he said, grinning triumphantly. “Kimmy, you really screwed up with this one, you know that? God, you really don’t watch what your servants are doing,” he said, starting to laugh cruelly. Kimiko, however, wrenched her wrist out of his grip, drew back, and slapped Shinji across the face with a resounding smack that echoed across the plaza.

“Shinji, you asshole! Joukuu is a shinobi of Kumogakure. And on top of that he’s an ANBU! If you insult him any more he will strike you down!” she said defiantly. Shinji, initially not comprehending her, drew back a closed fist to strike at Kimiko’s cheek, only to stop when he finally noticed the symbol on Joukuu’s hitai-ate. The change in his demeanor was instant – from gleeful triumph to measured rage. He loosened his balled-up hand, stepping back.

“And have a good day, too,” quipped Joukuu, his expression saying all that needed to be said: One more move and you leave this world in pieces.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook, shinobi. My father knows your daimyo, the Raikage. I’m going to make sure the next time we meet, you’re in fucking chains kneeling to me,” he snarled, backing away. His pride obviously wounded terribly, the Viscount turned away and retreated out of sight. For a moment, no one breathed. All of a sudden, however Joukuu felt himself being glomped from behind!

“Joukuu-kun! You were SO cool!” squealed Kimiko, giddy with delight. Similarly, her two friends also joined the glomp-fest, nearly bowling Joukuu over.

“OMG, call me anytime,” said Asako, slipping her telephone number in Joukuu’s breast pocket.

“You’re a total hunk, Joukuu-san!” said Seira, laughing.

A few days later…​

The next week passed by without incident, and were mainly occupied with the routine duties of standing guard over the Dee family whilst they went about their administrative as well as leisure duties. The Count himself spent most of the working day meeting with various advisors from his province as well as merchants and other businessmen who would pitch their ideas for new types of agricultural or manufacturing ventures to improve the land, while the Countess spent most of her time writing poetry or arranging flowers, which she seemed to have a professional’s touch at. Kimiko herself had spent the next few days primarily indoors, perhaps still shaken by the recent confrontation with her “ex,” as it was. She had chosen not to tell her parents about what had happened, leaving them slightly puzzled over her shift in mood.

Night was now falling, and tonight would be a special occasion, for it would mark one of the few times that the heavens aligned properly to create a meteor shower overhead. Astronomic enthusiasts all over the Capital as well as Port Cirrus had awaited this day eagerly, and thankfully tonight would be a clear sky. The Count and Countess had expressed that they would probably spend the night at the mansion, observing the meteor shower on the balcony. However, Kimiko had other plans.

“Hey, Joukuu-kun…” she said, tugging at his sleeve as he perused one of the Countess’s poetry samples. “I’ve been kind of a drag for the last week, haven’t I? Anyway, I was wondering if you would do me a favor. There’s a spot in the city I really liked to go to when I was young to watch these showers. Can you take me there? It’s the observatory overlooking the Imperial Gardens.”

Later…​

The spot Kimiko had wanted to go to was a lovely place indeed. A natural, uncovered balcony carved into a hill that overlooked the greenery of the lush gardens below, the observatory was a perfect stargazing spot and thus popular among the young people of the city. Stone statues of various famous individuals in the city and country’s history dotted the grounds, among them Kagetsu Kiyo, who was depicted cradling a child for some reason. Overhead, the meteor shower was beginning, and white flashes of incandescence and streaks of stardust overhead glittered in the night.

One thing that Joukuu noticed was that the other people standing around were primarily young couples. Husbands and boyfriends who held their companions close as they both pointed to the sky and oohed and aahed at the display. He felt Kimiko’s arm slip into the cradle of his own, and realized that she had drawn close to him.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it? It only comes around every few years, and believe it or not, I’ve never actually you know, watched it with a boy…” she said, blushing. “I…never really got to thank you properly for standing up for me like you did. No one’s actually done that before. Does that sound strange to you? That’s how it is in this world – everyone always thinks a rich girl like me has nothing to worry about, but guys like that are everywhere, and no one thinks it’s wrong to act like that. I’ll eventually have to marry someone like Shinji, and I don’t want to. But if I don’t, I’m not helping my family. Sometimes I wish I could just escape. Give it all up and live another life.” she said, sighing. “You think I could escape to Kumogakure?” she said, looking at him and smiling bashfully.

 

[Ii Hissori]

Joukuu was smirking as he looked at noble. He was almost daring the boy to look at him, daring him to do something. The sandy blonde shinobi seem that he was getting his wish to as he watched his face curl into true angry and his hand turn into a fist. Then the threats came in, he was told he’d be in chains, and he would on his knees for him. Joukuu did snort though.

“My daimyo is /my/ cousin as watch your tongue you pathetic noble before I take it from you.” Joukuu said responding very lowly. His hand slowly fell to his side as he watched Shinji retreat, a pleasant smirk crossing his face. He stumbled though as he tripped barely catching himself before falling to the ground as Kimiko glomped into his back.

“Heh, thanks. I was just doing my job though.” He responded before bracing himself for the two other girls. He did however blush brightly as he looked at the ground mumbling a small thank you as he was complimented so eagerly by the girls. Eventually the group would recover and finish up their day of shopping and fun, and he would walk Kimiko back to the manor.

The rest of the weeks, Joukuu watched the family closely. He had tried to be there as much as he could for Kimiko who seemed to be a little bit “off.” He knew it wasn’t his right or job to intervene, but Joukuu was doing his best to be there for her if she needed him. One day, Joukuu was sitting at the dinner table, eating and carefully looking over one of Kimiko’s poems; he felt a tug on his shoulder.

“Oh hello Lady Kimiko.” Joukuu said as he looked up at her offering her a kind smile. He would listen to her and shook his head. She wasn’t much of a drag, she was just going through some things and working things through. He would then nod though as he looked at her standing up going to clean his plate and put it away.

“It would be my honor.” He said as he moved to offer her a hand to lead her out of the manor. It was a quiet and nice trip. It wasn’t cold out, but it wasn’t really warm out. Instead, it was almost perfect out. When they got there though Joukuu did notice all the couples that were there, and he had to start to wonder, what was the real reason that Kimiko brought him here.

“It really is pretty here, and don’t worry, I have never really been anywhere like this with a girl.” He admitted blushing some as he looked at her, slowly going to put an arm around her. He would shake his head. Someone like Kimiko should be protect, and he did not know why no one would want to protect her more. He then bit his light pink lip as he looked down at her. He needed to find something to say, something to make this right. After a low long pause he finally spoke.

“Nothing you say sounds strange. I… I was once in your position. I am not really a noble as I am just the cousin of the Raikage, but within my family, within my clan I was supposed to lead it. At fifteen, I was supposed to take control of my clan’s temple and lead the teaching the young children about the art of fighting with katana’s. I did not know though, and truthfully I wasn’t ready for that part of my life, and honestly I did leave the village and basically ran away. I toured the world, and learned many things because of it. Honestly, to answer your question, yes. I do think you could go to the Kumogakure for some time, but I do not think it would be escaping you can learn a lot in just a small time that you are finding yourself in my home village.” He told her softly as he looked down happily at her looking up at the stars going to make a small awe sound as a bright star passed over head.

Spoiler

MTF 706

 

[Takaki Saeko]

As Joukuu’s arm started to encircle her shoulders, Kimiko in turn sank into his embrace, drawing herself nearer to him until their forms nestled against each other similar to the other lovers under the starry sky. Gazing up at the contrails of the falling stars above, she closed her eyes, comforted by his warmth and his words.

“Thank you, Joukuu…” she murmured, reaching a hand up to caress the side of his face. “I’ve never met someone like you before… Someone so caring and valorous, and compassionate… It’s like I’m in some kind of dream that I wish I’d never wake from,” she said, a tear sliding down the side of her face as she smiled softly at him. Gently, she turned so that they were face to face. “I’m so glad you came here. Isn’t it horrible? My family and myself potentially in danger, but without it, I’d never have met you. In truth, I know that I cannot go to Kumogakure – I cannot leave my family obligations, but you’ve given me the courage to tell my parents and everyone that I will not marry the Viscount. I’ll forge my own way ahead, even if it means I need to work extra hard to do so. I do have one request, though…” she said, looking up at him.

Gently, she drew herself forward and placed her lips on his.

“Don’t marry anyone else until I’ve asked you first,” she said, blushing and smiling with happiness.

The sound of the shinobi’s own heart racing nearly drowned out a nearby man’s frantic cries as he approached the pair.

“Shinobi Joukuu! Lady Kimiko!” shouted a red-faced and out-of-breath man as he ran toward the pair. His uniform identified him as a Dee Household guard, and alarmingly enough, part of it was soaked with blood! He had been wounded, and now sank to his knees in front of the shinobi.

“Reo-san!” gasped Kimiko as she dashed over to the guard.

“Please Milady! Pay me no mind! The mansion is being attacked! The Count and Countess are in danger! It’s the Kingslayers!” he barked hoarsely, grasping at his throat. Before Joukuu could administer to him or do anything more, the guard’s eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed, unconscious.

“No! Joukuu! We have to save them!” said Kimiko in horror.

Concurrently​

“Shit!” hissed a pink-haired twintails under her breath as Kimiko’s head moved out of the center of her targeting reticule and aligned with Joukuu’s. “The bitch decided to kiss him, of all things,” she muttered in annoyance. “Whatever, I’ll just shoot through both of their heads while they’re making out. Just need to adjust the angle a bit…” she sighed, beginning to shift her body position ever so slightly. Next to her, a blond-haired, younger-looking man with a pair of binoculars tapped her on the shoulder. “What is it, Shourai?!” she snapped.

The mute blond man, Shourai, merely shook his head.

“Do you really think I give a damn what baka Haikuno thinks if I take down a Cloud shinobi? They’re our enemies too, you know,” responded the twintails.

“Now now, Marie-san, you can’t always be so tsun to Haikuno-chan! Show him some dere! Hee hee!” quipped a smaller, doll-like construction that perched on Shourai’s shoulders and also sported its own tiny spyglass. The twintails, Marie, flashed a glare at the Shikigami companion, before grudgingly re-engaging the safety on her sniper-arbalest.

“I’m shooting you both the next time either of you interfere!” she snorted to both man and Shikigami, watching through her scope as Joukuu and Kimiko ran off toward the mansion.

At the Mansion​

The mansion was eerily silent when Joukuu and Kimiko arrived at the front gate, which seemed to bear no signs of damage, but which any shinobi could tell whose lock had been destroyed. None of the usual complement of guards seemed to be present, however. Signaling for Kimiko to stay close to him, Joukuu slipped inside the darkened main hallway. The first signs of combat were apparent at the front – two guards lay on the floor, with blood splattered on the walls.

“This is horrible!” Kimiko gasped, turning her gaze away from the bodies. As Joukuu started to step over one of the bodies, the man’s hand suddenly grasped at his ankle!

“Shinobi… Must…save…them… Out back… Family…crypt…” said the guard, dying as he spat out the last words of service to his employer.

As they made their way toward the back of the mansion, now Joukuu could see a gathering of figures around one of the stone mausoleums in the back – the only place that the shinobi had been told was off-limits during his stay. In the torchlight cast by the figures, a blood-soaked and haggard-looking man sat, propped up against the door of the crypt, cradling a woman who was also injured – and missing her legs from the knees down.

It was the count and countess.

 

[Ii Hissori]

(Post upcoming. I'm so sorry. My computer finally died on me for my last two weeks of school. I am home now though)

 

[Ii Hissori]

“Anytime Kimiko.” Joukuu told her as he leaned into the hand gently. It was so soft and the caressing felt so good on his warm sand kissed cheek. Very carefully, Joukuu went and brushed the tear away with his thumb. It was gentle and caring, something oddly strange for the killer that basically only worked in the night. He would just hold her by the hips as he smiled a bit.

“Alright, but if you ever come to Kumogakure, make sure you find me. Not only can I show you around, I can give you a place to stay.” He told her as he smiled nodding. He would listen closer as he waiting to hear what she had to say. Instead he received his first kiss. Blushing gently, Joukuu would close his olive-green eyes as tilt his head to the right before gently kissing her back. When the kiss was broken, Joukuu licked his lips and nodded.

“I will be sure I won’t.” He said as he just blushed rubbing her back some. He was honestly happy at this very moment, but it was all about to change. His eyes snapped to attention as he looked to see the bloody man coming up to them. Defensively Joukuu stepped in front of the girl he had just stopped to protect her, before just realizing who he was. He nodded listened. Maybe to Kimiko, she would notice a shift from a relax and loose teenager to a tight and focused man. Moving over quickly to the unconscious man, he forced his unconscious body to eat a blood pill and swallow it with an energy drink. He had to at least attempt to keep him live. With a nod, Joukuu took off with Kimiko.

Guilt was the first thing that Joukuu felt as he walked over the broken and dead bodies. He did not jump though when he felt something wrap around his leg. With a short nod and a small polite thank you, the boy began to head quickly towards the family crypt. Joukuu looked around as soon as he saw both the countess and count pressed against the wall of the crypt. He would determine that the area for now was safe to approach and he moved quickly to their aid.

“Relax nothing is going to happen. You two are safe.” Joukuu said as he slid to their sides on his knees. One hand as already starting to push a blood pill straight into the mouth of the women, and the other one was already glow green as he pressed it into one of the blood stumps starting to close the wounds to make sure any bleeding was stopped. He wasn’t going to let the women die on him if he had a chance. His hands moved to the other bleeding leg as he sealed that one too. He was no medic, but his sensei had at least taught him enough on how to treat battle-field wounds. It took a couple minutes but soon the wounds had stopped its bleeding.

“Get inside now all of you.” He said calmly as he weaved hand signs two identical clones appearing next to him. He picked up the hopefully breathing countess’s body and moved inside of the crypt. He would keep them all safe, even if they had to die. The two paper clones would step from of the door and protect the entrance keeping their eyes out. It took a moment for Joukuu to find a place to lay the countess down gently, and with the blood on his hands he went to unbuckle his belt pouch, and hand it to the count.

“These will keep you healthy enough to last. Stay here, and don’t move. Keep pressure on any of your wounds and make sure that you don’t go near any of the entrances. Kimiko, Make sure they are okay. I will look outside and deal with whoever did this. I can promise you that. You three will be safe.” He said as he gave the count the pouch after taking a note book out. Joukuu shook and ripped all the pages out as soon all the chakra coated pages covered every window and entrance to the crypt forming barriers around there. Cracking his neck, Joukuu looked up at Kimoki and gave a smirking smile. This was truly his element, the chaos of war, and the chaos of battle which seemed that Joukuu could only bring peace to.

“Don’t go outside no matter what. I am going to keep my promise to you, both of them. I will protect you, your family and your home.” Joukuu told her as he undid his black leather jacket and handed it to her. He would get it back eventually. It was with that, Joukuu stopped and turned his back and headed out of the forbidden crypt.

As he made his way out of the crypt, Joukuu again weaved some very simple summoning hand signs before he lifted his hands to his face and separated them. Forming across his face, was his yellow jacket yellow, snow white, and moonless night black mask. The fangs looked hungry for blood as he stepped out of the front entrance of the barrier it forming behind him With three larges steps, Joukuu separated himself from the crypt and kept himself standing tall surveying the grounds. The feeling of being watched was all too prevailant on his mind as he just stood there silent in his yellow shirt and purple scarf and cream colored pants smirking underneath his mask. He was ready to fight, and what better way to do that was with a crowd. His hands were on his blades waiting for something to happen, after all it was never good for someone who work best in chaos to start the performance without an announced co-star.

Spoiler

Oh by the way Burst of Confetti Prepped.

 

[Takaki Saeko]

“Joukuu-san, wait, I need to tell you something…” began Count Dee, trying weakly to grasp at the ANBU’s arm as he set off to the outside.

“Daddy, no, don’t move! He’s going to protect us! I know it!” protested Kimiko to her father as she held back tears and held the old man’s hand in hers. “Just help Mommy right now,” she said, averting her eyes from the wounded Countess. The woman moaned softly, still unconscious from the earlier shock.

Meanwhile, Joukuu emerged from the crypt entrance ready and thirsting for blood and combat. The attackers had made a fool of him once, and he would certainly not let that happen again. That the Countess had been so severely wounded was a stain on his good reputation, but at least she was not dead – she could be there for her daughter. Perhaps he would take the woman to the medical shinobi of Kumogakure to seek aid. After all, shinobi lost limbs as well, and word was that one of them, Shinrya, was developing a means to regrow damaged limbs…

Out of the dark miasma that surrounded the entrance to the crypt, a figure suddenly emerged – a girl by the looks of her, who wielded a blackened katana dripping with lethal intent. She pointed it at Joukuu, her face expressionless.

“Target identified – ANBU Captain, Kumogakure. He protects the criminals. Directive: Eliminate.”

Joukuu’s twin katanas were out of their sheaths in an instant and quietly as a whisper. The piercing clang of tempered, folded steel on steel cut through the night like a knife through flesh as his swords met hers. Immediately, he could tell she was no ordinary opponent – she was skilled enough to avoid being dropped instantly like so many other swordsmen who would challenge a Nanjirou, and there was something about her blade that told him that he would not have a second chance were he to be struck by it. Sparks flew as he expertly parried a thrust to his throat and followed with a riposte to her head, which she ducked in the nick of time. She backflipped away, kicking him in the chest with a bladed heel. Fortunately, he had expected such a blow and absorbed it with his armor, pushing them both away from each other. As he assumed a low-ready battle stance…

“Howdy, neighbor!” cheerfully shouted a heavily-armored man with a spear who now barreled forward out of the mists. Joukuu’s blades connected with his neck, but the momentum of impact from the headbutt knocked the wind out of the ANBU and threw him backward, through the doors of the crypt. As he tumbled down the stairs, he heard the paper traps he had laid going off, and the acrid smell of cordite wafted into his nose.

“Joukuu! Are you okay!?” shouted Kimiko, rushing toward him to help him up. Sensing danger, however, the ANBU quickly pushed her to the side, right before being tackled by what could only be described as a large, feral animal. Claws raked at his mask and chestplate, shattering the ceramic and ripping the seals. With a shake, he jettisoned the useless armor and slammed an elbow into the softest part of his attacker, causing her – her?I to jump away with a yowl.

“Jeez! Do you have to be so rough?!” complained his assailant, now revealed to be a rather scantily-clad girl who boasted what appeared to be a functional tail along with cat ears seemingly integrated into her hair. She licked at a wickedly clawed paw (hand?) as she crouched, ready for his next move. Before Joukuu could strike, however, a blast from above made him roll away, right before the ground where he had stood exploded from the force of a tungsten-penetrator arbalest bolt.

“Shit, missed!” growled a pink-haired twintails further up the stairs. “Hold still, dammit!” she sneered.

“Marie! You told me you’d just pin him to the ground, not try to blow his head off!” complained a teenaged-looking boy next to her, clad in a leather jacket and carrying a wakizashi and bolter.

“After what he did to Yuuya?!” retorted the twintails.

“I’m fine, just a bit sore. The armor got most of it,” chuckled the heavily-armored man from before, who now emerged from the outside. His face and armor were blackened with soot from the paper bombs and his chest and neck pieces were badly gouged from the earlier impacts. “I am, after all, the group’s ‘tank’,” he shrugged.

“Targets confirmed. Directive remains to eliminate,” sounded a monotone female voice now, the same girl who had attacked Joukuu at first.

Things were looking bad to the young ANBU Captain – not only was he quite outnumbered by confirmed members of the Kingslayers, but he was also trapped in an enclosed chamber where his mobility would be compromised. Adding to the bad news, the Dee family was also helpless down here. There was no way he could protect them AND deal with the threats! He grit his teeth and shifted his grips on his swords. Of all the shitty luck – his first kiss by a cute girl had to be followed by a heroic death…

“Why!? Why are you doing this?!” yelled Kimiko, tears in her eyes but her face grim with anger. “My family has done nothing wrong! We have done nothing to harm you!” she shouted at the assembled group of assassins.

“Ah, that’s pretty funny,” laughed the beastgirl, running a paw through her hair. “Considering what the Count here gets up to in his spare time,” she said, slinking over to one of the side walls and inspecting it closely. Sniffing at a particular brick, she pressed it. With a rumbling sound, the wall in back of the Count, Kimiko, and Joukuu started to descend into the floor. “Take a look, Cloud ANBU. This is the true nature of the family Dee!”

In the newly opened section of the crypt was a sight more horrid than Joukuu was prepared to behold. Hanging from the ceiling on rusty hooks were naked bodies of men, women, and children in various states of decay, along with many more bodies stacked up like dried cordwood along the walls. In the center of the chamber, a menacing-looking iron chair with steel bindings, and a table nearby with all matter of surgical tools, including a vacuum-pump attached to a large-bore needle. Nearby, large glass bottles were filled with a crimson liquid that could only be blood.

“The Count here is a classic bloodsucker, and not even in the economic sense,” said the armored man, pointing his spear at the stricken Dee patriarch. “Vampire, Lich, Hemovore, Demon, all of these are terms that apply to his kind. For a long time, he’s been abducting peasants and commoners from the streets and countryside around his lands and draining them dry. He bathes in their blood nightly, and this is what allows him to keep from dissolving in the sunlight. Simply put, he’s a godrotting supernatural mass-murderer. His wife is a human, but she’s no better than he. She knows exactly what he’s up to, and even helps him in the coverup. Both of them should get the noose according to Bakufuu law, but they happen to be noble, so the Chancellor lets them engage in their little habit in exchange for political favors. We just happened to get recruited by a family member of someone he sank his fangs into.”

“Daddy…is this true?!” asked Kimiko, sinking to her knees in horror and trying not to vomit at the sight of the room. Count Dee sighed, and nodded his head.

“Yes, darling. Every word of it. I am sorry to have kept this from you, but I thought it for the best. Your mother and I did not want to stain you with our sin,” said the Count, a tear falling from his eye.

“Daddy…no…” gasped Kimiko, hiding her face in her hands.

“We need to take the girl out, too,” snarled Marie the twintailed sniper. “If she’s a half-breed, there’s no telling when she’ll eventually get the urge to feed. We’ll take them all out in one fell swoop. If the ANBU knows what’s best for him, he’ll stay the hell out of the way!” she said, leveling her bolter at the girl.

“I concur,” said the black-haired girl with the monotone. Joukuu now recognized her from a briefing he had been given before. Shinya Mitsuru – an ex-PRMC special forces operative. That definitely confirmed who he was up against… The chances for victory were almost nil against this crowd!

“Joukuu-san!” said the Count now, his voice stronger, commanding, regal. “I may be a criminal, but you are still under my employment on behalf of your Raikage, and you will fulfill my terms! I command you to save my daughter, who shares no guilt with me! I will hold these Kingslayers off!” he growled. Joukuu could now see the fangs protruding from his mouth. The Countess’s eyes fluttered open.

“My dear husband. My eternal love…” she whispered. “Do it now. For Kimiko!” she said, baring her pale neck to him. The count whispered something tender and inaudible to her, before plunging his teeth into her neck.

Within a second, the Countess breathed no more, and was pale as death, her two fang wounds not even bleeding. The Count stood upright and gently set her down. As he started to walk forward, a sword of dark flame started to form in his hand.

“I love you, Kimiko! May you find happiness!” he said to his daughter, before leaping at the Kingslayers. Nearby Joukuu, a stone panel in the back of the corpse room slid open. It was a path to the outside, and the only chance he and Kimiko had…

And this ends the mission! Make your exit post (Kimiko will tag along with you) and get out of there and back to Kumo!

 

[Ii Hissori]

What was going on?! Things had gone from romantic to crazy in the matter of hours. Olive-green eyes looked at horror at the count as he saw all the dead bodies hanging from the ceiling. With blood dripping down his face, Joukuu moved from his stance to just stare. How could he have been taken like this? Joukuu hadn’t expected this from the count, and countess. His pink lips were parted gently as he tried to find words. The count was doing all the talking however and gave Joukuu his last orders. Relucant to take an order from a demon, Joukuu nodded.

“Understood.” Joukuu said as he took off. He wouldn’t hear any protests from the girl as he picked Kimiko up over his shoulders and began to run, to get her to safety, and out of the count’s grounds. He would leave it behind ready to protect Kimiko in Kumogakure.

Spoiler

Topic Left! Mission Ended. Going to collect rewards!