Chapter 58: Guilty x Creatures : Assassin Arc : Chapter 26 : Morning

Chapter 26 : Morning

The low groaning sound of stressed wood filled the air a second before Mokai ripped all of his claws out of the floor in a single instant.

Watching as tiny bits of splintered wood fell to scatter around the tsuchigumo's feet, Mica's confidence wavered a bit at the realization of the damage he was apparently quite capable of.

Shifting himself into motion, Mokai made his way across the room and stopped in front of a large armoire.

“You have no natural aptitude for swords.” he said in an absent tone as he opened the armoire's double doors “This became apparent to me fairly quickly...”

“...I don't?” asked Mica.

“No, you don't...” said Mokai as he placed the two swords he was carrying in the armoire.

Rummaging about for a moment, he twisted around at the waist and tossed a wrapped bundle to Mica.

Eyes locking onto the item that was now sailing towards her, Mica reached out with her tail and snagged the bundle out of the air by looping a length of her appendage around it.

“Put those on while I find something that'll be more comfortable for you to use.” said Mokai as he turned back to the armoire.

Creasing her brow in question, Mica brought the bundle in close enough for an inspection before taking hold of it with her hands. Her expression softened as she realized what she had been given were a pair of armored, arm length gauntlets, which she immediately slipped her hands into and began to strap in place.

“Here we go, these should work...” mumbled Mokai as he turned back to Mica “Here, catch.”

Looking up at him, Mica was just barely able to raise her now armored hands in time to catch a pair of large daggers that had been tossed to her hilts first.

“Give those a few swings and let me know if they're too heavy for you.” said Mokai.

Hefting the two solid but not uncomfortably heavy daggers, Mica gave them a few quick swings before beginning to shadow box a bit with an unseen opponent.

“...No, they're not bad at all.” she said as she jabbed at the open air with both daggers as well as her bladed spade.

Satisfied with the sight of her now much more comfortable looking movements, Mokai nodded and turned away.

“As I was saying, you have no finesse when it comes to swords. You're uncoordinated and cumbersome with them... You treat them more as a club than a blade, and you can't find a comfortable method in which to wield them. You're constantly tightening and readjusting your grip on the hilt and switching from one hand to the other as well... All while trying to use the sword as both a weapon and a shield at the same time. This can be done of course, but not in the way in which you're trying to do it...” explained Mokai as he began to strap his own gauntlets onto not only his human-like arms but onto his many legs as well “Now, there's nothing to say you couldn't learn to use a sword correctly. That is entirely possible of course... Today though, we're trying to figure out where your talents lie... And at this point I think we can safely say that they're not with swords...”

“So you think I'll do better with these?” asked Mica as she indicated the daggers.

“That's what we're going to find out.” said Mokai as he stepped away from the armoire.

Turning to the bleachers, he slipped off the bathrobe he had been wearing over his torso and revealed the taunt musculature of his arms, chest and shoulders which were all still partially covered by both his chitinous plates and a thin black-colored muscle shirt. Tossing the bathrobe onto one of the benches, he turned to face Mica and began to flex his arms.

“...Um. Are you not going to use a weapon?” questioned Mica as Mokai took his place facing her.

“I'm good.” said the tsuchigumo as he planted himself at the far side of the ring and took a stance “I'm not trying to beat you after all. Merely test you.”

“...Is there really a difference though?” said Mica as she readied herself “This is still a fight. And you're still trying to win this fight too, aren't you?”

“Win this fight?” said Mokai as a thin smile spread across his face “Is that what you're trying to do? Do you really think this fight is meant to be won?”

“...Is it not?” questioned Mica.

The kiochi's eyes went wide in surprise as from one instant to the next, Mokai crossed the distance between them and bathed her in shadow as he reared up high into the air above her.

“No, it isn't.” whispered the looming spider as he brought his fist down upon her.

Dodging to the side, Mica just barely missed being crushed as Mokai threw all of his weight into his punch and drove his fist straight into the wooden floor.

“Crap!” cried the kiochi as she was immediately forced to dodge several more blows from Mokai's now armored legs. Using her daggers to block a strike to her face, Mica went to hop back and away from Mokai but cried in dismay as he snagged her tail and pulled her back.

“There is no victory to earn here, Mica.” said Mokai as he grabbed her by the arms and then tossed her across the ring “That is a pointless goal. Something you shouldn't even be trying for.”

Tucking and rolling as she landed, Mica quickly sprung to her feet and turned back to face her opponent.

“What the Hell are you talking about!?” she growled as she brandished her twin daggers “What the Hell is the point of this then!?”

“To show me what you can do.” said Mokai as he spun around and moved towards her “To give me a reason to regard you.”

Blocking and dodging a whirlwind of striking legs, Mica wrapped her tail around a wooden beam and used it as leverage to throw herself across the room.

“Show you what I can do!?” she exclaimed as she landed facing Mokai and raised her wrist with the manabinder wrapped around it “How can I even do that when I've got this thing holding me back!?”

“Is that all you are?” asked Mokai as he moved in her direction while lashing out with his legs “Just another shinoccubus whose dependent on your abilities? No different from any other?”

Pushed back against the wall, Mica grit her teeth as she hopped up onto a windowsill and leaped straight up into the air. Stretching her tail out to its limit, she grabbed hold of a wooden ceiling brace and pulled herself up into the rafters. Now situated high above the floor and out of Mokai's easy reach, she leaped from one rafter to another as she quickly made her way out to the central point of the ring.

“Don't act like you know a damn thing about me!” exclaimed Mica as she sneered down at the spider below her “You have no idea who you're dealing with!”

“Hmph. Maybe not who...” said Mokai as he bent his legs in even more and hunkered himself down low “But I know exactly what I'm dealing with.”

“Oh crap!” exclaimed Mica as Mokai suddenly launched himself upwards.

Flipping his massive form over in midair, Mokai was able to grab onto the rafters with his many legs and, while now hanging upside down, begin to crawl across the ceiling while chasing after Mica.

“Damn...” muttered Fiona as she watched Mica frantically utilize her gymnastics training to swing from rafter to rafter and avoid the advancing spider “You know, considering how big he is, you really wouldn't expect that guy to be able to move so fast. Or jump that high.”

“Mm hm. Looks can be very deceiving with spider folk. Especially the bigger ones. By all appearances they seem like they'd be slow and clumsy creatures, but they should never be taken for granted.” said Anton as he too kept his eyes trained upwards “They are almost always far stronger and faster than you'd ever expect them to be...”

Swinging out into the open air, Mica curled in on herself and did a midair somersault before shooting her tail outwards and snagging another set of rafters. Landing on one of the beams feet first, she stood up and turned back to face Mokai while brandishing her daggers.

“What's the matter!?” she exclaimed as she smirked at the distance she had put between them “Can't keep up with-!”

Mica's taunting was cut short as Mokai stretched his legs out between two sets of rafters and used them as leverage to ease himself back and then launch his whole body through the air.

“Fucking!” cried Mica as the giant spider was suddenly bearing down on her again after making a surprisingly graceful landing on the same beam she stood on.

“C'mon now, I know you can move faster than this.” said Mokai as he ducked down low enough to maneuver himself up onto the top of the beam and jabbed at Mica with one leg after another.

Grunting as she was forced to balance herself while moving backwards and out across the beam, Mica blocked each incoming attack with her daggers and spade until finally fed up with this assault, she slipped her spade in between two incoming legs and drove its pointed tip straight towards Mokai's face.

Tilting his head to the side, Mokai dodged her attack and narrowed his eyes at her.

“How typical.” he mumbled as he snagged Mica's tail before she could pull it fully back “Leave it to a shinoccubus to always go for the neck, even in a friendly fight.”

“Friendly fight!” cried Mica as she pulled back on her tail “How the Hell do you figure this is a friendly fight!? This has been a full on battle this whole time!”

“What are you talking about?” said Mokai as he let her tail go “I told you already, Mica. This isn't a battle. It's just a test, and that's it. I'm not trying to win this, or hurt you. I haven't even really tried to hit you yet.”

“Bullshit!” growled Mica as her tail coiled angrily behind her “Stop trying to psych me out, dude!”

“I'm not.” said Mokai.

“Whatever!” cried Mica “If you're so fucking great than c'mon! Let's see what you can really do, you fucking bug!”

“...Alright.” said Mokai.

Crouching into a stance, Mica saw Mokai move a half step forward before a sharp impact suddenly slammed into her torso. Punched in the gut by a leg moving so fast that she couldn't even see any of its movement beyond a slight blur, Mica doubled over as she was sent sailing backwards into the open air.

Dropping down off the side of the ceiling beam, Mokai swung himself beneath the beam to put himself back upright and, falling through the air now, reached out his legs to grab both the limp kiochi as well as her two daggers, before silently landing back down in the middle of the ring.

“Oh... That looked like it hurt...” said Fiona as she winced in sympathy and Anton nodded in agreement.

Sucking in one labored breath after another, Mica struggled to quickly replace the air that had been knocked from her lungs. When she was finally breathing normally again, Mokai set her on her feet in front of him.

“I need to apologize. I hadn't intended for that punch to be as intense as it was. But I wanted to make it clear that this is not meant to be a legitimate battle. And that I am truly not trying to actually hurt you.” said Mokai as he placed a dagger back into each of Mica's hands “If you feel like you've had enough I... Wha, what!?”

Noting that the tsuchigumo was preoccupied with his speech, Mica took advantage of the situation and quickly slipped the wristband that acted as a manabinder over several of his fingers and jerked downwards. Acting out of reflex, Mokai pulled back against the band with the intention of freeing himself, and this action was just enough to trigger the bands release mechanism.

“Ha!” cried Mica as she gripped her daggers and threw herself backwards and away from Mokai.

Tumbling into one back flip after another, Mica made her way to the opposite side of the ring before landing on her feet and immediately dropping into a stance.

“You! Need! To stop underestimating me!” cried the kiochi as she brandished her borrowed daggers up at the surprised looking tsuchigumo “How can you expect me to show you what I can do if you're not even taking me seriously!?”

Staring, Mokai remained silent as he merely blinked at her.

“You say this is a test, right!?” exclaimed Mica “Well then test me for real! Do your worst! C'mon! Give me everything you have! ...And, we'll, we'll see if I can survive this!”

Mokai was still for another moment before he suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly.

“Well now... This is a bit unexpected. I think I may have misjudged you a little, Mica.” said the spider around a broad smile.

“Yeah you did! I ain't some little bitch whose gonna give up after one punch!” claimed Mica as she readied herself for any sudden incoming attacks “...It'll take more than that to take me down.”

“Clearly.” nodded Mokai “...Now let's find out just how much more it'll take!”

Flexing his limbs all at once, Mokai triggered his many gauntlets to all split open down their middles, and the moment this happened, long thin blades hidden within them suddenly popped upwards and locked into place along their surfaces. From one blink of the eye to the next, the tsuchigumo's arms and legs were now not only armored, but armed as well.

“...Yes! Now we're talking!” cried Mica as she shot forward and raced towards the blade covered spider with all her own blades held at the ready.

Laughing with his own excitement, Mokai rocked forward to meet her head on.

As the two combatants clashed in the center of the ring sparks began to fly through the air as metal was slashed against metal.

Mica's speed seemed to have literally doubled as she effortlessly bobbed, weaved, blocked and counter struck every blow that Mokai threw at her. Seemingly invigorated by the prospect of real combat, the kiochi lent herself to her instincts as she made every effort she could to land a strike against her foe.

Recognizing her blood lust for what it was, Mokai's smile faded a bit and twisting to the side, he slammed two of his legs straight into Mica. Blocking the heavy blows with her daggers, Mica couldn't help but to let herself be lifted into the air and thrown backwards by the double strikes.

“Well, well, well...” drawled Mokai as he watched the kiochi land on her feet “Seems I really am dealing with a shinoccubus after all...”

“Oh don't start that shit!” exclaimed Mica as she squared her shoulders and pointed one of her daggers up at Mokai “You have no idea what you're talking about!”

“Actually I do...” said Mokai as he began to move sideways around her “I have a very good idea about what I'm talking about...”

Keeping her eyes locked to his, Mica fell back into a stance as she followed the circling spider's movements with her own.

“In fact, I know exactly what I'm talking about...” said Mokai in a soft tone “And I know exactly what I'm dealing with...”

“You don't know shit.” whispered Mica.

“Oh, but I do.” grinned Mokai “I know exactly how you work, Mica... I know exactly what you are...”

Mica's jaw clenched involuntarily as she narrowed her eyes and arched her tail up over her head.

“And do you want to know what you are, Mica...” said Mokai as he continued to slowly circle around the ring “What you, and all of your kind are...”

Mica remained silent as she kept her eyes locked to the black orbs of Mokai's eyes and tentatively stepped back enough to stay just out of his easy reach.

“You, and all of your kind... Are dogs.” said Mokai as he slid one of his blades across the floor and lightly sliced into the wood beneath him “You are all nothing but obedient little dogs. Dogs bred by the demons to follow orders, and kill on command... You're literally no different than a Dotson that was bred to kill rats, and come to heel when called...”

Expanding with her anger, Mica's pupils became wide black-colored discs as she stared up at Mokai.

“Although, I guess there is one difference between you and a dog.” said Mokai as a condescending grin spread across his face “Dogs aren't pathetic enough to get emotional and fall apart, the way your kind does... So I guess that makes them better than you...”

Clearly seething now, Mica's rigid tail arched back even further behind her as she readied herself to move.

-

Intimately familiar with her kinds abilities, and fully aware that Mica was once again capable of utilizing her mana, Mokai knew, possibly better than anyone, just how dangerous she, and all shinoccubi, could truly be. The ease in which they could maneuver around an opponent was the key to their success. Their skill sets made pinning them down nearly impossible, and allowed them to often out right dominate a fight with cut and run tactics. With the added options to create shadow clones, teleport, shadow walk, become invisible and much more, the combinations of nonsense that they could unleash against an opponent were not only infinite, but down right deadly.

And now, recognizing her intentions to attack for what they were, a means in which to sate her ingrained desire to kill her opponent, Mokai braced himself and readied his senses as he knew, that any second now, Mica would disappear from sight.

Mokai knew, what Mica could do. He knew, everything that she was capable of. And he knew, exactly what she was going to do next...

And he was wrong.

-

Bracing her tail against the floor behind her, Mica again used it as a springboard to shoot herself forward as she full on raced straight for Mokai.

Surprised by her forward advance, Mokai was caught off guard as he blocked her first strikes. And was even more so surprised when she planted her tail against the floor in front of him and used it to lift herself up into the air so she could fight him face to face.

Blocking and parrying her strikes with his human-like arms, Mokai came back to his senses and swiped at Mica's tail with his legs, but she was apparently prepared for this. Whipping her tail up into the air, she dropped down to land on her feet and immediately fell back into her assault.

Still expecting some aspect of her abilities to come into play, Mokai kept his awareness as open as possible whilst staying focused on Mica's current stream of attacks. Watching her as intently as he was, a new surprising realization dawned on him as he began to register that her movements with the daggers had suddenly begun to feel much more natural. Although brand new to these weapons and still unrefined in their use, the flow Mica had achieved with them was already feeling far more at ease and fluid than it had ever been with the sword that she had tried to wield earlier.

As his focus on her intensified, the area around them both seemed to slowly go distant until finally it was just the two of them fighting within their own tiny pocket of reality. Surrounded by nothing but a black void now, the movements of the two combats began to slip into a sort of rhythm as they became synced in their attacks.

Watching the expression on Mica's face as they fought, Mokai had expected her anger to quickly overwhelm her judgments and affect her ability to fight. What he found though, was quite the opposite.

Rather than let her emotions get the better of her, the young kiochi had instead steeled herself and became focused enough to neither stumble nor overstep in her efforts. Where anger should have been blazing within her eyes, there was instead a new, different and unforeseen driving force at play. Mica's raging fury had somehow been overtaken by a calm and fierce determination.

This was not something Mokai had expected at all, and the most surprising aspect of this new outcome, was that behind this intense determination, there was no longer any blood lust to be seen.

The shift in goals was subtle, but Mokai could still see it clearly. This was no longer a pseudo fight to the death for the kiochi. No. This fight had become something far more important than that.

Mica was putting everything she could into this fight, but was not trying to beat him anymore. Instead she was standing against him, merely to prove that she actually could.

She was showing them both, what she could really do.

“Yes!” breathed Mokai to himself as an elated smile spread across his face “Finally!”

Eyes wide, legs a quiver and chest swelling with excitement, Mokai threw himself full force into their dance of blades as he answered Mica's challenge with his own. For if she sought to prove herself here, than he would be sure to give her the opponent she deserved.

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“Go Mica!” cried out a cheer from Kianna as she too registered that the tone of this fight had suddenly shifted “You got this!”

“Fucking get him!” roared Fiona as she balled her raised fists in excitement “Show him what you can do, girl!”

Heart racing in her chest, Mica couldn't help but to smile broadly as she registered the cries of support. More determined now than ever, she dived through the air and flew head first right into the swirling whirlwind made up of Mokai's attacking legs. Weaving herself between the bladed appendages, she made a path through them by blocking with her daggers and spade before dropping down to land on her thigh and sliding across the smooth wooden floor until she fully disappeared beneath the giant spider.

“What!?” exclaimed Mokai as he reared up onto his four back legs and moved backwards while looking downwards and searching for Mica.

Whipping her tail upwards, Mica quickly wrapped its length around the thin cylinder-like section that connected Mokai's front and back halves together and, using the spider's own body as leverage, she lifted herself up, over and behind the tsuchigumo.

Rising upwards as she held herself up with her tail, Mica tucked in her arms and legs as she slipped in between Mokai's raised front limbs and sailed through the air as she arched over his back and headed straight for his head.

As she got closer to her target, Mica's own eyes widened as she saw the small white rings within the black orbs located at the base of Mokai's skull shift within their depths and zero in on her. Her stomach instantly tightened as she realized she had already been spotted and her attempt to blindside the spider had clearly failed.

Everything seemed to start moving in slow motion for Mokai as he watched the incoming kiochi bear down on him. Curling a front leg back, he forced her to block with the dagger in her right hand, but before he could do the same with her left, her arm shot forward with said dagger aimed straight between his eyes.

Narrowing said eyes in question, Mokai hesitated in his movements as he noticed that Mica was going to continue her trend of surprising him by twisting her wrist and flipping her dagger to the side so that its tip was safely pointed away from him.

Now with nothing but a closed fist hurtling towards the pair of black orbs, Mica made another unexpected move as she suddenly stopped her attack and left her fist sitting in the air a mere inch away from Mokai's eyes.

Freezing mid-motion, Mica, as well as the rest of the room, went completely still for several long heartbeats, as neither she, her opponent, nor their audience even dared to breathe.

Staring at the white rings within Mokai's eyes as they remained locked onto her frozen fist, a haggard sigh escaped from between Mica's clenched teeth as the rings suddenly shifted upwards and focused their attention on her. Eyes met now, she took a deep breath as she narrowed her own eyes in challenge.

“Y-you!” she croaked as she struggled to find her voice “You don't know me!”

Pulling her arm back to herself, Mica thumped her chest with her fist as she continued.

“You don't know anything about me! Nothing!” she cried as a light sheen of moisture glazed her eyes “I don't care how much you know about my kind! They're not me! None of them are!”

Remaining completely still, Mokai merely stared in silence as the kiochi continued.

“I am me! I am the only me!” declared Mica “And you don't...! You, don't...”

Eyes still locked to Mokai's black orbs, Mica began to waver at the end of her tail as her fatigue suddenly landed on her.

“Don't... Please... I...” breathed the kiochi as her expression softened and became imploring “I did my best! So please, please don't disregard me anymore... Please...”

Though Mica herself couldn't see Mokai's face from her vantage point, Anton and the dark elves could. And as they silently watched, the annoyed grimace the tsuchigumo wore slowly melted away until his expression became stoic.

Blinking as she noticed movement taking place around her, Mica swiveled her head back and forth as Mokai's curled legs began to ease themselves back and away from her. The kiochi's stomach tightened even more at the realization of just how easily she could have been sliced to ribbons by the spider's bladed limbs.

Her path clear now, Mica tucked her own limbs back in as she floated out from over the tsuchigumo and quickly lowered herself to the floor. Once on her feet again, she pulled her tail back to herself and took several steps back before being slammed with an intense adrenaline crash.

Arms hanging limp at her sides and her entire body trembling now, Mica let her daggers fall to clatter against the floor a moment before she too found her way downwards. Dropping down onto her haunches, she tucked her knees in against her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as she took one quick breath after another and began to lightly rock back and forth.

Turning around to face her, Mokai gazed down at the diminutive looking being and watched as her long sinuous tail quickly wound itself in tightly around her. As he stood there, he lightly flexed all of his limbs and triggered his gauntlets to split open again, so that their blades could disappear back within their depths.

“...Dual wielded weapons are clearly more your forte.” he said after a long moment of silence “You did far better with those daggers than you ever did with the sword.”

“...Th-thank you.” whispered Mica.

“You may keep those daggers as a gift. Practice with them daily.” said Mokai as he slowly turned in a circle and faced away from her “They're good enough to train with, but would make for poor primary weapons. Replace them with something better as soon as you can.”

Moving tentatively, Mica reached down with both hands and picked up the daggers before clutching them to herself.

“This was a good fight, Mica.” said Mokai as he made to move away “...I enjoyed it.”

“Train me, please.” said Mica.

“No.” said Mokai as he stepped away from her.

“Please! ...I need your help!” cried Mica.

Stopping in his tracks, Mokai went still as he gave her a chance to speak.

“...You know, how to fight my kind. ...And that's what I need to learn!” exclaimed Mica as she looked up at him “My family is going to come for me. ...They've already come for me. They've tried to kill me once already, and they're going to come back!”

Though his head itself never actually moved, several of Mokai's eyes shifted to the bleachers and he frowned thinly when Anton nodded once in confirmation.

“I have to be ready to fight them.” continued Mica “I have no choice. And I have to learn how to fight as fast as I can! ...So please, please teach me!”

“No.” said Mokai.

“Please!” cried Mica.

“No, Mica.” said Mokai “This is your battle. And I am not going to involve myself or my school in it... I'm sorry.”

“I'll do anything you ask! Anything at all!” said Mica as she fell to her hands and knees and let her head hang low “Please! Please, I need your help... Please...”

“...No. I can't do it, Mica.” sighed Mokai as he shook his head “For the reasons I've stated as well as the fact that I'm already at capacity. You're going to need a lot of time and attention focused on you. And even if I was willing to help. Every class I have is already full. I just don't have the room for you. I'm sorry...”

Trembling anew, Mica hunched in on herself and tightened her grips on her daggers as Mokai stepped away.

Pausing at one of the wooden beams, Mokai tapped at a series of charms that once activated, caused a pale purple light to emanate from every surface of the ring. As the light faded, every damaged piece of wood within the ring was suddenly repaired.

Watching the tsuchigumo stride back to the armoire, Anton began to quickly hand the stuffed animals on his lap to the dark elves. Nodding to them, he stood up and made his way over to Mokai.

Coming to a stop right next to the larger being, Anton took on a casual air as he placed his hands in his pockets.

“...So? What do you think of her?” he asked as he looked up at the giant spider.

Shifting his eyes to him, Mokai continued to carefully remove the gauntlets from his limbs as he spoke.

“...She has potential. She's lacking in overall strength, but that can be fixed easily enough.” he said as his expression became thoughtful “...She has a strong drive to succeed. ...More than likely this is due to her situation though.”

“Yeah...” mumbled Anton as he turned to watch the dark elves gather Mica up from the floor and guide her back to the bleachers “She does have plenty of motivation...”

“...She is, different. And interesting.” said Mokai in a soft tone “...I wonder, if perhaps being raised outside of a clan has affected her. If maybe that has changed her mentality in some way.”

“What do you mean?” asked Anton as he focused his attention on Mica and raised an eyebrow “Do you think there's something wrong with her?”

“No. I wouldn't say that.” said Mokai as he too watched the kiochi with the eyes on the back of his head “If anything I'd say she is capable of being far more independently minded than her clan-bound kin. Since she doesn't have the level of indoctrination they typically do... This may, or may not actually be a good thing though. As not only does it give her an extra degree of potential, it makes her very unpredictable as well... She surprised me today... More than once even.”

Turning back to him, Anton was quiet for a moment before he softly cleared his throat.

“So, bearing all that in mind, do you think that she would make a good student?” he started as he craned his neck back to get a better look at Mokai's face “...For you?”

Taking a deep breath, Mokai slowly shook his head.

“Even if I was willing to involve myself in this, Anton, I can't.” he said as he placed the gauntlets from his human-like arms back in the armoire “She's going to need a lot of attention, special attention, and I'm already at my limit with students. ...I just don't have the room for her.”

“There has to be some way though.” said Anton “Some opening that she could fit in.”

“As I've said, I'm full already.” said Mokai as he shook is head “And not only do my other instructors have full schedules already as well, but I have a waiting list a mile long. And I'm not going to break any of those agreements, Anton. ...I'm sorry.”

“No, don't apologize. I understand...” said Anton as he turned back to gaze at Mica and the dark elves “It's just unfortunate is all...”

“It is, it really is.” said Mokai “Though, it's probably for the best as well. Especially considering she is, what she is...”

“What do you mean?” asked Anton.

“She's a shinoccubi, Anton. An Infernal. I have classes that are literally dedicated to dealing with her kind.” explained Mokai “How do you think it would fair to have someone like her in that kind of class? Hm? Do you think the other students aren't going to notice her, and single her out? Because of course they will... The whole thing would be asking for trouble...”

“...Right. ...You make a good point there.” said Anton.

Contemplating the situation for a moment, Anton blinked as an idea suddenly popped into his head.

“Right, right... Then again... You know, Mokai...” he drawled as he looked back up at the spider “I think you might be failing to realize that there is actually a very unique opportunity staring you straight in the face right now. And it's not one that I think you'll want to miss.”

“...Oh really?” said Mokai as he took on an air of light suspicion “And what opportunity is this?”

“Well, you teach a class on how to deal with shinoccubi, correct?” said Anton.

“Yes. I do.” said Mokai in a blunt tone.

“And how would you like to add a living element to that class?” asked Anton “A living, demonstration, if you will.”

“...What are you going on about?” questioned Mokai as he turned to fully face Anton.

“What I'm saying, is that you have an opportunity to give your students some real world training...” said Anton as a thin grin spread across his face “Against not only a legitimate, real live shinoccubus. But one that can actually be trusted to stay in control, and not kill your students.”

Mokai remained still for a moment before suddenly shifting his gaze over to Mica.

“...Of course.” continued Anton as his grin grew into a full smile “You wouldn't want to give your students the wrong idea, by letting them face an inexperienced shinoccubi... That didn't know how to fight...”

Mokai kept his eyes on Mica for a moment longer before turning back to the armoire and recommencing to remove his gauntlets.

“...That is certainly an interesting proposition, Anton.” he said in a soft tone “Unfortunately though, it doesn't change the fact that I still don't have the room for her.”

“Well what if we did some kind of tutelage deal instead? Where she wouldn't be a part of any of your main classes, but you just saw her with whatever time you can spare?” offered Anton “And in exchange, your students will get the chance to face her themselves. Which, we both know, Mokai, that will be a far better experience than any lecture or textbook could ever give them.”

His expression thoughtful, Mokai began to calmly crack his knuckles as he absently stared into the armoire.

“Hmph... I don't know about this...” he mumbled.

“...What if I could sweetened the deal?” offered Anton.

“And how would you do that?” asked Mokai.

“Well, Mica isn't the only potential opponent that's available.” said Anton as his grin returned “There is always myself, and my dark elves as well.”

“...Your dark elves?” questioned Mokai as he looked back at Fiona and Kianna “...Those two aren't just with you? You actually own them?”

“Correct.” smiled Anton “And considering their kind can be a rather, confrontational, species. Giving your students an idea of what they can do wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea, now would it?”

“...No. ...It really wouldn't.” mused Mokai as he rubbed his chin.

Shaking his head with a sigh, the tsuchigumo eyed Anton with annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was still for several long moments before he finally spoke again.

“...If we do this, Mica will follow the training program that I give her to the T.” said Mokai as he turned to fully face Anton “And I mean to the T! Every exercise I lay out will be completed on the day it's scheduled for, no exceptions! She needs to get her strength up as quickly as possible. So this is going to be the most import thing for her.”

“Alright, I agree.” nodded Anton.

“Things won't be consistent schedule wise. I'll have to go over my schedule each month and see where and how I can fit in a few lessons with her...” continued Mokai “It won't only be me that'll be teaching her either, as there's nowhere near enough time for that. So some of my other instructors will help to pick up the slack.”

“That's fine, anything and everything will be helpful for her.” said Anton “And also, if you're not comfortable with her coming here regularly, we could always find another venue to meet at.”

“Mm, no, we have too much available here. I appreciate the offer but it'll be easier to just do things here.” said Mokai as he sighed again “You know, this is about to kill what little free time I have...”

“Ah, right...” chuckled Anton “Sorry about that... Though, there is something else we might be able to work out. To give you a little more free time, that is.”

“Oh, and what's that?” questioned Mokai.

“Well, and this is only if you're comfortable with the idea of course.” grinned Anton as he turned back to the bleachers “But if you and the Ms. are ever interested in having a little time to yourselves... We might be able to work out some kind of babysitting detail for you.”

Following Anton's gaze, Mokai couldn't help but to grin himself as he spied his daughter sitting happily in Kianna's lap while the cooing dark elf was reading her the Dragon Force Warriors book she had brought down earlier.

“I'd say Isabella has taken quite the shine to Kianna, and vice versa.” said Anton “And while it may be a bit controversial to employ a natural born slave monger as a babysitter, you do have to consider...”

Turning just enough to give Mokai a sideways grin.

“Anybody who might be looking to harm that child...” he said as he looked back at Kianna and Isabella “Will have to get past that dark elf first.”

“...Hmph, now don't get me wrong, Anton.” said Mokai with his own grin “That's a Hell of a pitch. But I do have to also consider the fact that your people are being targeted by shinoccubi assassins. Do you really think my daughter would be safe in the hands of your dark elf when that's a factor?”

“Oh, yeah, she'll be fine.” said Anton as he waved his hand in a dismissive manner “The fact that Mica is even still alive is proof of that.”

“...And what's that supposed to mean?” questioned Mokai.

“Who do you think handled those assassins the first time they showed up, Mokai?” asked Anton as he looked up at the spider “Do you really think that Mica fought them off herself?”

Mokai was still for moment before chuckling softly.

“You should have seen it.” mumbled Anton as he shook his head “They literally turned the sky black.”

“That sounds awful.” quipped Mokai.

“It was. But it was also spectacular.” said Anton.

“And you think I should trust my little girl to one of these monsters?” mocked Mokai.

“Yes, I do.” nodded Anton “I can't imagine you ever making a better decision.”

Laughing softly, Mokai shook his head as he shut the armoire and turned towards the group at the bleachers.

“Tell you what, I'll think about it.” he said as he made to move towards them “In the meantime, why don't we go give Mica the good news.”

“Sounds good to me.” smiled Anton as he fell into step beside the giant spider.

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