“As I expected.” The deep voice was familiar, and so Sakiko turned around from looking at the lake to finding a black haired woman she was very familiar with. “You’re here, Sakiko-san.”
“Umiri-san…!” Sakiko’s eyes widened. She took a step forward, but a hand quickly pulled her back, then she heard the draw of a sword.
Umiri didn’t miss a beat as she equally drew her sword and collided with the slash that was meant for her. She pushed the sword with pressure before expertly hooking the tip of her sword to the other’s cross guard as she extended the flat side of her sword to her opponent’s arm. She pushed it downwards, effectively disarming them as the sword thudded to the ground.
“Dammit!” was Taki’s verbal exasperation at losing the battle in mere seconds, uninjured. “Damnit!” She turned to Umiri with a glare that mildly surprised her.
“I truly apologize for how things happened.” Umiri sheathed her sword and turned to Taki and Sakiko with a forty-five degree bow.
“Are you that person’s slave that you’ve come here to apologize for her sake? You people are the worst.” Taki picked up her sword and put it back into its sheath.
“I understand that it would be difficult to comprehend why my friend had taken the actions she did, however… I am here because she is my friend.” Umiri stood up from her bow and gave Taki a wry smile. “It was never Hatsune-san’s intention to make Sakiko-san fall in love, and leave her. In fact… this romance was her very first time trying to fight for something that was truly hers.”
Sakiko blinked. “What do you mean?”
“It’s not my place to tell, but all I can say is, Hatsune-san has sacrificed a lot of herself to be ‘Prince Uika’.” Umiri frowned. “She didn’t want you to be involved in the politics of her being a prince… and thus chose to stay away.”
“Then why are you here?” Taki took the words out of Sakiko’s mouth.
“…The past few months I’ve observed my dear friend, I noticed how happy she has become and now… she’d just returned to how she was before meeting her goddess at this lake.” Umiri explained as a matter of fact. “Cold, tired, and slowly withering away. Back to her habits of skipping meals and drowning herself in work… only this time she didn’t have a recreational destination to help her release some stress.”
Sakiko’s eyes widened. “Ah… Because she knows I’d be here waiting…?”
Umiri nodded. “Or in her own words, ‘I would rather die, than subject Saki-chan into my complicated world.'”
Sakiko glared at the ground. “How could she decide that for me?”
“That’s what I told her, but as you can see, Your Highness is very stubborn.” Umiri smiled wryly. “Which is why, I’ve come here for a deal.”
Sakiko blinked. “A deal?”
“If you can find a way to send a marriage proposal through official channels, I will approve it for her.” Umiri nodded. “I can’t do much, but if it’s you, Sakiko-san, I know that you can do something.”
Sakiko blinked and turned to Taki.
“You’re not–“
“Yes, I am.” Sakiko nodded. “Thank you, Umiri-san. I’ll do what I can.” Without any other exchange of words, Sakiko left in a hurry, leaving Umiri with Taki.
“…..” Taki stared at Umiri who only looked at her with a neutral expression.
“Is there something on my face?” Umiri tilted her head to one side.
Taki looked away with a light blush as she put her hands on her waist, followed by a poor random pebble getting kicked.
“I- I’m sorry…”
“Yes? I’m sorry, I couldn’t h–“
“I’m sorry! For attacking you.” Taki crossed her arms as she looked away. “I know I shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”
“It’s all right. Once the time is right, I will let the prince know of your anger.” Umiri gave her a teasing smile that made Taki glare at her.
“How are you so good? Aren’t you an assistant?” Taki scoffed as she turned her body away.
“That is precisely the reason.” Umiri smiled. “Because I know too much, that I must know how to protect myself.”
“Damnit.” Taki cussed under her breath. “You’re all weirdoes.”
“I’m sorry.” Umiri apologized amusingly.
Taki said nothing else… as she left and disappeared into the forest.
Umiri raised an eyebrow as she coughed into her fist. “What an adorable person.” She quickly left to the direction of the castle, with the intention of climbing up to the lake once again.
Knight Shiina Taki wasn’t sure what she expected, but she still found herself in the lake, at midnight of the next day.
“My apologies for being late.” Umiri arrived about ten minutes later than the previous day. “Thank you for waiting.”
“H- Hah? I wasn’t waiting!” Taki crossed her arms. “Why are you here?”
Umiri smiled at her amusingly. “Isn’t that my question? Your face yesterday looked like you wanted to ask for a favor…”
“…..” Taki stayed silent as she stood with both arms on her hips, and her feet kicking the ground. “…n me.”
Umiri blinked. “Please say that again?”
“Please… …n me…”
“I’m sorry to ask one more time but–“
“Please, train me.” Taki turned her gaze away as she stopped moving. “…I want to know how to protect the people that are important to me.”
Umiri smiled. “I see. I know that you would ask that. That was why I was late.”
Noticing for the first time that Umiri had both of her hands behind her back, Taki raised her eyebrows. Umiri raised her hands and showed the two training swords to Taki.
“I looked for these wooden training swords for us to use. I imagine you wouldn’t like it if I held back. With these, we can come at each other with full force, and not fully hurt each other.” Umiri smiled.
Taki raised an eyebrow, then sighed. “I’m happy to know that it’s easy to talk to you.”
Umiri handed one sword to Taki and smiled. “I’m happy you think so.”
And that was the start of Umiri and Taki’s daily sword training.
To Taki, it was definitely a deal. She got to improve her craft for free, against a skilled opponent, and a fighting style from a different country would definitely be a benefit for her and the City of Gardens.
However… What would one Yahata Umiri gain from such a deal? It looked like a losing situation for her. However, Taki was also afraid of what she’d say if she asked her about it.
…was what Taki wanted to say, but a few days into their ‘training’ her intentions became clearer and clearer, and it was suffice to say that she didn’t know how to deal with it properly.
Umiri met Taki’s swing equally with speed and power. However, she was quick to push Taki’s sword aside, almost pushing her off to the ground before catching her waist with a hand, and pulling the long haired knight into her front.
“You need to watch the terrain too, Taki-san.” Umiri whispered directly into Taki’s ears as their bodies collided closely.
Taki felt a shiver up her back as Umiri’s voice tickled her skin. She quickly escaped from Umiri’s embrace and turned around to face her with a sword, and a blush on her face.
Light purple eyes tried to meet amused turquoise that seemed to look at her endearingly, and at the same time, tease her.
“Another.” Umiri took her long point stance. “Taki-san.”
Taki glared at her as she copied the stance and went for a few more strikes. It was a pattern that Taki had seen in the past week. Umiri will watch her move for a while before moving to clash with her sword once, and disarm her by overpowering her.
Then, the key must be that she shouldn’t meet her force with force, because she was evidently stronger.
The moment their swords clashed, Taki was quick to jump back and put distance between them. It annoyed her to see a smirk on that pretty face, but it also made her feel good because she did something correct.
“That’s good. You finally noticed.” Umiri tilted her head on one side. “Then, it’s time to ramp it up a step.”
Umiri did a quick lunge forward, lowering her sword into a side stance as she closed their gap. Taki’s eyes widened as Umiri’s face was immediately in front of hers before she could notice the upward swing that was coming to her side.
Taki tried to block with a backward step, and tripped over a rock as gravity took her backwards. In a quick response Umiri let go of her sword and used both of her hands to catch Taki’s body and immediately rolled them sidewards to avoid a large boulder just behind her.
“Hah… Hah…” The two of them panted in adrenaline, Taki’s eyes wide in surprise as Umiri had her eyes closed, both hands tightly around Taki’s body.
“…I suppose it’s too early for that.” Umiri opened her eyes. “Then, that will be it for this session.”
Unable to react with anything else but a nod, for the first time Taki felt frightened. It was only for a moment, but she felt the intent to kill in that strike… for the first time since they started training.
Then a realization hit Taki, that would mean… that every single one who has died by Umiri’s hands… saw that pretty face as their lives ended.
“Maybe that isn’t so bad…” Taki closed her eyes as she enjoyed the warmth of the arms wrapped around her.
“…You’re so warm, Taki-san.” Umiri spoke as it broke the comforting silence before them.
“Ugh.”
After weeks of training, and ‘saves’ in the guise of ‘accidental perversions’, it was about time that Taki ramped up the gains.
“Let’s spar.”
Umiri stopped unsheathing the training swords as she turned to Taki. “Say that again?”
“Let’s spar. With real swords.” Taki crossed her arms in front of her. “I want to know… how I fair with you now.”
Umiri crossed an arm in front of her and put her elbow on top of it as she leaned her jaw on her thumb. “Okay. Very well.”
Taki gave her a small smile.
“However, I would like to set a few rules.” Umiri nodded. “First, I will not take my sword out of my sheath for your safety. Second, if you land one hit on me, you win. Lastly…”
Taki raised an eyebrow. “Lastly…?”
“If I win, you’ll take a bath in this lake with me.” Umiri smiled.
“Wha…?” Taki blushed. “H- How did this come into that?”
“It’s what I’ve been aiming for all this time. Please don’t tell me you’ve not noticed.” Umiri frowned.
“I… noticed but…” Taki pinched the bridge of her nose. “In the first place, I’ve always known that you training me has no value to you. Why are you doing it?”
“I’m doing it in hopes of getting your permission to court you.” Umiri nodded.
“And yet if you win in this sparring, you want me to go naked with you?” Taki shook her head. “Didn’t you just skip a lot of steps?”
“Being naked with you doesn’t mean there’s anything that would happen between us. Besides, the lake’s waters would be a good way to cool down.” Umiri smiled. “Don’t you think?”
“Not at all.” Taki sighed. “Fine, then from me, I’m gonna go at you with everything I’ve got. You shouldn’t hold back from hitting me as well… since you have your sword in a sheath.”
“All right.” Umiri nodded.
They walked towards the larger clearing with a good distance between each other. By this time, Taki had already figured out Umiri’s strong points as a fighter. She’s quick, and she has power. Both qualities were ones that Taki had not honed yet, but their training had already proven that her chances of winning this weren’t zero.
“On three.” Umiri nodded at Taki who pulled out her sword. “…Three.”
As Taki expected, Umiri went at her with a lunge. She reacted accordingly by jumping backwards, and immediately parrying the incoming strike away.
Taki took this time to run sideways, to put space between them, and with hopes of spending some of Umiri’s stamina, considering that she had to use a heavier sword, still inside its sheath.
Umiri smiled at the impressive tactic. “It seems that she’s got me all figured out.” She stopped moving and watched Taki stop with a distance away. Then it was her turn to finally pull out her real fighting style.
To Taki’s surprise, Umiri motioned to draw her sword, but instead held her sheathed sword one-handed in a tierce fencing pose. And soon, with only a few steps, Umiri was on her face.
Taki was quick to shove downward an incoming strike, and jumped back for distance, but the barrage of attacks were hard to predict. If this was a real fight, she would have already had an open wound on her side, a broken thumb, a slashed leg, and a stabbed shoulder.
She met one of Umiri’s strikes with all her strength and pushed her back, and it was her turn to show her ace. With good distance, Taki pulled out a hunting knife from her waist pouch, and with accuracy, threw it at Umiri.
Turquoise eyes widened in surprise as she dodged and with skill caught the handle of the knife mid-air before she threw it onto the ground. “Great job, Taki-san.” She now held her sword with both hands as she sprinted towards the long haired knight. “But not enough.”
Taki met Umiri’s heavy strike, prepared but her strength wasn’t enough. She parried the attack forward or so she thought, but the moment caused her to switch positions with Umiri. Then suddenly, an opening to strike at her throat.
Before Taki could point her sword at Umiri, she felt a familiar feeling on the side of her stomach. “What…?”
“Good try.” Umiri smiled. She looked in between them as she had her sheathed sword next to Taki’s stomach, looking like it would have gone through if it were a real fight. “I do think you’ve improved a lot.”
“Ugh.” Taki took a few steps backward as she acknowledged her loss and sheathed her sword. She bowed her head at Umiri. “Thank you for the sparring.”
Umiri smiled. “Your utmost welcome. It was my pleasure.”
“It sure was.” Taki sighed as she removed her sheath belt, and set all of her belongings in the shade of the tree.
“I didn’t know you were this eager to get undressed in front of me.” Umiri teased as she followed.
“I just wanted to get it over with!” Taki raised her hands up in the air and started unbuttoning her shirt. “Look away!” Purple eyes glared at amused turquoise ones.
“My apologies.” Umiri turned her back away as she started to unbutton her own clothes as well.
Articles of clothing thudded onto the grassy area and before Umiri could check, there was splash into the lake’s waters.
“That’s cold!” Taki exclaimed as she crossed her arms in front of her.
“It’s because you went ahead and got in on your own.” Umiri turned around and started folding her clothes and set them next to Taki’s on the grass.
Taki watched Umiri get inside the water from her peripheral, noticing immediately all the scars on that naked but muscular body. “She must have seen a lot of battles…”
“It’s unfair that you get to see my body, but I’ve yet to see yours.” Umiri walked towards Taki as she frowned.
Taki had her back from Umiri but before she could complain and turn around, she felt a warm presence on her back and warm hands around her waist. “Wh- What?”
“My apologies. You said that I should go at you with my all…” Umiri removed some of Taki’s hair from her back to the side as a bruise formed on her shoulder. “I definitely had left a lot of bruises all over.” She softly kissed the bruise in front of her.
Taki closed her eyes as her whole body tingled at the sensation. “It’s fine… I don’t even feel it…”
“Yet.” Umiri teased as she pressed her body on Taki’s back. “Taki-san…”
“What…” Taki let the hand around her waist wrap around in a hug.
“…Would you formally let me court you?” Umiri asked in a soft whisper into Taki’s ears.
Taki looked at the water droplets dripping from her bangs into the lake. “…Why?”
“Because you’re pretty.”
“I’m from City of Gardens.”
“Owl City is a neutral city.”
“But… why?”
“You’re pretty, and gentle. Also kind.”
“…..”
“Seeing Hatsune-san and Sakiko-san’s romance made me want to chase one of my own too.” Umiri kissed Taki’s exposed shoulder once again as she snuggled her face onto the side of Taki’s face.
“And that happened to be me?” Taki pouted at the waters, heat rising up to her chest as Umiri’s palm explored around her stomach. “Your hand…”
“It did not ‘happen to be you’. I am choosing to pursue you, for you.”
“You’re weird.” Taki looked away as she held onto the wrist of that exploring hard, but not exactly stopping her.
“So I’ve been told.”
Taki didn’t say anything in return as they continued embracing each other at the center of the lake. The wind blew silently as the moonlight shone over them.
“…When can I receive the answer to my question?” Umiri asked.
“What was the question?”
“Would you let me continue courting you, Taki-san?”
“……”
“I’m not asking for an immediate answer. In fact, you could even make me wait a year, or so, and I’ll be willing to.” Umiri parted from the hug as she took a few steps backwards to look at the sun.
“…I’m feeling a ‘but’ somewhere.” Taki raised an eyebrow as she turned halfway to look at Umiri from the side.
Umiri closed her eyes and submerged her face and body into the water for a moment to wet her hair. The moment she got up she brushed her hair upward and turned to Taki with a wry smile. “…Unlike the City of Gardens, and their knights and soldiers, you have the numbers for when you have to embark on a fight. However, depending on the situation, the Owl City may send me, and I may have to leave for a mission, and never return.”
“What?” Taki turned to look at her with a glare.
“…and if that ever happens, I’d like to apologize in advance for not being able to keep my promise of waiting for your answer.” Umiri bowed her head in an apology.
“Don’t say something so ominous!” Taki turned to her, hands balled into a fist. “Then my answer is Yes.”
“Huh?”
“I’m answering ‘Yes’ to your question! So you make sure you court the hell out of me, and come back from whatever mission it may be!” Taki glared at her as she took a step forward.
Umiri smiled at her wryly. “What a tough deal.”
“Deal with it.” Taki crossed her arms in front of her as Umiri took a few steps forward. “Wh- What?”
“Now, let me look.” Umiri softly took Taki’s wrists and removed them from over her chest. “You’re beautiful, Taki-san.”
“…And you and your friend are perverts.” A blush crossed her cheeks as she watched Umiri’s observant eyes scan through her body inside the waters.
“…Are kisses counted in the course of ‘courting’ you?” Umiri asked as she stepped in closer to Taki’s personal space.
“…Courting somebody is the same as dating them, isn’t it?” Taki turned her gaze away after she had confirmed that Umiri was definitely looking at her lips. “Then… Yes.”
“I see. Then, without further ado.” Umiri let go of one of Taki’s wrists as she softly took her chin up to meet her lips.
“Umi…ri…” Taki closed her eyes as she let those warm lips over her own. They kissed for a while until a stronger wind made them both shiver.
“Ugh… It’s gotten colder.” Taki hugged her body with her own hands as she tried to use Umiri’s body as a shield from the winds.
“Let’s get out, Taki-san.” Umiri smiled as she wrapped her arms around Taki’s body.
“By the way, out of curiosity…” Taki asked as she stayed in Umiri’s arms for a while longer. “If you and the prince sparred, who would win?”
Umiri looked at the moon. “Her, probably.”
“And that’s how it was.” Umiri took a sip of tea as she recounted the story.
Hatsune smiled wryly as Sakiko sighed with a smile.
“To think that Taki would be weak to a pushy person… That’s quite unexpected.” Sakiko poured a second helping of tea into Umiri’s cup.
“I see… No wonder Taki-chan blushed so much every time. She must be remembering that time at the lake.” Hatsune grinned as she turned to Sakiko. “I would always remember our time at the lake.”
“To think I’d be married to the pervert who watched me take a bath.” Sakiko shrugged. “Love sure moves in mysterious ways.”
Umiri smiled at them fondly. “It sure does.”
The End.