Kapitel 91: Outburst

"Final verdict...?" asked Will, causing the conflicted frown on Ohta's face to become more prominent. The outfit Will had picked out for him was a black, gold-trimmed, sports bra-like top that exposed much of his back, shoulders, and the entirety of his midriff. Below that, he wore a matching pair of loose, hakama-style pants that looked like a long skirt over a pair of black, form-fitting leggings extending to his feet but exposing his heel and toes. Completing the outfit, he had been given a pair of black, gold-trimmed vambraces, a black-and-gold-trimmed banded sash, and, most embarrassingly, a rounded golden collar to accent his black choker.

"I look like a Deisceartian callgirl..." muttered Ohta, his cheeks, nose, and ears a few shades darker than usual. If he were being completely honest, he felt the outfit suited his figure and complexion quite a bit, but that only made him feel more embarrassed...

"You've seen what the average Deisceartian wears," contended Will. "By their standards, this is fairly tame. More importantly, they're easy to move in, right?"

In response to Will's words, Ohta spun around and abruptly performed a swift sidekick directed at his face, stopping several centimeters short but producing enough wind pressure to sweep his hair back as he responded, "It's not terrible..." before lowering his foot.

"That's high praise coming from you," teased Will, causing Ohta's face to scrunch briefly. Instead of lashing out, however, he checked himself in the mirror Will had provided one last time, specifically his side profile. He still didn't fully buy into Will's claim that he was a girl, but when he looked closely, he couldn't deny his contours were marginally more feminine than masculine. He also felt more comfortable wearing panties than briefs, but he chalked that up to a difference in material...

"Once you're finished admiring yourself, we should return to Bhiran," said Will, prompting Ohta to stare at him through his reflection before turning around and directing a narrowed side-eye at Fionnadh, asking, "Don't you still have questions for Miss Stares-a-Lot? Also, have you considered how other people will react to seeing her?"

Hearing Ohta refer to her as Miss Stares-a-Lot, Fionnadh tilted her head in puzzlement. As for Will, he shrugged and contended, "It's not like there are any laws against having a Saighba'an traveling companion. I'll explain the situation to those willing to listen. Those who jump to conclusions and refuse to do so, well, we'll deal with them on a case-by-case basis."

Turning his attention to Fionnadh, Will added, "That being said, I'm pretty sure she can dematerialize or conceal her presence some other way. Am I mistaken?"

Nodding, Fionnadh responded, "Thou art correct. But it is not something as base as concealment; it is the unification of our bodies and souls. Thou shalt become my vessel, permitting me to dwell within thee. In exchange, my power shall be thine, and thy memories, experiences, and essence will nourish my growth and evolution..."

"You want to possess him?" scoffed Ohta, his frown deepening and eyes exuding a murderous glimmer as he threatened, "I should just kill you now and save us the trouble of having to deal with you..."

Feeling Ohta's murderous intent, Fionnadh's ghostly blue eyes widened, an ostensibly eager smile developing across her face as she materialized a pair of black shortswords adorned with runes and tinted an icy blue hue along their edges and tips.

"Cut it out," said Will, plopping his head down on Fionnadh's head, leaving her feeling perplexed as he gently tousled her hair while focused on Ohta, expressing, "Regardless of their race or how profane the circumstances of their birth are, all creatures are born into this world free of sin. I won't tell you to get along or be friends, but I won't let you murder her just because of what she is..."

"Then, what? Are you seriously going to let someone who tried to kill you and would probably still do so ordered possess your body...?" asked Ohta, his growing fury causing a tiny horn to begin growing from his scalp.

"She couldn't possess me, even if she wanted..." contended Will, asking, "Did you forget what my power was? There isn't a being in this world that can bend me to their will or influence me against my own. Is it really that difficult for you to trust me...?"

"It's not a matter of trust!" shouted Ohta, his first horn growing to ten centimeters before a second started to grow on the opposite side of his forehead as he asserted, "The problem is that you don't value your life! You're constantly doing things that place yourself in jeopardy, and even when you should back down or reconsider getting involved in something, you press forward with the bullshit reasoning that you're upholding your ideals or living as you please! You might not care if you live to see a new day, but other people do! If you can't get that through your thick fucking skull, I may as well crack it open myself...!"

'He definitely takes after Sarah...' thought Will, raising his hands, palms open as he conceded, "You're right...once the situation in Bhiran has been resolved, let's return to the Academy. It was too soon for us to set out like this..."

Hearing Will's response, much of Ohta's anger began to seep away, the growth of his horns slowing to a stop as his fury was gradually replaced by embarrassment. As a result, his expression became more pouty than irritate as he crossed his arms, averted his eyes, and snorted in contempt before muttering, "At least you're not a complete fucking moron..."

'More like I don't want to die just because you can't control your anger...' Will retorted within his mind, annoyed but not incapable of understanding Ohta's frustration. If someone he cared about or was assigned to protect kept doing things that could get them killed despite his actively advising against it, he would also feel frustrated. This solution, in this case, was to convince Ohta that his actions weren't as insensible as they seemed, and the best way to do that was by proving himself in a comparably controlled environment.

Interrupting Will's reflection, Ohta, staring at Fionnadh, abruptly asked, "Can you only inhabit the body of the person you're contracted to, or can it be any willing host?"

"It can be anyone..." confirmed Fionnadh, a curious look adorning her face after witnessing Will's and Ohta's exchange. "But without a contract, there is naught to prevent me from trying to subsume thee completely. Art thou willing to abide such a risk for the one thou lovest...?"

"Shut the fuck up and just get inside me..." retorted Ohta, directing a glare at Will as if daring him to oppose the decision. Instead, he inhaled deeply before exhaling from his nose and conceding, "I get what you're trying to convey...but if you're serious about this, I'm not going to stop you. I know better than most how strong your will is..."

Snorting, Ohta retorted, "Saying that isn't going to make me trust you to do the right thing..." Then, looking at Fionnadh, he asked, "Well, what the fuck are you waiting for?"

"Very well," responded Fionnadh, dissolving into white mist as she surged toward Ohta, seeping into his body. A cloud of frigid condensation flowed from Ohta's lips when he exhaled following the fusion, but only during his inaugural breath. The Elements of Darkness and Light were considered to be superior to most others, and with Ice-Elemental Energy being a fusion of Water and Darkness, Ohta had no trouble adapting to Fionnadh's frigid Mana permeating his body.

"Hmph...too easy..." muttered Ohta, but when he noticed Will was staring past him at his reflection in the mirror, his expression soured when he saw a glowing, icy blue pattern covering much of his back, resembling a tribal depiction of a Saighba'an that tapered near the base of his spine.

Preempting Ohta's reaction, Will remarked, "It suits you. The pattern is pretty interesting, and it creates a nice contrast against the backdrop of your healthy brown skin."

"No one asked for your opinion..." retorted Ohta, furrowing his brows even though he felt less annoyed after hearing Will's flattering analysis. He was still angry with Will for continuously making decisions that didn't factor in the feelings of others, particularly his own, and he intended to stay angry for as long as necessary. Will evidently needed someone to put their foot down to keep him from acting a fool, and since he was coincidentally very good at using his feet, Ohta felt like it fell to him to ensure the birdbrained nincompoop didn't get them both killed...

...

With Ohta depositing him in the forest near where a refugee camp had been erected overnight, Will was spotted by and stopped by the group guarding the perimeter behind makeshift wooden barricades. They were initially cautious of him, but when he introduced himself as a member of Silver Cat and revealed that he was returning with much-needed supplies, they readily welcomed him, let him in, and showed him to the largest tent in the area, serving as a command post for those leading the rescue and recovery efforts.

Since they couldn't allow Will to enter the tent without first confirming his identity, one of the guards escorting him went inside before returning with a clearly exhausted Allyson. When she saw Will, however, her complexion noticeably improved, a relieved smile adorning her face as she confirmed, "This is indeed one of our Party members. Thank you all for escorting him this far."

Without waiting for the guards' response, Allyson grabbed Will's hand and hurriedly dragged him into the tent. He was a little taken aback when she then gave him a firm hug, but instead of resisting or asking what she was doing, he returned the favor, wrapping his arms around her and regulating his tone as he asked, "Is everything okay...?"

"We're all alive if that's what you're asking..." responded Allyson, putting a bit more strength into her arms before loosening her hold but not letting go as she stared up at him and explained, "Members of the Solais Society arrived earlier and have only made the situation worse. They're saying the city and its surroundings need to be quarantined to prevent the spread of an unknown epidemic and are preventing people from coming or going by blocking the roads..."

"Sounds like they're preparing a cover story..." muttered Will, keeping his voice low as Allyson was doing the same. She nodded in response. Then, tightening her hold around his waist, either unintentionally or deliberately drawing their hips closer, she asked, "Can you do something? At this rate, everyone here may be killed..."

"Not on my watch..." responded Will, adopting a faint smile as he shifted his hands to Allyson's waist and gently separated them. She looked a bit confused when he did, but after a moment of introspection, she appeared to realize how bold her actions were, causing the tips of her pointed ears to tint red as she half-turned away from him, lowered her head, retracted her shoulders, and stared at him with upturned eyes, explaining, "Sorry...I just feel really...safe around you. Your Mana and Aura aren't like any other human I've met. They're very calming..."

"I've heard that a few times," responded Will, maintaining a faint smile and nodding. Because his Mana and Aura were unaspected, they came across as very pure, making him fairly popular among Spirits and animals attuned to such things. Elves were descended from Spirits, so those who weren't immediately antagonistic toward him, for one reason or another, tended to find his presence, as Allyson suggested, very calming.

"Sorry..." repeated Allyson, her blush deepening as Will gently tousled her hair and said, "It's not a big deal..." before removing his hand to step past her. He could feel a chill emanating from the shadows cast onto his body by his clothes, but since the interior of the tent was warm and humid, Will found the pervasive chill of Ohta's jealousy to be surprisingly useful for keeping cool...

...