Three days after that fight under the guild. Lord Adrian addressed to the other adventurers present at that time that there was an extreme training between Kal - the mighty knight of Dasman Guild and Finn - the great adventurer mage, making it the reason why there’s a loud explosions and quaking underneath the guild. They also questioned who are the three girls that were sighted running towards the arena that time, seemingly carrying something that drops liters of blood. Escobar told them they were Kal’s die-hard fans, and that the girls were nose bleeding because they could see the mighty Kal in action, and were excited… a puny alibi, but effectively making the others consider that the events three days ago is nothing but a normal day in the adventurers’ guild of Dasman…
The things from the Institution were locked safe by Lord Adrian’s special mages. He asked Akino on how to create such things, but she obviously refuses the request due to ‘security’ reasons; and just to be sure they wouldn’t be able to recreate the firearms through some sort of reverse engineering, she tweaked it in secret making it totally unusable… as for the nuclear power core, Akino created a 0.5 by 0.5 by 0.5 cube of lead and placed it inside, completely sealed. She told Adrian to burry it down, where no one can see it ever again.
Outside the walls of Dasman, the three girls are taking their day-off near a huge tree not that far away on the road leading to the entrance of the city. Alexa was laying on the grass, straight up looking at the sky. Lyka is sitting under the tree, reading some spell books she managed to borrow from Sarah. Akino was beside her, sitting with her legs crossed in front of her. Lyka thought Akino was resting since her eyes were closed. She remembered the past three days after the incident was a very stressful time for them, especially for Akino.
Because of the fight against the rogue machine, the underground arena of the guild was severely damaged, plus the charred body of the machine when Lyka casted her ‘Abyssal’ magic on it got stuck there. They dragged it out of the place. They helped on fixing and cleaning the place. Akino checked every corner of the underground arena for any weakened portions that may collapse and make the guild tavern above ground sink down. They also explained the full extent of their powers and signed ‘magic’ contracts of making it a secrecy only on the witnesses during that incident. Of course, the magic contract didn’t work on Akino and Alexa, so they just signed using their fingerprints soaked in their own blood. The rest was Akino and Lyka helping one another in understanding the diary notes they got from the slave trade, the only explanation why they have the stuff from the Institution.
The diary just explains how the stuff works, how it is made, and how it will be useful. It seems that the one who wrote the diary was purposively studying the instruments from the Institution and is planning to make good use of it. Still, they weren’t able to find any info on where the hell these things came from, or any hints on where the facilities are located…
Lyka closes the books she’s reading and gets near to Akino. She looked on her calm face. She tried to touch her lips a little bit, but Akino suddenly wakes up. Lyka immediately pulls away her fingers. Akino yawns and pretends to not notice it… but little did Lyka know, Akino was totally aware of her surroundings.
Akino: Is something wrong with my lips?
Lyka: EH?!
Akino noticed Lyka blushing, so she stops prying her.
Akino: N – nevermind…
Lyka: Y – you were awake all this time?
Akino: Not really… it’s a bit hard to explain it…
Akino grabs Lyka’s hand.
Akino: I’ll just show it to you.
Lyka: In the virtual… what is it again?
Akino: Virtual space.
Lyka: Oh, yeah, right… virtual space.
Both closed their eyes. They soon found themselves again in the virtual white space of unending vastness. Near them is a small pedestal with control buttons. Akino touches it and the place switches into the view of the Elyn, from space.
Lyka was terrified, she immediately clings to Akino after seeing the majestic scenery of her home planet.
Lyka: Wh – where are we?! Is this the ‘space’ thing Alexa’s talking about?!
Akino: Yeah. But we’re still in the virtual space… so, can you let go now?
Lyka stops on clinging Akino. She gazes at the sight of the blue planet. Mesmerized, she takes a step forward, looking upon the swirling white clouds and deep blue oceans, the continents of brown and green, the ranges of high mountains with white snow, and the sphere-ness of the planet that they call ‘home’.
Lyka: I never knew our world is this round… I ask my mother what’s at the end of the world when I was young, and she said I’ll find the gateway to the abyss and heavens…
Akino: A gateway, huh? Well, we had that same concept when we still don’t know the world is a huge ball of rock. But instead of a gateway, you’ll actually find the end, and you’ll fall down to the abyss if you continue further… but that’s like, tons of millennia ago when we were still walking in our planet.
Lyka: Was your world like this?
Akino: Yeah… but a little less of green, more like greyish because of the city structures we had that you saw on our memories.
Lyka: It spans that wide? As wide as a forest?
Akino: Yeah, and others call the cities as ‘forest of metal and concrete’. We deforest to create ‘forests’. Ironic, isn’t?
They gaze back to the virtual image of the Elyn.
Lyka: By the way, what are you going to show me?
Akino: Oh, right… remember that I installed drone satellites?
Lyka: Yes.
Akino: Well, what we’re seeing here is the same exact thing those drones see.
Lyka: That’s impressive… like eagle eyes that soars the – space?
Akino: I guess you can put it that way. So, while you’re reading books and Alexa is lying on the ground, I’m in here looking your world for something.
Lyka: Something?
Akino pressed another button. Their view on the planet suddenly zooms in, like they move really fast. This made Lyka cling back to Akino, but Akino didn’t mind it. It zoomed for about 10 seconds, and then it stops. All they see now is a city area, surrounded by walls of irregular octahedron shape, and has a hill inside it. It is the top view of the city of Dasman. Akino swipes her arm, and the were moved southwest, back to the forest before.
Akino: The drone satellites have recorded everything it saw when I first launched it, so basically, I have a record of things happening on this planet for almost two weeks. Nearly five days ago, when we found Olguk’s team in that cave, and our discovery of the facility B-18.
The image of the forest is now covered in grid lines, patches of different colors, curve lines, and many more. Akino explains each one of them to Lyka: ambient temperature, atmospheric temperature, material composition, wind direction and speed, and many more things the indicators show on the image they’re looking at.
Lyka, is confused with everything that Akino said.
Lyka: WHAT.
Akino: Just… uhmm, just forget it. The thing is when the facilityB18 vanishes out –
Akino points at the holographic image.
Akino: Nothing happened… like, no changes, no ups and downs, nothing! Even when we fought that machine 3 days ago…
Akino swaps back to the city of Dasman. A blue patch appears, then it turns into red that intensifies the portion where the guild is located.
Lyka: What’s going on?
Akino: I think the blue patch was you. You casted that… what was it?
Lyka: Abyss magic?
Akino: Yeah, and red one is me… when I boil to nothing the MC-00 we fought.
Lyka: The blue thing is my mana concentration?!
Akino: I guess… it’s labeled as ‘unknown’ energy, so it must be it. And its highly concentrated, amazing.
Lyka reopens her eyes back to the grasslands outside of Dasman. They were still under that tree, and she sees Akino yawns as she stretches her arms. Akino drops herself on Lyka’s shoulders, making Lyka froze and turning her face red.
Akino: Its very tiring… even we’re not supposed to get tired, somehow my mind thinks it is… even with advanced eyes on the sky, we can’t track down a single facility…
Lyka pulls in Akino, making lean on to her chest. She strokes her hair and smiles as she looks up to the sky.
Lyka: I’m sure we’ll find it. Remember? We joined the guild to gather info, right?
Akino: Yeah…
Lyka: Say, Aki…
Akino: Yeah?
Lyka: What will happen after we found these facilities?
Akino: I don’t know… I haven’t thought that far yet…
Lyka: Will you be going back to your world after this?
Akino: I don’t know… well, it’s much better in here than ours… I mean, we don’t even know if people still exist in that world, it’s been a million years since… I don’t know… I guess, it would be better if we just stay here. There’s nothing else on our world, anyways…
Lyka: I see…
A moment of silence passed.
Akino: We could go back to your place, start fresh, live in peace… if that’s fine with you.
Lyka: I’ll be more than glad just to be with you, that’s all.
Akino: Heh… we’ve been only together for nearly two weeks… when we very first met, you tried to shoot out some magic ball from your arm…
Lyka: That’s – still fresh in my mind, hehe…
Akino: Very bizarre, right?
Lyka: Yeah… but fortunate, I guess…
Akino: It is… it is fortunate…
Akino backs up. The two stared at each other intensely. Their faces blush a bit. Locked on to each other’s eyes, they made their distance closer. And closer. Closing their eyes and are about to kiss each other’s lips. And then, a contact. Their lips kissed, and they stayed in that position. Their tongues rolled, and they are making moans under that tree, with only the wind to listen.
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Then they heard rustling leaves. They opened their eyes and saw Alexa standing near them, with a very distasteful expression.
Alexa: Really? Right in the middle of the day? Get a room, goddamnit!
The two stopped what they were doing. Alexa could still see the drool the two made from their kissing, making her face filled with disgust.
Alexa: EW! WHAT THE FUCK?!
Akino: YOW! Language!
Alexa: It is not full moon yet, right?! What the hell were you two doing? We’re just nearby a road, couldn’t you see that?!
Lyka: Alexa, calm down.
Alexa: I AM CALM!
Akino: Could you not?! We’re having a moment here! You’re a party crasher, damnit!
The two distances themselves, then Alexa sits in between them.
Alexa: So… what now?
Akino: What now? You were just lying there and went here for nothing!
Alexa: Come on! I’ll let both of you have the bedroom for tonight, so be patient.
Lyka: ALEXA?!
Akino: Stop or I’ll pinch ya!
Alexa: Okay, okay! I’ll stop teasing.
The three went silent. Lyka began picking the books she has read and Akino stands to stretch.
Alexa: Wait, wait, wait… we’re leaving already?
Akino: We’ve been here for like 3 hours. What else are we going to do?
Lyka: Ummm… I’m going to return these books to the guild, you can come with me if you want to.
Alexa: Speaking of the guild, why we’re not taking any commissions? Like daily quests or something?
Akino: We just got promoted to gold after that latest fight… and the gold rankers are deployed on certain missions, weeklies if you compare it to a game… so, we’re not obligated to do the commissions.
Lyka: Plus, the commissions are for the lower ranking adventurers. It would be greedy if we take the commission that were meant to be for them.
Alexa: Alright, alright… wait, you’re taking turns in nagging me!
Akino & Lyka: We’re not nagging!
Alexa: No shit.
Akino & Lyka: ALEXA!
Alexa: Alright, alright…
They left and entered the city, heading towards the adventurers’ guild. Lyka returned the books she borrowed, Akino waits for her when she noticed that Alexa was missing.
She looked around, and saw that Alexa was chitchatting with Kal’s group. The moment Alexa saw the two, she quickly ran towards them with a cheerful face.
Alexa: Hey! Aki! Ma! Can I come with them? Please, please, please!
Akino: Ummm, where are you going?
Kal: We’re going to the Dasman Inns, the governor wants to talk to us.
Lyka: Why is that?
Diana: We’re not yet sure. Something about a new dungeon exploration, right Finn?
Finn: Yes. The governor wants us to discuss with us the dungeon ruins discovered by some merchants who went here from east.
Alexa: Aaaannd, I’ll coming with them to spy! Sounds awesome, right?
Kal: The kid’s persistent, so, yeah… she’s persistent in coming with us…
Alexa: Please, Aki! Ma, can you convince Aki to come with them? Please, please!
Akino: NO.
Alexa: Come on!
Lyka: If she says no, then my answer is a no as well.
Alexa: Ma!
Akino stares at the two, then she thought of something.
Akino: [If Alexa left with them… then me and Lyka would be all alone… right, she won’t be bothering us for a while.]
She then turns to Alexa, who’s still pleading with Lyka.
Alexa: Ma, come on! Just convince her, I swear I won’t do something stupid!
Lyka: NO.
Alexa: I won’t bother you on your sexy times, okay? Is that a good deal to convince Aki?
Lyka: Wha - ! NO!
Akino: On second thought… yeah, sure. You can go, as long as you keep yourself in invisibility mode, okay?
Alexa: AW YIS!
Lyka: Wait, what?
Akino: Let her be, today’s our day-off. Look, she likes it.
Alexa: I’ll be enjoying it!
Akino: Yo, Kal. Take care of her, or else…
Kal: Take care? Look, she almost beat up Diana last time, and the two of you were able to match up the weird monster we fought days ago… and you’re telling me to take care of her?
Diana: Yeah. She should be the one protecting us this time.
Finn: She will be spying in the shadows, not fighting.
Akino: Oh, right. Then, good luck?
Alexa: OH RIGHT, LET’S GO!
Alexa waves goodbye as she leaves with the three gold rank adventurers.
Lyka: Now what?
Akino: Well, we take our day-off. What do you want to do for today?
Lyka: I don’t know… look for some libraries? I feel like reading…
Akino: Aren’t libraries for the rich only? I mean, in this world, they only allow rich people to read a collection of books, so…
Lyka: I’ll ask Sarah if she knows one where we can enter.
Akino and Lyka went to the cafeteria of the guild, seeing Sarah and Grug taking a meal. Sarah saw the two and waves at them.
Sarah: Lyka! Did you like the books I lent to you?
Lyka: Yes. Thank you.
Akino: Where’s Escobar and Tank?
Grug: Escobar went with Kal to the Dasman Inns, I don’t know about Tank, she’s always quiet.
Akino: Wait, she - ?
Lyka: Sarah, where can I borrow more books?
Sarah: Oh, we have our own library in here, free for all adventurers.
Lyka: Really?!
Akino: Wow.
Sarah guides them to the library of the guild. A huge room, almost as big a whole luxurious apartment suite. The bookshelves with ladders are on the walls almost two-story high, and at the middle part are tables with lamps powered by magic crystals. Lyka’s face was brightened upon seeing tons of books.
No one else is inside except for them.
Sarah: So… I guess I should leave, I’ll be meeting up with Escobar.
Lyka: Thank you.
Sarah: Happy reading!
Sarah left. Only the two of them remained in that room. Lyka immediately went to the books with magic spells, happily taking every book and turning every page. Akino walks around the room, and saw some books, concerning alchemy and magic ‘sciences’. She picks one, turns the pages very fast, closes it, and places it back. She did the same on the other books of that section.
Almost 2 hours already has passed. Lyka finishes up her reading. She yawns and looks for Akino who’s twiddling with the magic crystal lamp on the table. She approaches her, but Akino doesn’t seem to notice. She playfully poked her cheeks, but nothing. Akino didn’t react to that.
Lyka: Are you – alright?
Akino suddenly comes to her senses. She was surprised when she heard Lyka’s voice.
Akino: I – I’m fine.
Lyka: You’re not.
Akino: No, I’m fine.
Lyka: Maybe reading books isn’t what you wanted to do today… I’m sorry if I dragged you out, selfishly…
Akino: Wait, wait! I… no, yeah you’re right I don’t like reading books but hey, I learned some new things… I’m just processing it.
Lyka: Learned, huh? I saw you just skimming the books over there, like you’re not reading at all.
Akino: I read all of them…
Lyka: You’ve read them that fast?!
Akino: Yeah…
Akino took the crystal from the lamp.
Akino: I tried cross referencing the knowledge this world has in ours… it’s a bit contradicting and confusing… hence, you saw me spacing out… I can’t even explain how this crystal emits light in our terms! Like, it is shining due to mana, but how? Is mana made of photons? A form of energy? Does it produce heat? I don’t know…
Akino places back the crystal to the lamp. Lyka looks a bit worried at her.
Akino: How about you?
Lyka: M – me?
Akino: You’ve read some books, right? Maybe I’ll learn much better if I listen to you…
Lyka: Ummm… you know that I have affinity to dark magic, right?
Akino: Yeah?
Lyka: Well, my abilities are also bound to such affinity. But I read that any other elemental affinities like fire, lightning, water, earth, and other can be fused with it! Same as the divine affinity! It is amazing!
Akino: Wow… I guess…
Lyka: The thing is… it requires high level of understanding of magic, and it is considered taboo, so…
Akino: You can’t do it?
Lyka: Kind of… having it as a taboo means it could be very dangerous… but I also read about conjuration, and it could be pretty useful!
Akino: Conjuration? Like how you manifest your greatsword?
Lyka: Yes! But it’s not that special… I mean I could conjure things with right spells, mana is no problem for me but…
Akino: You don’t know what to conjure.
Lyka: Yeah… how do you do it anyway?
Akino: Me?
Lyka: Yes! Last time when you created a knife out of thin air? What was it again?
Akino: Matter manipulation, I can control the nearest molecules around me and reform it into whatever I want. Still, I’m limiting it since we don’t know it’s full extent.
Lyka: And the only limit is your imagination, on how you perceive it will be conjured.
Akino: I guess.
Lyka: Then how…
Akino: How what?
Lyka: On that file… where you two just got erased into nothing, and a portal opened where you came back, unconsciously… like nothing happened…
Akino: You’ve read that part?
Lyka: Yes…
Akino: Yeah… it still confuses me how that happened. Sometimes, I use the matter around to fabricate something, but when I fabricated the satellites I launched, I didn’t use the surrounding matter. I used mine, but my mass didn’t change at all… same as when you turned me into a crispy human.
Both sighed. Lyka picks up the books and placed them back.
Lyka: So, where did you want to go?
Akino: Me?
Lyka: I’m done reading, so, I guess it’s your turn now?
Akino: I don’t know why, but I’m starving…
The two left the library and went out of the guild building. They went to the Lion’s tavern, where they are currently staying. The took a seat and asked an elf server for food. Lyka ordered three stakes, while Akino ordered a grilled fish, both with some refreshments of magically cooled apple drinks.
Lyka: You know that our bodies doesn’t require to eat nor rest, right?
Akino: Then why do we still keep eating and taking naps even we unlimited energy source that comes from god-knows-what dimension it is.
Lyka: Yeah?
Akino: Alexa asked the same thing when we were still on our world, after we woke up. I simply answered: because we still thought of it. Sure, were not human or demi-wolves anymore, our bodies are way beyond than what we knew but still our mind is the same.
Lyka: I see…
They finished eating. They stood up, and Lyka was about to head directly towards their rented room when Akino grabbed her by her hand.
Akino: Woah, woah! Where are you going?
Lyka: Going back?
Akino: So, ummm, you’re not doing anything?
Lyka: The full moon is about to come… I don’t want to cause, you know, like last time…
Akino: Don’t worry about it. We’ve still got 3 hours and 45 minutes before the full moon rises, so… can you come with me for a while?
Lyka: O – okay…
They left the tavern and went out again of the walled city.
Akino: You know, high up, the sunset would be beautiful.
Lyka: Eh?
Akino: Care for a lift?
Lyka: Lift? You mean, up there?
Akino: Don’t worry, I won’t let you go.
Lyka: Wait –
Before Lyka finishes her sentence, Akino lifted her. With some powerful plasma thrusters formed on her calves, Akino flew up, and up. They flew high up beyond the clouds, seeing the orange color of sky reflected from the rays of the setting sun. Akino gazes at the sun about to disappear into the horizon, and so is Lyka, being awestruck by its beauty.
Lyka stares at Akino, still focusing her sights on the setting sun. She closed her eyes and then she pushes off Akino, making Akino drop Lyka. Akino was shocked, she panicked and tried to reach her, but she was more surprised on what she saw. Lyka was not dropping. As if she is standing on air. She looked very closely, and at the bottom of her feet she saw a magic circle. Lyka walked around Akino who’s still hovering with her plasma thrusters, every step she makes creates a magic circle where she steps on and the one she leaves behind were dissipating. Then Lyka went in front of her, making a ‘cute’ pose by bending over.
Lyka: How was it?
Akino: I – I didn’t know that… how?
Lyka: Imagination is the limit, right?
Akino: Heh, show off.
Lyka teased of Akino by showing her tongue.
Lyka: BLEH!
Akino: Oh, you’re gonna regret that!
She runs away and Akino tried to chase her. They played around, chasing each other. That place, or rather a part of the sky, filled with their child-like laughter. They keep on chasing until the sky was about to get dark. They stopped and glanced over at the sun, already covered by the horizon. They go back down the city, carefully entering the window of their rented room, like how rebellious teens were returning home after going somewhere.
They looked at each other, giggled a little, and sighed while turning their faces away. Lyka jumped into her bed and Akino sits on the chair. Lyka intensely looked at Akino as she slowly removes her clothes, but she stops on fully removing it to maintain her sight on Akino.
Akino looks at the window looking for the full red moon, but she couldn’t see it. It’s about 1 hour and 14 minutes before the moon fully rises at the night sky, yet Lyka seems to be acting ‘energetic’ like the last time. Akino gulps and walks straight towards her.
Akino: You alright?
Lyka: Yeah… j - just feeling hot…
They both looked at each other. It is true that Lyka’s body temp is rising, Akino just confirmed it. She sits down beside her and holds her cheeks, while keeping their eye contact unbreakable.
Akino: Where did we stop last time?
Akino gently removes Lyka’s clothes. Lyka did the same to her and noticed under her clothes was a different body. Her chest has a small lump of breast, yet it has no teats. She tried to touch it, but it is hard like steel, yet it feels smooth. Lyka then remove the rest of her clothes and drops it to the floor.
Lyka closes in, their lips hit, and they started kissing. Lyka lies down on the bed as Akino prowls on top of her. They grabbed each other tightly while kissing, moaning, and doing erotic things. Lyka knew that Akino already lost her reproductive organs, but she keeps on caressing her crotch. Akino responded to her in a same manner, knowing it’s the only ‘proper’ way of pleasuring her, despite knowing she doesn’t feel that much sexual tensions anymore. Lyka climaxes, gasping and groaning with delight. But she notices that Akino isn’t feeling that much, so she licks her neck, making her blush.
Akino stops and then started massaging Lyka’s massive breasts, her luscious waist, and her opulent glutes. Groping, more moaning, stroking, licking and kissing. They did it like there’s no tomorrow. The bed sheets were already wet with their sweat and other ‘fluids’. They looked again at each other, both exhausted but with blushed faces of ecstatic happiness.
Akino: The moon isn’t up yet – and you’re this riled up, huh?
Lyka: Says the one who claims that she can’t feel ‘active’ anymore.
Akino: Ho? You know, I can do this all night.
Lyka: Heh, wait till the full moon comes out.
Lyka quickly grabbed Akino’s head for another round of jubilant kissing, when suddenly the door opens. They saw a floating bag that creates clinking sounds of metal, a bag of gold coins. The bag wasn’t floating, it is being held by someone invisible. The invisible figure shows itself, with a shocked face. It was Alexa, who just dropped the bag she was holding with her mouth.
She saw the two on bed, Akino being on top and Lyka below, completely naked. The three stared for seconds.
Alexa: HOLY SHIT... I – I didn’t mean to interrupt! Umm… uhhh… goodbye? YEAH! Goodbye!
Alexa picks up the bag and slowly closes the door while the two were still staring at her.
As Alexa left, Akino removes herself on top of Lyka then she lies beside her. It’s taking time to process. Lyka covers her face expressing embarrassment, and Akino is pissed, not because they were interrupted (but kind of) but because how awkward it is. Being seen by their only daughter doing some ‘action’ (even Alexa already knew about it) was still kind of shameful for both of them.
Lyka: We – we should have slept… oh my gosh…
Akino: Yeah…