Chapter 325 - Compromises Made

"It's only been a week since that pipsqueek got here, and he's already this adept? Give me a break." 

Tristan muttered as he puffed the smoke left within his maw from the cigar he held, watching as the newly recruited Outlander sparred with Fai. 

It was a secluded dome arena within the vast foundation, formed of beige steel as lively, verdant grass lined the edges of the arena for the spectators to watch; all thanks to the nurturing, always active spells that supplied the sunless nature. 

"Kazuya, right? I guess the rumors are true about the powerhouse rookie! Maybe I'll bring him along with me on a quest." 

Sitting beside Tristan on the bench, an eccentric man wearing circular-rimmed glasses clapped his hands, cheering on the new Outlander. 

Amidst their own words, the two sparring in the dome continued at it--though it was clear the more experienced, elegant martial artist in Fai was toying around with Kazuya, parrying his strikes playfully with one hand as they danced around the sleek, empty arena. 

Annoyed by the polar opposite presence of this man, Tristan sighed as he squinted his eyes, "Why the hell are you even here, Nikko?" 

"I already told you--"

"I'm not helping you on your mission. Get lost." 

Tristan brutally interrupted the brown-haired man before he could finish his sentence, taking another puff of his cigar as he looked less than interested in a conversation altogether. 

"Aww, you're so mean, Tristan! Don't be like that! We go way back, you know!" 

Nikko's pleas were deaf on the pale-haired man's ears as he puffed out a cloud of smoke directly into his face. 

"If you want an Outlander, ask Sirius or Sora. They're itching to do something. Those two have been antsy ever since returning from their mission in Lemasdale. You were there with them, right?"

"Only in the end...I didn't really do anything. By the time I got there, it was all gone. I knew beforehand my mission was essentially glorified "cleanup", but it didn't sink in to me until I realized that the entire town had been wiped out."

Nikko adjusted his yellow-tinted glasses as he looked down, fiddling with his black coat a bit as he buttoned it back up. 

"You were there though. If it wasn't for you, I don't know if Sora would still be up and walking around in the world of the living."

Not even watching the spar at this point, Tristan looked up at the glistening ceiling as he blew out a cloud of smoke that rose to the summit of the training dome. 

"What're you getting at?"

"I'm saying that they owe you one."

Tristan replied as he looked to Nikko with his amethyst, tired eyes, tapping the cigar as the remnants of its flash vanished. 

Sitting there for a moment to process what was said, a beaming smile came over Nikko's expression, "Oh, I get it now! You really are a nice guy, Tristan! I can always rely on you!" 

Attempting to embrace the already annoyed Outlander, Nikko's thankful affection was rejected as Tristan held the shorter, lively man back with his hand. 

"If that's all you came here for, then go on. I've got a headache now." 

As Tristan's words propelled Nikko off the bench, the golden-glasses wearing man stopped before turning back to the white-haired Outlander. 

"Oh—where are they? Sirius and Sora, I mean."

"Hell if I know. Knowing that red-haired brute, he's probably filling his face with grub. As for Sirius…I haven't the damndest clue."

"Cafeteria, it is!"

Nikko waved to Tristan as he left the training arena with this information.

Exhaling the residual smoke in his mouth, Tristan sighed, "How annoying."

Evading stray strikes from the shorter, younger man without any struggle, Fai smiled, moving his body swiftly as the incoming fists never reached their target.

"Invincible Kazu? How'd you earn a badass nickname like that with moves like these?"

Fai taunted the graphite-haired delinquent with a smile as he danced around his strikes.

Ignoring the words from the hazel-haired man, Kazuya continued to unleash a non-stop combo, thrusting his bandage-wrapped fists forward and following up with a few stray kicks. 

Not bad. He's relentless, and his stamina is exceptional. It seems he's able to keep a cool head despite the situation, Fai thought. 

Even while sparring, Kazuya kept his gang's uniformed jacket  hanging from his shoulders as he relentlessly attacked without a semblance of emotion sparking in his eyes. 

Blocking an incoming high-kick from the delinquent, Fai couldn't help but widen his smile as the impact sent an echo through his bones; though it wasn't painful, it was no doubt felt in the marrow of his bones. 

To top it off, this kid's reinforcement is something else! He's way above any amatuer mage already! Fai thought, even still…!

"You're leaving yourself wide open!"

Delivering these words alongside a sharp fist to the young delinquent's gut, Fai didn't hold out as the impact smacked through the surrounding winds. 

Even with such a visceral strike received, Kazuya didn't budge--a surprise to Fai as in his moment of shock, a haymaker from the delinquent caught his chin. Not exactly fazed by the blow itself, Fai grinned at the realization of what happened. 

This guy...did anybody even teach him that? The moment before my hit landed, he centered his reinforcement on his gut! Fai smiled. 

Dropping his guard down, Kazuya spit onto the ground as he slid his hands into the pockets of his baggy, black pants. 

"Are we done here?"

Kazuya asked as his lengthy locks curtained barely above his shoulders. Rubbing his chin with a smile, Fai nodded his head a few times. 

"The challenge was to land one clean hit on me--and you did it. Good job, "Invincible Kazu". Here, get yourself something nice from the bazaar down below." 

Fai congratulated the young man, retrieving a shiny coin from his pocket and flipping it over to Kazuya, who caught it without his gaze leaving the figure of Fai. 

"What is this? An allowance?"

"You haven't been able to go on any quests yet, so you're strapped for cash. So yeah, an allowance." 

As Fai said this, something about their conversation caught Tristan's attention as he stood up from the bench he lazed on. 

"Strapped for cash, eh? I think I might have a solution to that." 

Tristan strolled leisurely to the center of the training arena, approaching Kazuya as he discarded his ashy cigar to the floor. 

"Nikko is looking for some extra helping hands on whatever quest he's setting off on. He's a bit of a handful, but the Sky Dragon Conglomerate are a reliable group; if nothing else, they'll take you along to teach you the ropes." 

"Nikkel? Sky Dragon Can-o-might?" 

Kazuya repeated the unknown names while squinting his eyes, slurring their original forms completely as both Fai and Tristan were left exasperated. 

"You really don't pay any attention, do you? Fai, take him to their quarters. You should probably head over there anyways...Noah is probably drunk off his ass." 

"Not a bad idea, really. Actually, it's great! There's no better training than the real thing!"

Fai accepted the proposal with a smile while Kazuya was still left mostly in the dark. 

"Hmm? You want the kid to come along?" 

Taking a sip from his glass containing amber liquid, Nikko asked as he sat on a leather sofa beside a much larger than himself man--the Outlander Noah. It was the lounge room home to the leader of the guild himself, a luxurious, but mature room with furnished, umber walls, a fine, fluffy rug of an orange tine, and a supply of high-class alcohol. 

Sitting across from them, Fai shared a drink as he nodded his head, while Kazuya remained silently until hearing "kid". 

"I'm not a kid." 

"No? Whatever. What matters is if you're ready for this sort of thing. This isn't some sort of predetermined training exercise; this is the real thing. One false move, and you could find yourself in a grave." 

Nikko responded as he leaned back against the umber sofa, revealing his orderly blaze that sat beneath his coat; at least a dozen, sheathed knives lined the inside of his black coat. 

"I know that already." 

"The fact that you think you know that is the problem, kid." 

"Huh?"

Kazuya raised an eyebrow as the words pouring from the man's lips across from him slid right beneath his skin; veins pressed against his hands--but a touch from Fai stopped his delinquent instincts. Seeing the tinge of rage come over Kazuya for a moment, Nikko chuckled as he adjusted his round-rimmed glasses. 

"You haven't tasted the dread of this world yet. I've seen it a few times myself: rosy-cheeked otherworlders who've had all of their abilities handed to them on a silver platter, taking nothing seriously--only to end up torn to shreds by the harsh reality of Gaia."

"I'm not like that."

"Sure, maybe not. Frankly, I don't care if you walk yourself right into the mouth of a blubbering giant, but you'll get my comrades killed with that naivety."

Nikko's words dug into the tough skin of the delinquent, though it was hard to notice any rise in anger on Kazuya's stoic expression. 

"If I get myself killed, whatever. But I won't be a problem for your group."

Kazuya kept his unmoving eyes on the glasses-wearing leader of the Sky Dragon Conglomerate, watching as Nikko took another swig of his glass before promptly responding. 

"No, you will be." 

"How do you know that? I'll stay out of your way."

As Kazuya began to talk more fervently and with passion, Fai watched him from the side with a half smirk. During the entirety of this discussion, the blonde-haired giant of a man, Noah, continued to pour an entire bottle of the harsh, potent alcohol down his throat. 

Watching Noah's uncanny ability to put down the fiery liquid, Nikko chuckled before turning his attention back to the young man. 

"I know that because my comrades aren't heartless like me. I'll watch you stumble into your own grave, but they won't. And it's that situation that'll lead to me losing a comrade. It's my job as their leader to make sure that doesn't happen." 

Hearing these serious words coming off the usually jovial man's tongue, Kazuya was left with little options. 

"I-"

—The moment he opened his mouth, he was interrupted by the shirtless, tattooed covered man with golden, flowing locks that had been helping himself to a large portion of booze.

"I'll tag along. Little Kazu will be under my wing."

Noah stated as he wiped the residual amber liquid from his chin.

Left silent from this unexpected proposal, Nikko looked at the large man for a moment with wide eyes before smiling wide.

Even Fai couldn't help but smile at the unexpected development. 

"I can't remember the last time I got to fight alongside you, Noah! With you on our team, it'll be smooth sailing!"

"On one condition."

Noah halted Nikko before he got too excited, raising a single finger in front of the man's face.