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"Queen persona?"
"What are you saying?" Kujaku narrowed her eyes, curious.
"Isn't that right? Your weapon is a whip. Your Devil Fruit can turn anything you've extracted into something you control. Can't this fighting style be called the Whip Queen?" Ikki said.
"You actually know something about my abilities? Could it be that Gion-nee told you? Or perhaps you've been paying attention to me, so you looked into it yourself?" Kujaku asked with interest.
"I guess so." Ikki nodded.
"Seriously, do we really need to get this close? If you keep going like this, I'm going to have to take action."
"Action?" Kujaku was taken aback at first.
After she realized what was actually happening, she reached down. Ikki's expression changed, and Kujaku's smile only widened. Her complexion turned rosier by the second.
"Hmph, it seems I still have some charm. Just this kind of contact makes your blood flow faster," Kujaku said with a smile.
"You greatly underestimate your own charm, and you greatly underestimate my situation as a normal man. Are you really going to keep holding it like this? If you plan to keep holding it, would you like to do something else? It's not good to just leave it parked there," Ikki said.
"You're dreaming."
Kujaku smiled and took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Ikki. Now that she'd proven her charm worked on him, she felt satisfied. Thinking about it calmly, though, a rare flicker of shame crept in.
She'd only done it to prove she was attractive enough. The old Kujaku would never have dared dream of such a thing.
'Could it be that I've really become a shameless woman?'
The thought crossed her mind, unbidden.
'No, this is Ikki's fault. If he hadn't acted the way he did, I never would have ended up like this.'
Kujaku gritted her teeth and glared at him. Ikki found this thoroughly baffling.
'Excuse me, you were the one who started it. Why are you glaring at me now?'
Fortunately, Kujaku's connection to Gion made Ikki treat her far more politely than he otherwise might have. Without that, he'd have taught her a proper lesson after that jab, though given his own habits, he wouldn't have gone so far as to actually finish her off. He'd have at least stripped her bare first and taken a few good photos.
"Alright, let's get down to business. We've still got plenty of time, but let's wrap this up quickly," Ikki said, setting aside the strange thoughts in his head and turning to business.
"Tell me first, since my charm is clearly enough for you. Why did you refuse to teach me how to use a sword?" Kujaku asked.
"I didn't refuse, I just said it wasn't the right time," Ikki said, shaking his head.
"Isn't that the same thing? I can't think of a single reason you can't teach me a sword anytime soon," Kujaku said, frowning.
"If you can't figure it out, don't bother trying. You'll probably understand once this war is over." Ikki sighed and made to turn and leave.
Kujaku was beautiful, but he genuinely didn't want to linger with her any longer. To be precise, he didn't want to lie to her. Unfortunately, thanks to his connection to Gion, he'd grown fond of her despite himself.
"You really are something else..." Kujaku pouted at him, a note of helplessness in her voice.
She could see just how stubborn he'd become. No matter how she pushed, she doubted he'd agree to train her in swordsmanship any time soon, and even if he had his reasons, he clearly had no intention of sharing them.
"Never mind. Everyone's got secrets they'd rather keep to themselves. Seeing you like this, I won't press you anymore," Kujaku said, spreading her hands and shaking her head.
"Thank you for understanding. Shall we head back?" Ikki asked, pointing back the way they'd come with his thumb.
"Of course we're heading back, but aren't you being a little hasty? Before that, could you at least help me figure out what kind of swordsmanship I'm suited to? I'd like to see if I'm suited to Love Breathing, using a soft blade," Kujaku said, reaching for the whip at her waist.
As a woman who'd fought with a whip for years, she naturally hoped to keep something of that same feel, using some new form of whip once she'd learned to wield a sword properly.
Ikki only sighed.
"What, you can't even agree to that much? Keep this up and I'll get angry," Kujaku said, stamping her foot.
"Fine, I have no problem with that. But are you sure you want me to test you right now? If it turns out you're suited to Flame Breathing, be careful you don't catch fire and burn your clothes off," Ikki said.
"Hmph, is that not to your liking? Surely you wouldn't mind seeing the body of such a beautiful woman as myself," Kujaku laughed.
Ikki fell silent at that. How was he even supposed to answer? Not telling the truth felt like a betrayal of conscience, but honestly, if Hina ever found out about this, there was no telling what she'd do. And if Gion found out, it would be worse still in its own way.
"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes. Come on, use your power on me," Kujaku said, grinning and spreading her hands out in front of him.
"You really are a mischievous one, Kujaku. I never would've guessed. Though you carry yourself like someone older," Ikki said.
"I'm actually quite young," Kujaku laughed.
"Fine, go ahead, if you're that set on it. Don't blame me if your clothes get swept away," Ikki said.
"Don't worry, I won't blame you," Kujaku answered.
"Don't blame me either if you feel some unusual pain in your body."
"Of course. Is there anything else?"
"There's nothing else."
"Then let's begin."
"I'll start whether you tell me to or not."
Rather than take Kujaku's hand, Ikki reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist instead, pulling her in close. In the collision that followed, he could clearly feel the force behind her charge.
"Hmm, what are you doing?" Kujaku asked, placing a hand on his chest, confused.
"Hehe, you teased me for long enough earlier. Now it's my turn," Ikki laughed.
"I didn't realize you were so vengeful," Kujaku said, rolling her eyes.
But it wasn't long before she was laughing mischievously again.
"Still, if you help me learn swordsmanship as soon as possible, I wouldn't mind letting you have a little more of this."