Whetstone (2)

It wasn't until the dough person holographic with an emoticon for a face disappeared that his sharp inhale became steady once more. Finally getting some much-needed oxygen after trying to get a glimpse of what was behind it. Who? Was a much easier question to answer. Why? Was anybody's guess.

Reluctantly giving up the chase before getting far. Trusting there isn't anything to be worried about from his lips didn't bode well for them. But they knew best that their help would be requested if there was.

"HAAA~! There's no avoiding that attention-seeking asshole." Makoto slumped into his chair. Regretting spending his one truth to learn the results he already expected. Albeit there was more he couldn't.

The powerful beating wings stirred a soft breeze as the jovial voice rang out, "I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that coming from you, my liege."

"It's exactly why I don't say it." They leaned back in their seat and fiddled with the recorder in their hands, pushing on the buttons still unable to move.

Following a short crinkling before crunching, "Agreed. You'd never hear the end of it." (Hotaru)

"Right?!" (Makoto)

"I wouldn't call that fair. It's been how long since we met like this?"

""Too long."" (Hotaru+ Hibiki)

The combination of a soften and two brazen tones got the Ellipsis king to pause their frame of thought. They hastily shut their eyes.

'This can't be happening!'

""But what if it is?"" (Hotaru + Kohaku+ Hibiki)

They sat upright and lasered his focus on the remaining people in greyscale chuckling at the table, disregarding their hold over them.

"YOU-!" Makoto fiercely pointed his finger at the witch munching on chips.

"Mm, your face is so easy to read sometimes, Mako. I just can't help it." Her fan flapped open and the lack of color shattered.

'When did they break out?!'

"Next, they'd be wondering since when we broke out?"

Makoto snapped his head to Hibiki's smug smirk.

'Oh, brother…'

*Click*

-Shion's POV: During Kitchen Brawl-

The air brought a chill down my spine as my composed and proper mom was bruised and furious. Her body's shadow lied in pools of her blood with vacant eyes. I didn't even realize I dropped my onigiri when Hotaru swung a bag of flour at her. But everything vanished the minute I heard-

*POOF*

Flour flew around the room. A moment later, a hand grabbed mine and pulled me along. My heart was beating out of my chest looking back at mom but, but I didn't resist. I couldn't. It was soothing, like a breezy spring day telling me, this was meant to happen.

If it didn't the heavy chill would've remained.

The door slid open and we walked onto the gravel.

"What's going on?" (Makoto)

"Nothing much. What about it?" (Hanashi)

"Huh?" (Makoto)

"What. about. It?" (Hanashi)

"You're worried about something. You had to have a plan." (Makoto)

That vision of a calm spring slipped. The sky darkened yet, there wasn't anything blocking the light. The more I looked, the more transparent everything got.

I felt confused and didn't give that a second thought before the exhaustion settled in until I lied on the grass and looked up at the sky fading into obscurity.

I gave Hanashi's hand in my grasp a tiny squeeze, hoping the spring day would remain.

'I don't get it.'

?: (Do you need to 'get it'?)

I could barely make out that there was someone next to me before I was jutted back to reality and felt the hand not encompassing mine. Rather, it was neatly intertwined and I looked down at the hand just as small as mine.

'Huh?'

"Maybe. What-about-it?" (Hanashi)

"W-what happened to the two of you?!", Taruho was staring in awe at the once towering figures now turned into kids.

""Huh?"", The two tilted their heads and looked over the other without a word.

Dark Clouds rolled closer from in the distance, as the words without words broke through.

Just like how Mom made her statement, I trusted that this was right.

'Am I making the right choice?'

'I am making the choice.'

Adamant and docile.

Shocked and unfazed.

The uncertainty and certainty rang out like a pair of large gongs, yet they were sticking by it.

"W-will you answer me?" (Makoto)

*Click*

*Click*

-Makoto's POV-

'What is he doing? Where is everyone else? Where'd Aoi go? Aw, geez…"

"Say that again." Hanashi looked me dead in the eyes and pressed for another response.

"What?" (Makoto)

"Again." (Hanashi)

'Does he have a screw loose?'

"...Will you answer me?" (Makoto)

He nodded, "Again, but better." (Hanashi)

My irritation was swelling at the elf man turned elf kid.

'What is happening?'

"Answer me. What's going on?" (Makoto)

"Nicely done." He patted my head cause even in this child state he loomed over me.

"Ahem, well." (Makoto)

He began counting out as he explained.

"1. There's been this weird nasty feeling since we got here so I got the y-... guides to be on the lookout.

2.While I made onigiris, Aoi and Momo found the food storage ransacked with claw marks in the barrels and bags.

3.- " (Hanashi)

"What does any of that have to do with us being here?", Taruho blurted out.

Hanashi slowly turned his head to Taruho and the same unblinking stare he gave Aoi, Hotaru, and Kohaku washed over us. Black crept into the edges of my vision until the only thing present was him.

It was gone just as quickly as it came when he continues, "I'm getting to it, silly. 3. The target is after these two."

My hand was still shaking at my side when I steeled myself. "Then what do you want us to do?"

He was taken aback for a second before a small smile grew across his face. "We're going to play a little game with our new friend."

***

Everything was set in motion and everyone with or without their knowledge had a role to play.

First, Hotaru had somehow deterred the foe so she was to stick by Miroku's side.

"Why not have her with us?" (Shion)

"You can't solve a problem by running from it. We need the repellent somewhere else if we're to do this." Hanashi rolled his eyes.

The second was to distract the danger for long enough.

"It's after the rice and fish, Milord!" Aoi circled the building, spotting the nearby commotion.

"All rice was spilled all over the floor but, the fish supply is nearly emptied out." Momo overlooked the two cleaning.

Hanashi's guess stemmed from the rice not being cooked and having his snake eat the last openly available confirmed it.

Thus, an unsuspected water boy needed to run free with the last of the onigiris.

"I don't know how- WHOA! M-much longer we can go for but, Kohaku is having f-f-fun?" Kuda appeared to be grasping the outfit for dear life.

"THIS IS AWESOME!" (Kohaku)

*BLAM*

"You can head to the meeting place now." (Hanashi)

"Roger that! Catch us if you can! AHAHA!" (Kohaku)

"Than- AHHH!" (Kuda)

The camera screens of the duo tossed and turned before their video call abruptly ended.

"..." (All)

"Ah, they'll be fine. I can only say my prayers for that fox." Hanashi shook his head.

The rest of us solemnly nodded as the work we'd done in five minutes that felt like half an hour was going to be put to the test.

Last but not least, us.

***

"I don't see why we need to go this far out. You could've asked Mom." (Shion)

"It's more of a meditation spot instead of what you're asking for." (Taruho)

"S-so you don't train under the waterfall…" (Makoto)

"...No." (Taruho)

"It'll be a good spot to not have to deal with that annoyance." (Hanashi)

"It couldn't have been-" (Makoto)

"You try to work with that idiotic recklessness and then we'll talk." (Hanashi)

We walked through the large wooden gates into an enclosed sanctuary hidden with bamboo. A wooden path lined the way down the middle between the gravel before reaching the pond of water. Over the sounds of rushing water, I could still see it in slow motion. A giant claw was mere inches away from my face.

'OH NO! OH NO! OH NO!'

*Click*

[WORLD REACTION: QUEST SHARED!]

< (D+) Quest: Muttering Mutt!!! >

A murmuring unidentified foe has come to strike those the shrine maiden holds dear in her residence. Work together to apprehend the attacker before it's too late.

-Protect Shion and Taruho.

-Identify and defeat the foe.

-Cleanse the foe's corruption.

-Find the source of the problem.

[WORLD REACTION: You may invite your fellow Balancers to assist you.]

Players: 5/8

Loot

5 Common Healing Potions

???

+50 silver coins

[Requirement: Lv. 10-15 players]