A sudden gasp.

Jake woke up from his deep slumber to the crawls of the Morning Howler. He rubbed his eye, his whole body booting up. Stretching his legs, he felt his legs landing on something stuffy, not very hard as a floor.

Hm? What the…

Lying sprawled on the wooden floor, drooling and mumbling something, holding a bottle of whiskey in his hand, was Satan. Jake clenched his fist, his aura turning dark and a stare so killing that even death would bow down, took a step forward on his chest.

“Wakkhhhh!” Hey what’s up with… you? Eeeek!!” Satan scuttled up to a corner, wrapped his hands around his knees.

“Satan… Tell me. Tell me… why the hell are you in my room?!” He faced Satan, extremely close, almost as if about to give him a nice smooch.

“U-Uh, I don’t… remember?” He gestured open his hand.

“You little…! Get out!” Jake grabbed him by the back of the collar and threw him out of the window, shattering it into pieces and having his voice fading away each moment he flew away.

Great! He just busted my privacy. My only privacy!!! Jake cursed in his mind.

“Hey, what is that noise? *gasp!* and what happened to the window?! Did you do something funny again?” She asked, sulking and putting her hands on her waist, leaning forward. She was like a little kid. Jake couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

“Hey, what’s that smirk for?! Jeez!” she turned around, pouting.

“Heh, now that is adorable, isn’t it?” Jake smiled and gave her a pat on the back, catching her by surprise.

“Oh you…” she chased after him, both fooling around the house, running and giggling around the corners.

----------------------------------------

There was a sound of a creak and a thud as Jake stepped outside the door, hand on his neck, tired due to exhaustion. Trotting out, he came across a single lily, blooming among thousands of dahlias, just alone. He was reminded of himself. He gave a bitter smile as he lifted the flower from its grip on the ground and walked to a deserted spot. Digging out a lump of soil, he planted it with care, stroking its beautiful and soft petals. It somehow calmed him down.

How funny… it actually reminds me of our time.

Thinking, he gazed at the soaring clouds in the sky, just lazing around, covering the sun by time. Wind blew, lifting up his coat, revealing his perfectly slender body. His hair flew out the back, the silver shine fit on them. He crouched down, casting a spell, waving his two fingers. Suddenly, a sprinkler of water droplets fell down Jake’s palm, watering the flower. The only thing enemies with Jake and the flower was the overheating of the sun. He covered his pale face under the sun with his hand, narrowing his eyes and sighting into the distance.

The wind had died down before Jake realised it. He turned his face towards the big iron-gate to see a dark figure just outside… no, there were actually two. It seemed that the blinding light of the sun made them to spot, hard for him. He felt his eyebrows stitch as he tried to identify the figures. His feet moved unconsciously, launching him a few inches above the ground, with incredible speed. In an instant, he was before them, wind striking his back much later.

“Hey, you didn’t need to throw me so far away, brother… it kinda tickled when I landed, but still…!” it was Satan, covered in dust and sand, his hair messed up.

Crap… my morning just got ruined…

“Well hello there! Fancy meeting you here. Wait, is that your house?!” someone talked from behind Satan’s back. He walked forwards, the sound of chain armour ringed in Jake’s ears.

Holy crap…! It couldn’t get any worse…

Jake was caught up in a bind, thinking how to evade the situation. His eyes moved sideways, striking the sun forcefully even though he hated it. His eyes narrowed.

“W-Well how do you do? Haven’t seen you in a while…” Jake trailed off, lacking in speech, unable to speak. He was caught off guard, frozen like a rock.

“Oy, what’s up? You okay?” Satan questioned. Jake stiffened even more. Finally releasing a sigh…

“Satan, Salazaar, would you both like to go to a public bath with me? I-I mean, we could really use some resting after last night’s fuss, right?!” Jake said with a troubled voice. Sweat drops slid down his cheek and forehead.

“Sure why not? Besides, I need a little bit of time off from my knight duties…” Salazaar stroked his chin with his fingers.

“Yeah… but man I wish it was a mixed bath… it would be more nice.” Satan said with a smile with a disappointing gaze.

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“Huh?! You’re thinking of that?!” Jake snapped at him, Salazaar laughed.

“You two sure get along well I see…” Salazaar clicked.

“Shut up!”

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Smoky fog filled the room as the three walked in together, only with towels on their bodies. Satan had a fair skinned body, slender throughout. He put his hand son his waist, his eyes searching for something.

Cheh, searching for females huh? Jake sighed.

The armoured guy who happened to be without his armour in the bath with the two unique characters was Salazaar. He had a solidly built body with scars all over from his chest to feet. His body seemed to have had to endure harsh conditions in the past.

“Oh? Its good… the fog seems to be caressing the wounds.”

“Do they still hurt?” Said Satan, poking the cuts.

“Yes, it does sometimes…” Salazaar turned the other way and started walking towards the other section of the bath. “You two go ahead and take a dip. I have something to take care of. But worry not, I’ll be back in a short while.” He waved his hand from the distance as both Jake and Satan walked towards the smoking pond, emitting a soothing warm aura, almost like holy water. Jake hesitated. Hot water did bother him after all. He preferred ice cold water on his pale skin. Since he didn’t feel anything.

Satan gasped lightly on seeing the enormous scar on Jake’s back.

“It still didn’t disappear from back then, huh?” Satan said, his hands on his waist, head tilted a little, giving Jake a sign not to reveal it. “Better not show my senior though… it might arose questions in his mind. I’ve gotta say it, no one has a scar that big than you there!” Satan crossed his hands, sighing.

He went first and dipped his body into the water, first the legs and then slowly simmering into the warm splashing little pond liquid, surrounded by stones. Jake stared at him going in. he couldn’t help but sit by the edge, feeling nothing but the burning smoke on his skin. Looking up at the sky, he saw it turning from an orange glow to a filling blue. The day went by just by a fluke. The air became cool, soothing him a little from the hot smoke. He was taken aback…

*****

“Jake! Come here! The scenery is so charming…!” Wanda raised her hands feeling the touch of the evening air grazing her skin. I was a few steps behind her. and I remember… we were going to the hot springs? I guess that was it…

“Hey you, old man! Haha, you’re slow!” she cheerfully giggled, hands behind her back.

I know…

“Alright, don’t fuss when you lose to me…!” I challenged.

I know…!

“Hmph, quite the spirit I see! Go ahead and beat me!” she laughed while running gleefully while I chased her to the spot where we were supposed to take a bath in the hot springs.

I was happy as a human, and by her side, I wanted nothing more…

She was the first person I chose to get along… I know that I shouldn’t remember these memories. But I cannot help it!

“…ake.”

I know that I’m a weak person…

*****

“Jake! Are you lost? Taken over by somebody?! Hey!” Satan raised his voice.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m… I’m fine. You go ahead and take a bath. I’ll just past the time.” Jake turned towards Satan. But he was no longer there. Huh? Where did he… wha…?!!

Satan emerged from under the water.

“Hey, Jake! Listen to this…! I see nature everywhere, and what’s more? Under the water! I can see it, between the thighs of every man bathing here—“

Jake grabbed his mouth shut. “Oi, where do you think you’re looking at?!” Jake Hissed under his breath in Satan’s ear.

Satan lowered his voice, “Oh? You seem pretty sensitive about that kind of thing, even though you’ve got a pretty big one yourself, huh?”

“Wha…?! What are you suddenly blurting out?! And when did you…”

“Oh, that? Hehe, in bed with you last night…! When you were asleep, I pulled the bed sheet and then… hmph!”

Wha… is he serious?!

“Ah, man! I can’t even bring up the juicy details! I’m so excited…!” Satan smiled heavenly, even though he was from hell. The stars that appeared in the sky seemed to be far behind, compared to his wide grin.

“O-Oi, cut that out! Cut that out!!!” Jake dunked Satan’s head under water, bubbling out to the top. Jake clenched his teeth, fighting his urges to throw Satan out of the bath. Instead, he kept him under water. Everyone from the either side of the pond stared at the two with surprised eyes.

-‘Seriously? Did they…?’

-‘I can’t believe them. Did they inter-connect with each other? Cross-breeding?!’

-‘Ah, to be young again… reminds me of myself!’

-‘Creepy…!’

Jake could hear their thoughts with his powers, though he wasn’t please d after hearing them… he gave a blank expression on his face.

He just gave them all wrong ideas!!! He spat in his mind. His face turned to a troubled state. I need to clear their misunderstandings…! Yeah, make them forget!

He turned to them, staring right into their eyes.

FORGET EVERYTHING AND BE OFF ON YOUR BUSINESS, he ordered in his mind, using his vampiric persuasive powers. His eyes stared a bright golden gleam, he tilted his neck sideways, causing them to do the same, his aura rising.

The expression on their faces seemed to ease, their eyes turning sleepy. Suddenly they began looking around, confused. Some scratching their heads, while some asking the others what happened, but none of them seemed remember a thing from a while ago.

Jake sighed in exhaustion, feeling relieved throughout. His palms landed behind on the wet rock ground. That was so close…!

“*Gasp!* *cough* *cough*. Hey don’t do that… I almost drowned there, you know?!” Satan coughed, ragged breath clear on his face and the sound of huffing. “And don’t ever stop me likin—“

Jake grabbed his wet hair, giving off a murderous aura and a menacing grin on his face, “Like what? Care to explain? I guess you wouldn’t…”

“Oh?” He slapped Jake’s hand away. “You sure you’re up for this?” Satan stood up.

“Pfft! Look at that! Ahahaha!!!” Jake burst out laughing, pointing at his thing. “You call that your dignity?!” he laughed even more. Satan gave a ghostly expression, seemingly of a dead person. He was better dead anyway, or so what ladies in town thought.

“Hey, stop with that laughing! It’s still growing!” He turned the other way. But then…!

“Hey, you both. What are you fussing over? You both are grown up adults… be more mature!” it was general Salazaar, his hands on his waist, letting his towel slip.

“Oh my.” He said looking down. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.”

“Wha…!” Jake’s mouth fell open, threatening to fall down.

“BIG NATURE!!!” Satan exclaimed., seeing something unbelievable.

The night fell as the three ended up arguing, causing the manager to step into the bath. He cut extra three thousand Quins from Jake’s wallet, almost looting him all over. he helplessly stared at the empty wallet.

“Well why don’t we come here again?” Salazaar suggested.

“Yeah! Why not? Right Jake? Jake?” both of them stared at his face, while he only looked down, not saying even a word. Then…

“LIKE HELL I WILL!!!”

There was the sound of a magic blast inside the men’s bath, during that particular night.