Renya woke up, the waterfall rushing around her. She saw Ichi in eagle form cock his head at her as she stumbled out from under the flowing water. Renya dropped the wolf sword on the bank of river. She sat hard, expelling air like a bellows from a forge. Her hands went to her soaked cat ears poking out of her head, and then to both her tails. Her cat ears and tail twitched as she tried to get water out of the wet fur.

"Last night, was fun. Thanks."

Renya miserable tone shocked Ichi. He thought he detected a sense of sarcasm in Renya's voice, but thinking it over his smell told him the truth. Renya did have fun last night. Even if she was wet and he was an eagle, he could figure out that much.

"Ichi. Would you not stare like that? I'm..."

Ichi turned himself around. Her clothes were soaked. She ran her hands across her clothing, peeling it off.

"I'm sorry. I lost control last night. That was in bad taste."

Renya flung her white one piece onto a tree branch. It landed perfectly at the halfway fold, barely shaking the branch.

Ichi couldn't believe his ears.

"Why am I still alive?" Renya said, staring at her hands.

Ichi changed to human form on the rock where he perched. He still faced away from her.

"No one killed you." Ichi told her.

"Shouldn't you have? What's more, how are you still alive? Did Scipio..."

Renya's voice trailed off. Ichi didn't like Renya's voice. She sounded weak. The Renya Ichi knew was anything but weak.

"Satou haggled with him. He lost, then left. As for me killing you, I'll admit, I thought about it."

"Then, why? I'm... so disappointed."

Renya's tone returned to normal as she said the last half of her words. Ichi smiled. Renya couldn't see his face.

"Last night on that rooftop, I invited you to attack my back. Isn't my back open right now?"

"That was supposed to be against the Elder Kraken, and I vaguely remember sandwiching you against Scipio..."

"You've got a sword, right?" Ichi felt his smile getting wider. He didn't have a clue why.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Renya looked down at the wolf sword.

"This sword. It's not something you- I - would use for something underhanded. It's an imitation of a heroes sword. The idea of using a heroes sword to attack someone's back- that goes against my sense of beauty."

Ichi shook the orc sword in his hand.

"Want to borrow this? I'll take that one then."

"No no, this sword doesn't suit you at all. On the other hand, that beat up lump of metal suits you perfectly."

Ichi looked over the orc sword. A flash of red pulsed over it as he did. What did Rikya say? 'Magic Resonance'?

"Renya, could you explain magic resonance to me?"

"Why, all of a sudden..."

"If you don't want to fight, there's talking, right?"

Renya sighed. She was entirely naked behind Ichi, but she made no effort to cover her wet body.

"Did it happen last night?"

"Yeah. I did it twice. I think. Everyone got really scared the second time."

Renya's cat ears twitched at that.

"Twice? With what weapons?"

"This awesome beast here, and then that slimy vampire-squid guy's thingie."

"And, everyone was shocked the second time?" Renya went pensive as a finger cover her lower lip.

"Yeah. It turned some marble color. They all acted like it was a big deal and said a lot of strange stuff. Did you know that there are magical beings on the moon?"

Renya's mind poured over the information she had avaliable. Scipio's blade, that golden flashing thing, she remembered passing through it's defense, and when she did- she felt it. She broke some invisible barrier. Even though her attack was frenzied from the effect of her 'installing' the bakeneko into her body, she remembered that. The memory replayed in her mind over as she analyzed it over and over again.

That sword, that sword, that sword, where had she read something like that? Her eyes moved down to the wolf sword lying on the bank.

"Ichi. Have you ever heard about Druids?"

"I think Satou said something about that."

"Magic Resonance, with a blade that was approaching the 'territory' of the druids?" Renya muttered to herself. She couldn't comprehend it.

Ichi grinned hearing Renya's lost voice. For someone who seemed like such an impossible genius to be brought low by something he did just by picking up a sword made him feel powerful.

"Ichi, you've probably- no, you've definitely violated the laws of magic. You're going to be hunted down by the Druids. It's only a matter of time at this point."

Ichi turned his head at her words, then when he noticed she was naked, he turned back, then he reconsidered and turned back to face her again. Renya's eyes were serious.

"Where are you looking?"

"At you."

Renya looked away. Ichi was surprised to see her blush.

"That's quite a maidenly face you have on, Renya. What was the bet we had last night? You wear a maid outfit and cat ears if I win and serve me for the rest of my life?"

Renya turned to face him. Her face screwed up in anger at first, then she relaxed and smiled. She crouched down on one knee, grabbing the wolf sword she laid it beside her and placed her right hand over her heart. Her smile practically reached her ears as she closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"It would be my honor. My lord."