Onihunter Yuna 2

103 Hot Bath and Hot Talks (Present)

While they continued to talk, the ladies washed themselves, put up their hair if necessary, and went to the actual bath, where they sat in the hot water and put a rag on their foreheads.

"Wow. Awesome," Ayumi gasped as she stretched halfway in the water.

"Pretty hot. Does it have a thermometer?" The violet-haired girl looked around searching.

"Doesn't matter. Enjoy it." With a half-open eye she looked at the younger high-school students who had sat down opposite her. Yuna looked grim, while Nisha stood up and sat on the edge. "Are you all right, Nisha-chan?"

"It's really hot. I don't like that." She put her hands in her lap and studied the furnishings.

"Is that a tattoo?" Mizuki wondered as she sat up, allowing the water to reach her shoulders.

Surprised, Yuna realized that the guitarist was looking at her classmate, who was smiling sheepishly. "Yes."

"A real one?" With a nod, the cat girl confirmed the question. "Your mother must be pretty cool if she allowed you to. I would also have one stung there, or on the thigh, but my parents won't allow me."

"Oh... that's nothing."

Ayumi clicked her tongue. "For a Yakuza girl."

"Could you just say nothing? From your voice, I get ear cancer," the blue-haired nagged.

"Relax, Blue. You are in an Onsen. There is nothing more relaxing in this world."

"Bla." The Masuda girl looked at her friend until she turned to her, whereupon she could see the black symbol on her classmate's hip. It were three concentric circles that were completely closed and without embellishments.

"What does it mean?" Curious, the violet-haired girl studied the symbol.

"Um... it's supposed to protect me."

"Of what?"

Smiling, the cat girl shrugged. "Everything, I guess."

"I think that's pretty cool," confessed the guitarist.

"What? That's nothing."

Mizuki laughed and sat down differently. "I beg your pardon?! You are guaranteed the only student at our school who has a tattoo. You should be extremely popular."

"Oh... I'll keep that for myself."

"How she adorns herself. Cute." Grinning, Ayumi sat down too, but on her lower legs, so that the water only reached her elbows.

"Really. If you showed it, you'd be totally popular right now," the violet-haired girl guessed.

"I don't want that. That's my little secret, so keep it to yourself."

"Understood?!" Yuna hissed threateningly.

"Relax, Blue."

Mizuki got up and sat on the edge as well. "It's really damn hot."

Thoughtfully, the tallest girl grimaced. She let her arms slide through the water and focused on her feelings. Although she could feel the temperature, she found it extremely pleasant. She focused on her power and slowly pushed its effect back, making her feel hotter.

She gasped and turned her power back until she felt the temperature pleasant again. Lately, she had spent too little time experimenting with her power. She hadn't realized how finely regulatable her ability had become. Surely that had to be related to the amount of soul energy she had inherited from Tirr. He had killed some oni, so their energy was permanently tied to his, just as his now became part of the huntress.