Lake Hamana · Stone House on the Central Island
Because of the Kappa's control, Lake Hamana was perpetually shrouded in mist. The center of the lake, where Kawashiro Amayuki's house was located, was particularly mysterious; very few people had ever been there.
Those with the strength to be invited would usually hesitate due to Amayuki's power. In reality, only his subordinates and fellow Kappa had visited. After all, the terror of a Great Youkai on his own turf went without saying.
But right now, bursts of laughter were coming from the stone house.
"Haha!! You thought I came to kill you? Are you joking? I'm not some murderer."
Lancer, whose tight clothes were damaged from the fight, sat there bare-chested and cross-legged. He held a sake dish in one hand and slapped his knee with the other, finding the other's words hilarious.
On the other side, Amayuki took a drink with a very complex expression.
In truth, after Lancer spared him, he invited him to his home as a guest. He was actually testing Lancer, but he didn't expect him to agree without a second thought. At that moment, he realized the gap between them—not just in strength, but in heart.
But it was Lancer open-minded behavior that made Amayuki like him. Not only did the man spare his life after defeating him, but he also chose to trust the invitation of an "enemy." This kind of courage was rare.
Since he was hosting the "Red Oni," drinking was a must. As they chatted, they returned to the previous topic, and Amayuki asked his biggest question.
'Why did the opponent come looking for trouble?'
Or to put it another way, why did Lancer spare his life just now?
He had thought Lancer was just a battle maniac, but after meeting him, he found Lancer had the strengths of the Oni—strength and boldness—without their frustratingly simple minds. He thought Lancer must have been misled into seeking him out. Hearing the question, Lancer gave that response.
Lancer really didn't know how to comment. When did his reputation become like this?
However, he had already learned to ignore the gossip. His heart was now incredibly strong. While he hadn't reached the stage of being unaffected by external things, only those he truly cared about could influence his heart.
Of course, he would never admit that he realized his luck (which always flared up in strange places) and people's curiosity for gossip were things he simply couldn't stop.
The two downed their sake in a heroic fashion. Though these dishes weren't as exaggerated as Hoshiguma Yuugi's (which were bigger than a human head), one dish held at least half a jin ( 250g) of sake. A normal person would either pass out or vomit after one.
But here, one was a veteran of alcohol, and the other was a master of water manipulation. Both appeared perfectly normal.
After finishing, Lancer threw out a question.
"Then why did you hold back earlier?"
During their clash, neither had held back—until the end. Normally, the first reaction upon catching an enemy is to eliminate them immediately. Real combat has no "artistry"; talking is for after the opponent is dead.
Killing him?
Thinking about his behavior when he thought victory was certain made him feel helpless.
Who knew the roles would swap in seconds, and he'd be defeated before everyone's eyes.
He hadn't expected that his dislike of fighting—and his decision to hold back—would be his biggest reason for staying alive. Facing Lancer question, he didn't hide anything. If anyone else had asked, he might have thought they were mocking him. but from Lancer, it felt natural, as if the question was perfectly normal.
He took a drink and shook his head with a complex expression.
"There's no complex reason. I just didn't want to kill anyone. I intended to give you a chance to leave so I could stop. Who knew I was actually giving myself a chance."
Just as he finished and prepared to lift his dish again, he found it clinked against something. The liquid inside sloshed. Lancer was holding his own dish up with a bright, open smile.
"That's enough! No matter the reason for the fight, since we're sitting here drinking now, let's just drink!"
At this moment, Lancer had completely forgotten his original purpose. Meeting someone of decent strength who wasn't a bad person to drink with was a pleasant surprise.
As for the original goal?
Lancer had thrown it to the back of his mind. He just wanted to have a drink with a new friend. That was all.
One after another, the floor was soon covered in sake bottles. Amayuki gradually relaxed.
The previous battle had given him a lot to think about. Perhaps because no one was as crazy as Lancer—using himself as bait. He was defeated, but it was a good thing; he found a way to continue improving his abilities.
As more bottles were emptied, the two spoke more freely. Finally, they reached the subject of Lancer purpose. Upon learning Lancer was there to retrieve the "Wind God's Fan," his expression turned gloomy—though it didn't seem to be because of Lancer arrival.
Curious, Lancer asked directly. Amayuki explained with an embarrassed expression, and as he finished, Lancer expression became subtle.
"It doesn't work?"
"Exactly. It doesn't work."
Amayuki nodded and took a gloomy drink.
"During the Great Youkai War, my comrades and I took that fan from a Great Tengu we defeated. It had caused me and my comrades a lot of trouble. In the end, I used Water Hiding to launch a surprise attack and seize it. But who knew the thing simply doesn't work? Based on my research, maybe only a Tengu can use it. After the war ended and our three races signed a peace treaty, the Tengu didn't come after me for it, so I just kept it as a collectible. Wait here..."
After speaking, he opened his treasure vault in front of Lancer and went inside. About a minute later, he came out with a box and handed it to Lancer.
Lancer never expected the "Wind God's Fan" would be so easy to get. But he soon realized it wasn't actually "easy." It only felt easy to him because his strength—and the combat that most people feared—was a daily occurrence for him, and even something he found enjoyable.