-Emery Allen

As the Order's barracks faded back into view, John cast his eyes around the room to make sure there were no unexpected visitors. As usual, the only ones besides himself were those he'd brought with him - pretty much everyone, this time. John had only left Lunaya and the unnamed demon behind - because he didn't trust the man to be free in the world, and Lunaya had refused to leave without him. It was both impressive and infuriating - she'd chosen to remain behind rather than accompany both of the Nekos, something she'd almost never done since Mithra's pregnancy. Her affection for the man only grew more infuriating due to his complete lack of such. Thankfully, John's mood was slightly improved by the message he received on their arrival.

A skill has Leveled Up!
World Shift - Level 4: Cooldown is now 1 hour. May transport up to 50 people at a time between worlds.
Synchro Level
Summoner's Warp - Level 2: Cooldown reduced to 1 hour. Cooldown is now unique to each individual. May transport up to 5 individuals at once.

"Oh, that's pretty sweet," John noted, smiling at the notifications. An hour's wait was pretty much nothing… unless he decided to run to the real world for a quick grocery run, there really wasn't anything that he ever did that took less than an hour, maybe forty-five minutes. Hopefully, in a few levels, he could get the cooldown to a few minutes - or maybe even nothing. Of course, he still needed a way for his creations to actually communicate with him from the other side and vice-versa. He didn't want to end up warping anyone into a fight with them unprepared, or even doing something particularly lewd.

"Alright, so since I put Sophia in charge of the Nekos last time… Seras, would you like to do the honors?"

"Sure, might even get a lil' trainin' with the Order, if they'll let me. Kinda runnin' low on ammo after the last few dungeon runs, wouldn' 'urt to learn somethin' a little less consumable."

"Hm… you have a point, but I'll make a shopping trip on the way home all the same. Over the last week we've restocked a bit on money - I'll spend it on ammo this time, instead of expensive teas."

Seras shuddered a little, licking her lips at the mere memory of magically-brewed goodness. John chuckled at having discovered his lover's weakness, then started ushering the other four out of the house.

"Thank you for agreeing to bring me along, Father," Sophia said while they were escorting the very pregnant Mithra out the front door. The catgirl was extremely cautious - she'd only rarely been out in the real world, and even then only to spend time with Maera for the most part. John was sending her to Tricia so that the Gorbachev scientist could run every scan and test possible on Mithra, and it was only the third time she'd been out of the house. With the way her stomach grew seemingly by the day, John wanted to make sure everything was going well. Though, that did mean dressing Maera and Mithra in clothes, which was always a trial in itself.

His peace of mind was well worth corralling the Neko into the car for a trip to the Order manor… although admittedly the first time he'd taken her in, confessing the truth to Moira had made him concerned she was going to finally up and declare a crusade against him. Thankfully, once her initial shock and anger wore off, she almost seemed to hold it smugly over John… proclaiming the virtues of chastity and the consequences of unprotected sex. When John prodded her about how wet she must have been after that morning's training session, she flushed and sputtered something about trusting John with private information, but still relented for the rest of his visit.

"Of course, Sophia. Though I have to admit I'm kind of curious why you wanted to come along anyway. Interested in procuring a weapon of your own?"

"I would enjoy having a weapon, though I fear blades are not something I could easily use during outdoor combat except against other airborne foes. No, the reason I asked is because the one called Kim Moon seems as if she would be a good friend."

"G-good friend? You do remember that I told you she nearly died during our training session, right?" John couldn’t help but gawk at Sophia, even as he was ushering Mithra into the backseat of the borrowed car, Maera practically lunging in from the other side to cuddle on her twin sister's lap and rub her face gently into Mithra's swollen belly.

"Yes, and given what you told me about her, that seems perfectly reasonable." Sophia shrugged away John's surprise and climbed in behind Maera, her thighs gently rubbing against the barely covered cheeks of the sideways Neko.

"Could you elaborate on that a little bit more?" John set the car in motion as soon as Seras joined him in the passenger seat, turning toward Brighton Manor. It was still early, but late enough that on this chilly Tuesday afternoon most people were already at work, so they made good speed through the mostly deserted streets.

"Certainly, Father. She reminds me a great deal of myself. I can see the same drive in her eyes, the same desire for perfection. Though I have not seen her often, those times we have had our run-ins have always been during battle, and that is when I find many people reveal their true selves. She is a good warrior, to be sure - razor-sharp and always focused, much like her blade. She is the first to the fight and the first to leave, thorough but efficient. She is not reckless. I do not think she believes herself invincible, but she wishes to be. Why, I cannot guess - but she has dedicated herself to some cause or another, and that is a trait worthy of respect. If she was willing to die for strength as you say, she has something driving her."

"What if she was just crazy?" John asked, a bit taken aback by the Harpy's outspoken respect for the woman.

"She may be many things, Father, but I do not suspect she is insane. The only ones she may be dangerous to are her enemies… and herself."

"Nyaa…"

John adjusted the rearview mirror and was delighted to see that the Nekos had both managed to fall asleep already, either the conversation or the car itself putting them both into a quick catnap. But the smile on his face didn't last long, returning to a deeper meditation on what Sophia had said. Suddenly he couldn't stop comparing the two - Sophia and Kim - and this connection that the Harpy seemed to have formed without ever really speaking to Kim herself. Were their drives so similar?

The next thing John knew, he was pulling through the gates of Brighton Manor, time lost in the flurry of his thoughts. He didn't pull in too far - he simply followed the paved road up to the roundabout at the front entrance and parked the car near the front door.

"Don't miss me too much, alrigh?" Seras said, leaning in to give John one last kiss before she exited the car, woke the Nekos up, and corralled them toward the Manor doors. Thankfully being awoken early from their catnap had both of them just drowsy enough to not cause too much trouble.

"Love you, bite me," John responded. When Seras turned around, she tossed him a wink and gave a quick slap on her ass as she walked inside the double doors to the Manor proper.

When the trio were out of sight, John pulled out his phone, slapped it into the dash holder, and set his GPS to take him straight to the Moon complex. It was a bit out of the way, back toward John's house really, but given Tricia's tendencies to go to any length - no matter how time-consuming - for testing his creations… John was happy to make the drive a bit longer if it meant less time standing around in the Order headquarters. Plus he could always stop by the Market on his way back to pick up that ammo…

"Your relationship with Mother is quite odd compared to what I believe to be normal. Of course, all I have are these imprints I was born with… I have not seen many mated pairs in this Abyss of yours to compare."

"Well, we're probably not quite norma- wait, what was that last part?"

"Sorry, did I say something inappropriate again? Your customs are so hard to grasp sometimes. To use your word, I have not seen many 'couples' in this Abyss of yours. Few in the Order seem to behave as though they have any attachment at all. Those I know by name have rarely mentioned any form of relationship at all, though I suppose we do not often meet on casual terms."

"No, you didn't say anything inappropriate. I guess I just hadn't… thought about it?"

Now that Sophia had brought the matter up, John couldn't deny it was odd. He couldn't come up with any one reason - sharp divides between factions and the constant threat of Abyssal warfare probably contributed to things, but something felt more… sinister about it. Perhaps it tied into the constant conflict in some way? Why was everyone in the Abyss constantly at each other's throats, and why was it that they couldn't even get together for some of the most basic human needs and desires?

John didn't have an answer. But perhaps Kim had found the solution. It was the only reason that he could imagine she would call him up, days later, to not only indirectly apologize but even to give him the blade he had thought lost to him. She hadn't even asked for any further assistance with her training, at least not as of yet.

The building that they pulled up to was pretty standard, though it was definitely a home for the upper class. Unlike the Brighton Manor and its extraordinary renditions of borderline Gothic British architecture, the house John laid eyes on was pretty much standard American modern. There was a really cool extended second floor which jutted out over the front yard several feet, propped up by solid pillars creating a semi-gated patio that had several sets of wind chimes tinkling lightly in the chilly breeze.

Where the patio ended, a veritable biome of incredible plant life began; a single, winding sidewalk led to the patio and front door, but on either side large ponds stretched across the remainder of the front yard, almost a partial moat for the house due to the sheer space they covered. Various smooth rocks stood out of the water, providing what seemed to be hopping paths to central islands sealed off with a perimeter of rocks. On the islands, trees with a circling of various red and purple flowers jutted skyward.

"Wow, this place is beautiful. Let's head inside and-"

"John Newman, you should have messaged. You are fortunate that I heard your car arriving."

John jumped reflexively as Kim appeared in front of him, literally materializing from the fence line. Kim blinked a few times, clearly not expecting that reaction.

"You, uh- sorry, you just surprised me. That's… that's the first time someone's ever popped out of a Barrier like that around me."

"Yes, well… we do not have the defensible land or the manpower that the Brightons do. Our first line of defense is a Barrier - a Barrier that may only be safely accessed with the proper technique, or as an invited guest."

"That is impressive," Sophia noted, seeming to ponder something. "Is this a difficult task to learn?"

"It is a fairly advanced form of Barrier creation - it's not quite up to the level of the Fateweavers, but it still required a reasonable amount of dedicated study to learn. The payoff has been well worth it, I would say."

"Indeed. Perhaps Seras could learn to provide us such a Barrier, Father?"

"Maybe. I'll ask what the Order knows of protective Barriers. Anyway, so how do we get in then?"

"We do not have many ways, as we do not often invite strangers into our home. I had intended to prepare a charm for you to wear, but my father has been quite demanding over the past week and occupied too much of my time. You will need to take my hand."

Kim extended her hand with no hesitation, but oddly her eyes locked onto John's palm instead of his eyes for once. Her awkwardness was contagious, and John reached hesitantly out towards Kim's hand, strange thoughts flooding his head.

"I've had sex with a half-dozen women in the last month or so, why in Gaia's name is this so awkward?!" John whispered in his own mind. Perhaps it was the fact that very few of those interactions had been so intimate without the lust aspect. John's fingers travelled across Kim's palm lightly, tracing the curves of a warrior's palm. Her skin was not soft, despite her appearance and beauty - it was slightly dry, and there were lines of calluses near her knuckles where her hands had hardened from what must have been years spent tightly gripping that blade at her side. Comparatively, Sophia gripped John's hand without any ceremony or apprehension.

"Well… if you are finished caressing my palm, let us enter, then."

John was surprised by what he saw when Kim pulled him along and he took his first step into the yard proper. The Barrier didn't change the house that they were entering much - instead it altered the yard. Where beautiful aquatic and floral displays had been, concrete and infrastructure now reigned. Two large additions to the house, one connected and one not, jutted out on both the left and right sides. The one on the left seemed to be an additional wing to the house, although its exterior was far simpler - no windows and only a single door on the exterior, although the siding and the roofing still looked quite impeccable. The other building was far simpler and vastly different, in addition to having a nearly ten-foot gap between itself and the main house.

The exterior was entirely brick with a metal but classy roofing done in what appeared to be mostly steel sheets. The door appeared to be constructed of solid iron, and even without casting an Observe, John could feel something resonating, either from the building or from what was within. The door, slightly ajar, let his eyes catch the barest hints of flickering flames while his ears caught the loud, resonating sound of metallic clanging.

"Your blade is being finished as we speak, it has taken longer than I originally anticipated. Join me in the training hall - Masako assures me that it will be finished in the next hour. Unless you have somewhere else to be? I was hoping that we could speak, regardless of the weapon's completion."

"Yeah, that sounds good," John agreed. He and Sophia accompanied Kim to the left part of the complex, the one still attached. The simplistic design made sense for a training hall - and it was all the more obvious why when John actually stepped inside.

The interior of the room was essentially comprised of four large, individual rings separated mostly by a very thin, low fence only a few feet off the ground. Each ring was unique. One had a sand bottom, the other a material that resembled a sort of wrestling mat, and the remaining two were constructed from tiling - but one had several fixtures spaced throughout at uneven intervals, for what purpose John was not yet sure. The outer perimeter of the room seemed to be a large observation area, with staircases leading into each ring as well as an equally short railing cordoning off the ring from the outer area where spectators might lean. The outer wall contained almost three dozen individual racks, covered in armor, weapons, and trinkets so numerous John definitely did not have the mana to Observe all of them.

In many ways, it reminded him of the Order's own training grounds, not that he planned to voice that to Kim.

"This is pretty impressive. I didn't get a proper headcount during the battle against the Cabal - how many people are actually in the Moon clan?"

"Enough," Kim said curtly, not overly offended but obviously not willing to provide a precise answer. "We are quite acutely aware of the need to keep ourselves trained in many forms of combat, and in many different environments."

Given that Kim had already stated a lack of manpower compared to the Order, John understood a little of what she was saying. The Moon clan was focusing more on quality than quantity, it seemed, although to what degree John wasn't sure, since Moira herself seemed to be quite a bit stronger than Kim, at least in terms of endurance in a direct fight.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me… what about? Your voicemail was pretty direct."

"Well, I simply have certain things which are… not easy to say in person, but which must be said all the same."

Kim's demeanor changed the moment that John asked his question, her eyes casting away from his figure for the longest period since he entered their compound. She gazed across the sparring arenas as though seeking salvation, as though any opponent she could face in the ring were more appealing than addressing John at the moment.

"Speak when you are ready, and no sooner. You have already made an offer to amend any wrongs my Father may have perceived; you owe us nothing more."

Sophia's words for once seemed as compassionate as they were blunt. Her stance was confident and stoic as ever, arms crossed and eyes locked onto Kim, but something about her seemed softened. Sophia had some interesting opinions to be sure, but it was her judge of character that intrigued John the most. Kim's reaction only stoked that fire.

"I… thank you," Kim said after a moment's hesitation, turning her attention from John to Sophia for the first real time since their arrival. "I'm afraid we have only met on the field of battle until this point, but you continue to impress me. Sophia Newman, wasn't it?

"It was indeed. First of my name and first of my lineage, by my Father's hand no less."

"Well met once more, Sophia. I appreciate your consideration. All the same, it will be easier if I simply say what I must. I owe you an apology, John Newman. That is something I do not give often or easily, but I am truly sorry for what you witnessed during our previous training session."

"You didn't-" John was about to say that she didn't seem very sorry at the time, but that seemed like an overly aggressive response to an apology. "What made you change your mind? Not just about the apology, about… everything?"

"When last we met, I lost myself to my desire to improve. I intended to make the most of each day that we trained together, so that when you did eventually obtain your blade and leave me behind, I would have no regrets. I despise having regrets. I became so driven to press onward when I gained what you refer to as a "level" and felt the sudden, undeniable increase in my power… it became more important than anything else. What would normally take me weeks, or even months, I accomplished in a few hours. I spend every day honing my body and my skills until they are sharpened to an edge as fine as my blade… but your abilities made me feel like an infant, crawling toward some distant dream of greatness. Growing stronger became the most important thing to me."

"More important than your own life?"

"Immensely," Kim said with no hesitation. "My life is not worth living if I cannot live it on my own terms."

"Woah, hey, easy-"

"I agree with her, Father," Sophia said instantly. John paused, cocking an eyebrow at her. While she was merely agreeing with someone, this was by far the most defiance John had ever seen out of the harpy.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't live your life on your own terms, but you didn't even know about my abilities until a couple weeks ago - what does your training have to do with that?"

"Ah, I see. I had assumed Moira would have told you," Kim said, in a manner most foreboding.

"Wh- no, no!" John sputtered immediately, holding his hands out. "I learned my lesson - I don't want to pry into your secrets, your history, or anything else that's going to make you hate me! Even if it means you start stripping!"

There was a moment of silence as all three of them contemplated the horror that had just unwittingly escaped John's mouth. Kim and Sophia seemed to process what he'd said and its implications, while John himself was stuck reliving the moment of Etriyya's anger over and over in his head.

"I cannot pretend to know what horrors your mind has unleashed upon you," Kim eventually said with a sigh, "but my past is no secret, nor is it any shame to myself. I had thought Moira would share it with you merely because we were on the same battlefield. It seems she does not share with her soldiers the same information that we do… I will remember that in the future when dealing with you.

"What I speak of is no great secret I try to hide away, for unlike whatever you seem to have uncovered in the past, it is not a shame of my own. It is a shame upon the Clan, but only of members I have no desire to protect or align myself with. The Moon Clan I still respect, the ones here now, were **** to move here. We are originally from South Korea, but my father fell in love with my mother, who was from Japan. Our clan did not approve of the wedding, but had no standing to come between them. Still, one tires rapidly of wondering whether those who have sworn oaths to you will uphold them, whether they will guard you in your moments of vulnerability… whether they will spite you, that your bloodline might end."

Kim scoffed, hand almost caressing the hilt of her sword. "I seek power not for power's sake, nor even for such a noble cause as the protection and honor of my clan. I seek the independence that comes only through being powerful enough to control one's own fate. My family was **** away to escape enemies we had made with the power of the clan, and were left defenseless against when the power of our clan became unreliable. The Moon Clan we have formed here is smaller, but more solid. Yet still… I wish to become stronger. I carve my way through this world on the edge of a blade, and I will continue to train until I can carve a path on my own. Others may follow… but I will never trust another to lead."

John fumbled for words, caught completely off-guard by Kim's willingness to share her past. While the openness was refreshing… more than anything else, John had never expected base racism and discrimination between cultures to be such a factor in the Abyss of all places. John composed himself as best as he could before opening his mouth.

"I'm… I'm sorry Kim. That's awful."

"Do not be sorry. Our past makes us, but it does not control us unless we allow it to. On that day, I allowed my desires… and my past… to control me. That is why I brought you here, so that I could apologize and chastise myself for my failure to maintain control. My own failures are no excuse to abandon our deal."

"It doesn't have to be abandoned," John offered, shrugging immediately. "In fact, it doesn't even have to be a deal."

"It isn't one, not anymore. Once I deliver this blade, our agreement will be fulfilled," Kim said. Despite all else that she had in common with Sophia, though, Kim was not unaware of the subtleties and nuance of conversation. Her eyes widened for an instant, then snapped nearly shut, perhaps to shut out her own hopes.

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was… you're an incredible warrior. From what Moira has told me of you and your clan, and from what you just told me here, you're pretty moral and ethical people too. I have no problem helping you grow in strength. Like you said while you were training, it helps me too."

"You demanded I forge you a blade worthy of your abilities to spend a week with me," Kim replied, gaze still deadly sharp with suspicion. "Why would you now offer to train with me for no gain other than what I earn you in the same combat as before?"

"I just told you," John said with a smile, "because you seem like you're a good person. People keep telling me how awful the Abyss is, and how I'm 'too pure' or some bullshit like that. They make it seem like you have to become a real asshole to succeed - or even stay alive. I'm so sick of hearing that. Even after meeting the Cabal, even after meeting the Albidians briefly and knowing what they do… I have dreamed about magic since I was a kid.

"I've fantasized about casting spells, summoning otherworldly creatures, flying, controlling the elements, transmuting objects, enchanting weapons and armor… I can do some of those now, but every bit of it - every single piece - has been tainted by this overarching fear. Fear that someone will come along and take everything I've worked for away, fear that my friends will be killed, my family stolen, my creations enslaved… the Abyss I have been presented with is a terrible, terrible place. I want to fix that. The first step is empowering people. People like you, Kim."

Kim paused in a way not dissimilar to John's own hesitation a mere few moments ago. She met his eyes with an evaluation and intensity that he didn't understand, especially since she showed no immediate signs of acceptance, rejection, or any other reaction he could understand. Twice she opened her mouth to speak, and twice she closed it without a word. Only on the third time, when her eyes glazed over with a certain resignation, did she finally respond.

"…Come along, John Newman," Kim eventually said, gesturing with one hand while turning toward the door John had originally entered through. "Your blade should be finished by now. Let us go see what has been forged in your honor."