Chapter 98 - Grumpy Sloth Demon

While appreciating the fiery beauty of the huge flame vulture gliding around the rooftop, "Our ride's here.", a familiar voice suddenly rings out behind Sayuri.

"M-mister." Initially surprised by the appearing act, she gets over it and greets the middle-aged man that broke her out of jail, politely.

"Sayuri-san." The middle-aged man nods before proceeding to walk to the edge of the rooftop, where the flame vulture is now hovering before.

"Coming?" A 30 something year old man, who she did not realize was manning the flame vulture, beckons to her.

<>

Sayuri for the moment, forgets her worries as she looks at the aerial view of the city she grew up in, below her.

She never had the chance to leave Sagamihara for more than a few days due to her tasks in the clan, but now that she is free, she cannot wait to explore.

"Sayuri-san." Fumio takes her attention.

"Yes?"

"You seem to look fine for someone who was just banished."

"Despite its cons, it has some pros." Sayuri smiles bitterly, just thinking about how to start her new life.

"I don't know if I should thank you, or not." She adds.

"A thank you would be appreciated. After all, I saved you from the punishment they were about to award to you." Fumio shakes his head. His sister is still as prideful.

"Oh?" Sayuri gets curious.

"What were they planning?"

"They were about to cripple your powers." Fumio reveals.

Sayuri is beyond stunned.

It takes her fifteen seconds flat to recover before saying "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Fumio wants to claim the credit as his real self very, very badly, to Sayuri, but just thinking about the complications it might cause, he stops himself.

Even though he has rekindled his relationship with his sister, he does not trust her entirely yet.

"S-so… How much does Fumio owe you?" Sayuri asks, fearing that Fumio seeking the services of two superiori who she suspects are more powerful than the clan head and elders of her former clan, could lead to his bankruptcy.

"Are you going to help him with the fees?" Fumio asks just for kicks.

"Er… Can I do it in installments?" Sayuri can only ask for leniency, knowing her situation.

"You don't have to worry. He doesn't owe me anything." Fumio's heart warms at Sayuri's intention. Sayuri does a double take.

"B-but you said-"

"You looked stubborn, so I had to lie to make you talk." Fumio cuts her off.

"I-I see… Heh." Sayuri is amused at being tricked.

"By the way." She realizes something that does not make sense.

"My brother is a non-superioris. How can he even ask for help from someone your… level?" She asks.

Fumio chuckles helplessly.

"Let's just say that I owed him. And now, we're even." He can only lie.

His casual lie however increases the gratitude in Sayuri's mind.

Suddenly, "Buddy. Drop me off here." Fumio says to Xoz'gekal and soon the flame vulture starts descending.

"Wait. Where do I go next? Where's my brother?" Sayuri asks in panic.

"My buddy here will take care of you." Fumio says and after gauging the altitude, he jumps down.

Sayuri frantically looks below the bird, but Fumio has already activated his invisibility seal.

A few minutes later, Fumio rents himself a random combat room.

Unlike the empty boring combat room he used for sparring, the combat room he is currently in is scattered with wooden statues, sculpted by someone with their superioris ability.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

With a scream that sounds like a beast's, he wails at the wooden statues around him.

His strikes however lack the technique he usually puts in fights, and is solely based on instincts.

His heart is billowing with mixed emotions.

The anger towards his former clan, the killing intent he held towards Fumio that he suppressed, the relief after pulling one over them and rescuing his sister, and the freedom he felt from being able to act rudely in front of the people he would not dare offend as a child.

And most especially, the twisted joy he felt from making the people he once feared, helpless with his own power.

He knows Red's invisibility seals were a huge part of the success of his operation, but is still proud that he has the strength and some brains to make full use of it.

"Is everything alright?!" A combat gym employee suddenly barges in on Fumio after hearing the louder than usual commotion.

"Oh… wow." She then sees the broken wooden statues and cracked floors.

This is her first time seeing such destruction caused by a customer in her one month of experience in the job.

"Haaa… Everything's perfect, miss. Haaaa…" Fumio assures the employee between light huffs.

The employee meanwhile, is weirded out by the contrast of Fumio's joyful smile and the destruction in the room.

"I would like to order fifty more statues please." He then requests.

"O-okay!" The employee flees the room in fear.

"Phew…" He still has not vented all his anger.

His anger towards himself.

'If I were you, I wouldn't have spared him.' Red's words one winter morning seven months ago, after he took his first revenge on Hideki, becomes clear in his mind once again.

"I wanted to, master. But I'm not like you."

<>

Ome City, in a random hotel.

12 nn.

*splash*

"Haa…." Sayuri has had enough of a soak and she gets out of the hot tub.

For the past hour, she has immersed her body in the warm bath, and her mind in her own thoughts, still planning what to do, where to look for a job, and most importantly, what to say to Fumio.

After taking a cold shower, she walks out of her hotel room bathroom, feeling fresh for the first time in days.

"Sayuri-san…" The feeling of freshness does not last long however and is replaced by embarrassment as she sees Xoz'gekal waiting for her by her hotel window.

Even though it is Xoz'gekal who checked her in the hotel, the presence of the man is especially uncomfortable for her because she is wearing nothing under her bathrobe.

To her relief, Xoz'gekal is not acknowledging her embarrassment and instead "I just got those for you.", he points at the bed where she is now realizing, is full of shopping bags.

"T-that was fast…" She is surprised.

"An hour is long, and I was bored." Xoz'gekal almost rolls his eyes at the how long Sayuri spent in the bathroom.

Despite her initial hesitance in accepting Xoz'gekal's offer of buying her clothes, she can only swallow her pride and receive them as even her clothes were taken away from her by the Hasegawa.

"Y-you picked them out yourself?" And having a powerful superioris she perceives to be leagues above her level, going to a store personally to buy her clothes is a new experience to her.

"Yes. Something the matter?" Xoz'gekal asks.

"Nothing… I'm just sorry you had to buy underwear for me." She apologizes.

"I'm used to it…" Xoz'gekal smirks.

"Just not in this type of situation." He adds.

Sayuri tries not to make a face at what Xoz'gekal meant.

"I appreciate the clothes, the room, the looking out for me, sir… But may I change now?" Sayuri asks carefully.

"Ah. Alright. I'm leaving anyways. I also bought you a new phone, it's in the pile. You can call your brother."

<>

"Hello. You look great. It seems that my worries were needless." Fumio smiles in greeting as he joins Kotone at her table in the hotel restaurant. After venting at the combat gym earlier, his emotions are a lot more stable now.

"And you look comfortable." He adds, seeing Kotone wearing a hoodie, sweatpants, and sneakers; an outfit he never seen, or even expected her to wear.

He also silently thanks Xoz'gekal for buying Sayuri new clothes and shoes in such a short amount of time.

"According to the man who has that huge flaming bird... It's all thanks to you." Sayuri has no one else to thank.

"I guess they're really returning the favor all at once, huh." Fumio waves his hand in front of his face, feeling burdened from the gratitude from Sayuri's eyes.

"I'm sorry. You used the favor of a powerful superioris for me." Sayuri apologizes.

"No. It's partly my fault… Let's just say that my bad luck infected you. You never would have been in your situation if it weren't' for me." Fumio struggles to say through his guilty conscience.

"You know it's not your fau-"

"Why don't we take things slow? We have plenty of time to talk." Fumio interrupts her as he calls for a waiter.

<>

Hinohara.

Kotone enters a newly built house at the eastern edge of the garden, located alongside the bamboo walls. Aside from the previous owner's old house, this house is the only other house inside the bamboo walls.

Beside the house is also what looks like a warehouse and is also newly built.

"Nishiki-san, Goichi-san. Oops… Sorry." Kotone greets two men having lunch at the dining area.

The two men are soldier-rank demons, and two of Red's twelve demon servants, who are living in the house. The two demons, after their rescue, have become the farm hands in Red's gardens.

"Good afternoon, Kotone-san." Goichi greets.

"Lunch?" Nishiki offers.

The two are having their late lunch after a busy morning.

"I've just had mine. Thank you." Kotone politely refuses.

"Is this about the milkshakes?" Nishiki asks.

The two demons, taught by Red how to make his special milkshakes, are also now in charge of making the essential drink.

"Yes. I think we only have enough for the next two days." Kotone says.

"It's alright. The batch we're making will be done by today." Goichi says, pointing to the direction of the warehouse next door.

"BUT... Your personal stash is all ready for your enjoyment. It's in the warehouse too." Nishiki adds.

"Thank you." Kotone nods.

As she is about to leave, "Kotone-san." Goichi calls out to her.

"Yes, Goichi-san?" Kotone asks.

"I know that us demons do not exactly have a good reputation amongst humans after, you know… that time… But I hope I am not causing you too much discomfort? After all, only Nishiki and I are living inside the walls with you." Goichi asks.

"No. No. Of course not." Kotone profusely denies.

"That's good to hear… At least I can sleep more peacefully now." Goichi says in relief.

Kotone actually likes Goichi and Nishiki. The two after all, are demons of sloth. The type of demons that, from what she has gathered from the other demons in the hill, are the most peaceful types due to their nature. That reason is enough for her to feel safe around the two demons, and she can even take a nap in their presence.

After spending 20 days with the two, she has grown a bit fond of them.

She admires how the two find the most efficient ways to do their jobs and the speed they perform. She is disappointed however to see that the time the two demons save from being fast and efficient are used by them to sleep excessively, to stream TV shows, or simply lie on the grass while listlessly looking at the sky.

The only problem she finds in spending too much time with the two, is that she too, sometimes gets affected by their laziness and perpetual drowsiness. 

"UGH… DAMN IT…"

Kotone is startled by the groan coming from behind her.

She turns around to find Tezguniuth in the living room area below a window, getting up from a lying position.

"T-Tez-san. I didn't know you were here." She cannot believe she overlooked the plump man.

"Oh… It's you, Kotone." Tezguniuth yawns.

"I thought I could sleep here because it's quiet. And here you are." He grumbles.

"S-Sorry for the disturbance." Kotone apologizes immediately. This is the first time she is seeing Tezguniuth in a grumpy mood. She also heard from the demons that Tezguniuth is the 'least restricted' out of all of them by Red. While she does not know what that meant, she still is very wary of the extent of Tezguniuth's actions in the hill.

"Damn. I thought I could finally sneak in some nap time … Now I'm awake again." Tezguniuth continues to grumble.

Kotone knows of Tezguniuth's nature, so she also feels guilty.

"Do you know that unlike those two who can sleep whenever they want, boss set a limit to mine?" Tezguniuth asks as he points at Goichi and Nishiki.

"I didn't know that. I'll be careful next time." Kotone can only appease the demon.

"Right… Whatever. I heard you've increased your training and your intake of that wonder milkshake?" Tezguniuth asks.

"Yes." Kotone is relieved to see that he is no longer agitated.

"Then let's spar. Let's spar until I'm dead tired enough to fall asleep." Tezguniuth stands up and walks out the house in a lazy, but imposing manner.

"O-okay…" Kotone nervously swallows.

She has always been curious and itchy to spar with all the demons in the hill, but she did not expect that Tezguniuth will be the first one. 

She also fears what she has awoken from the usually mild mannered demon.