"Kenjaku!"
Kashimo's voice jumped an octave. His blue eyes went wide, and even the violet markings on his temples seed to twitch with irritation.
"Where the hell is my gear?"
Kashimo was beyond angry. Back in his day, he had spent years scouring the country for those cursed tools. Each piece was a masterpiece, hand-picked and seasoned through countless battles. Before he had transitioned into a cursed object, he had given Kenjaku a thousand warnings to keep them safe. Now, four hundred years later, he wakes up and finds the cupboard bare.
"Don't be like that!" Kenjaku said, waving her hands dismissively. She began tapping her index fingers together again, looking for all the world like a guilty girlfriend caught in a lie. "The Staff is in the Jujutsu High warehouse. That one is still there. It's safe!"
She added that last bit quickly, hoping the good news would stabilize his mounting temper. Kashimo's expression softened slightly. He arched an eyebrow, waiting for her to list the next item.
"As for the Ring of Lightning..."
Kenjaku's voice suddenly died in her throat. Her gaze dropped to the dirt again, her toe tracing mindless circles in the leaves. She looked like the physical embodint of sha. Kashimo arched his other eyebrow, higher this ti.
"It's with my husband."
Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz. She shot a quick, panicked look at Kashimo before snapping her eyes back to her feet.
Kashimo went still. His face shifted from fury to confusion, then to flat-out disbelief, before finally settling into a state of stunned silence. He opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. He couldn't find the words.
Unbelievable.
He had given that ring to Kenjaku specifically for self-defense. Despite her longevity, she had never been much of a front-line fighter. Kashimo had spent ten years of his life constantly funneling massive electrical charges into that ring so she would have a way to escape if things got ugly.
And she gave it to her husband? As a wedding gift?
Kashimo's mouth twitched. He took a long, deep breath, then another, before finally raising a hand to cover his face.
"You have got to be kidding ," he muttered through his fingers.
Kashimo stood there, his brain struggling to process the sheer irony of the situation. He pointed a finger at Kenjaku, dropped it, raised it again, and finally just let it fall.
"I don't even know what to say to you."
He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache begin to throb behind his eyes. Four hundred years ago, he was the strongest sorcerer in the world. He wakes up in the modern era, and the first thing he learns is that his friend pawned his gear to a husband. It was like leaving your life savings with a partner for safekeeping, only to return and find the money gone and the partner married, using your savings as a dowry. He was so frustrated he felt dizzy.
"I'm going to your house in a few days to take it back."
With that, Kashimo stepped forward, vanishing into the night like a ghost. The wind swirled a few dead leaves where he had stood a second before. Kenjaku let out a long, heavy sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping. She wiped a bit of sweat from her brow, thinking she had finally cleared the hurdle.
"By the way."
Kashimo's voice drifted in from behind her.
Kenjaku froze. She turned around with chanical slowness, her face shifting from relief to a sense of impending doom. Kashimo had doubled back and was standing a few paces away. He looking uncharacteristically awkward.
"What now?" Kenjaku asked, her voice guarded.
Kashimo gaze drifting toward the trees. He seed to be performing so massive internal struggle. After several seconds of silence, he finally spoke. His voice was much quieter than before.
"So... do you have any cash?"
The forest went silent. The wind died down, the thunder stopped, and even the insects seed to hold their breath. The world stood still as the color drained from Kenjaku's face, replaced by a dark, simring heat.
"Kashimo!"
Kenjaku's voice hit a shrill peak. The seam on her forehead twisted as she scowled. She leveled a trembling finger at his face.
"You used my money four hundred years ago, and now you're doing it again? On day one?"
Her scream echoed through the mountain, shaking the leaves from the branches.
"You're nothing but a freeloader!"
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A/n: 200 power stones = 1 bonus chapter. Thanks in advance to everyone for the support.
For early access to 15 chapters ahead: p@tre~~/Demonic_Fiction (Link is in the synopsis and my profile).
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