Fika did not expect the day to turn out like this.

She was sitting on a white chair, next to a cute cream coloured circular table and across from her was another white chair which in it was Nue, in her female Weredragon form.

It seemed that cosmetically she changed it so her face was human, bar a few scales around her cheeks. The table had two cups of tea on saucers and two plates of cake.

She was on a date with another girl. And she was a girl.

A shapeshifting dragon girl at that. Same gender and different species.

Sure a Dryad does not care for the distinction as much as humans or many other races but it was still far from common.

On top of that, this courting was strange, but the woman before her would not stop spewing ideas for modifications and weapons that were completely and utterly… well it was doable, at least but that was the extent of it. Yet despite this oddity or perhaps because of it, she was being entranced by the prospects being presented to her. It llght a fire in her to challenge these fantasies and make them real. To make a weapon she could have actual fun with.

It was almost engrossing enough to ignore the judging, the curious and the awed faces of those around them, like lightning caught by a rod of upright metal.

And the unusual couple were the unlucky spot being slowly burnt to ash.

“Okay! Imagine this! I can take the two tomahawks and smash their blunt hammer ends together. Then they open up and join together! They combine and the handles link to form a large pole! They turn into a larger battle axe!”

It was a novel idea. It was excessive and wholly unnecessary, though she could see some advantages in this mechanism. It wasn’t too hard to imagine once she was told but before the words left Nue’s ruby red lips, Fika wouldn't even be able to dream anything resembling the mechanism.

Yet despite how ridiculous it was she found herself nodding and visualising it.

Then once all of it finalised in her head… she without warning grabbed the tomahawks from Nue’s waist and began to chant in a language few would understand.

The green liquid glass bottles by Fika’s waist opened by themselves and the concoction leaped out and then danced around the weapons, entwining like twin snakes around them.

The weapons began to glow the same colour as the crafting agent and Nue’s eyes began to sparkle in the usual childlike and giddy fashion whenever she did anything or saw anything remotely entertaining. “It’s cute.” Fika found herself absently thinking a stray thought as she got to work on indulging this request.

The day had started with Nue leaping into her house, thanking this time from the front door and in dragon form… so the best of a bad situation.

And then she said that she wanted to see the city, that she wanted to talk about her alchemy skills and all about the wide world she really, genuinely had little to no clue about.

So even though Fika had promised a date after Nue had defeated her brother… it somehow ended up like this. The two eating and drinking while talking about something they both could be passionate about. This was a date and she was somehow okay with this.

Not exactly happy or finding this experience even the slightest bit delightful but it wasn’t nearly as unpleasant as she had imagined. At least that was what she told herself.

She was absolutely not in denial.

The tangling lights then receded back to the containers they came from and the tomahawks gently landed on the table. Nue immediately picked them up and smashed the two hammers together with incredible gusto. The burst of air that was forged blasted right in front of Fika’s face, her hair being turned into a puffy, back pointed mess.

She simply sighed but then her eyes focused on the weapons.

Fika needed to see her beauties at work and her curiosity overcame her annoyance.

CLANG. SNAP. CLINK. Just as she had described and just as she had made.

Now in the arms of the dragon was a large shimmering battleaxe.

“You’re the best!” The praise coming from the bizarre beauty touched her heart.

“Okay, now I need you to make this turn into like… a crossbow.”

Then her seething discomfort came back to her, as if being with this woman was like being on a bungee rope where the bottom sucked you of life and the top was as thrilling as a high speed ride.

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“You… want me to make this into a crossbow?”

She… she had to hear this, even though her tone was filled with dismissal…

“Yeah! Like… now it’s a battleaxe, right? So from the same idea we make the axe blades curve and form a double sided scythe, pendulum like blade! And then the pole becomes like… a large black iron bar with a hand grip with a trigger to fire off giant bolts of uh… glowing magical energy arrows, I guess?”

Yet again with the out of this world requests. She sighed but she then began to chant again.

This one was far harder for Fika to comprehend but she closed her eyes and let her brilliant mind put the pieces of insanity together to make something reasonable, practical and amazing.

Once again the natural looking substance melded with the weapon… and the battleaxe began to shift shape, again as Nue had described.

However this time, flying out of Fika’s bag was a long blue metal bar that attached to the pole of the axe, it began to reshape itself to form the necessary components and shape to form the grip and shaft of the crossbow. When Fika finished her chanting, the newly form was complete.

She puffed up her cheeks and then blew out a long tunnel of air that caused her ruined haired to flutter about.

“Awwwwww! Yeah!”

Nue leapt up from her seat, almost spilling the tea and collapsing the cake and then looked at the path the bolts of the bow would travel. She began to squeal when she noticed they were two large arrow like objects on two paths.

“How did you know I wanted it to shoot two beams!?”

Fika took a long drink of her tea and cleared her throat before she answered.

“I didn’t. I can’t possibly make a weapon like that be able to rapid fire or carry multiple bolts, it’s too impractical even for me… but shooting two powerful bolts simultaneously was the compromise I was able to craft.”

At that the dragoness howled with joy, people were getting quite concerned with the spectacle unfolded before their eyes… especially when she aimed it at the half destroyed mountains in the far distance that had exploded for no reason yesterday, at least that’s what the civilians thought happened, though now watching Nue they began to put two and two together.

She held the handle like a pistol. She arched her entire body back as if she was rowing oars on a boat. She smirked as her eyes locked onto what she had unconsciously designated as her territory to play with. Then her brain sparked another semi acceptable idea.

“Cross Change - Sniper and Mage!”

Lightning and flame began to build and circle the two silver coloured arrows along the open chamber of the freshly forged, transforming and magical weapon.

“Wait! Don’t fire that thing from here-!” Fika cried out. It was too late.

The crowd ducked low and cowered in terror.

“TWIN BUSTER RIF-!”

But before she could finish her sentence the world began to slow down for her.

The system was speaking again and it sounded… mad?

“Do not break copyright. The Maestro of Media would heavily disapprove. Also the Doctor recommends you aim towards the sky.”

Nue frowned and pouted but she felt such a stern warning that she sighed and accepted the demands of the power she was given.

“What’s a name anyway? Okay… so I can’t say that so… ah alright. That works.”

Nue pointed the crossbow heavenwards and took in a deep breath to prepare for her usual over the top screams of passionate joy. Her soul, she felt truly singed when she did something like this. She always felt a unique and unrivalled tension when she was about to use any of her gifted powers.

“Double Blast Bow!”

Time returned to its normal pace and within a blink the sky had a titanic pillar of growing light opening up the skies, clouds were torn to shreds in a matter of moments.

Then almost as quickly as it came the golden tower disappeared.

“Oh! That felt so… good!”

Nue collapsed back into her chair, dropped the crossbow and then began to furiously shovel the honey coloured cake with a small spoon, throwing chunks of it into her mouth.

She chewed with a blissful smile and swallowed with a look of delight as she closed her eyes to absorb the taste. It was honey and maple. It seemed to be a pretty popular flavour in this city.

Nue was wild. She was uncontrollable and unrefined. She just did whatever she wanted whenever she felt like it… and she was having the time of her life.

And it showed. It made her gorgeous. Fika found herself smiling at the fool who danced so freely to whatever she desired. A stark contrast to herself and everyone she knew.

Her brother flashed into her mind at that prompt..

“...I want her to be free. If nothing else I want to fight for that. I want her… to be able to live the way she wants. To let her die the way she wants, too. Can’t you understand that?”

Fika stared at Nue and her smile became both joyful and miserable at once.

She was still going to stop Lincoe but just a little bit… she knew how her brother felt.

To admire and want the best for someone from a whole other world than you.

“Hey, Nue. It’s good, right?” Fika conjured the energy to give a full and bright grin.

“Mmphgh… gulp. It’s great! Not as sweet as I’m used to but… it’s got this refreshing punch to it, I can’t get enough!” Her fangs showed but they looked as harmless as a kitten’s with her face being the way it was right now.”

Fika beckoned with her hands to the staff of the restaurant.

This was burning a hole in her pocket but she… wanted her to smile a bit more.

“Well, I’ve got some recommendations for you to try…”

Fika and Nue were having fun. Enjoying their day. Just being at peace with themselves.

...Yet Lincoe, still in his self made dungeon was training even harder, harsher and heavier.

Everything he did was only growing in excess.

His desire for happiness… if he wanted it… no, needed it, he had to work harder than anyone else. There was no time. There was no time to smile.

The only thing he felt down there was hunger.

Hunger for his life to change. Hunger to end the cycle of foolishness.

That and the screams of his constantly tearing and repairing muscles.

The sweat dropping like bullets and his strength ebbing and flowing like a rushing river.

He would collapse until he couldn’t move.

And then he would rise again. As many times as it’d take.