Black Shadow | Souei

Chapter 13: The Great Clash

A little part of Souei was glad that there was a part of Kumiko that only he got to see. He had to admit, though only to himself, that Kumiko had seemed exceptionally enchanting as she smiled at hi with her head pressing her horn against his hand. For a second, he took the time to imagine if she did the same with Benimaru. A second was all it took before a menacing aura came leaking out from Souei.

"Woah, woah," Benimaru began to sweat at the killing intent the Kijin was releasing. Whatever that damned flirt was thinking, Benimaru knew it somehow involved him and Kumiko, if the glare Souei was sending him said anything. Benimaru sighed and turned to move on from this conversation.

"I can't give you a yes or no as to whether or not we will stay. As far as I'm concerned at the moment, we will be avenging our brethren on the battlefield," Benimaru stated serious, staring out into the distance again. He was facing the direction of the village. Souei's glare on Benimaru's back subsided as he reluctantly accepted the answer. With a short bow, he disappeared into the shadows.

~~~

It had been 7 days since Kumiko and Souei had talked to the Lizardmen. Rimuru, Ranga, Benimaru, Shion, Hakurou and the goblin riders were currently heading towards the mashlands on the wolves while Souei and Kumiko had gone on ahead and were scouting the area. They were heading there to sign a treaty with the Lizardman chieftain and fight the Orc army. Rigurd and the others were left to watch the village and evacuate immediately if they were to lose to the Orc Lord.

With the help of Shuna and Kaijin, all the Kijin, Goblin Riders and Rimuru were equipped with silk clothing that served as body armor. The clothes made resembled the clothes that they usually wore, with Kumiko and Souei's clothes being a little less flowing due to their positions as scouts and their need for agility.

This past week, Kumiko and Souei were as close as ever, but there had been a small rift. Benimaru wasn't able to give Souei a clear answer as to whether they would stay or not, and so Souei wasn't able to definitively tell Kumiko whether the Kijin would remain in the village. It immediately dampened Kumiko's mood. Kumiko was trying not to be negative, but she couldn't help but prepare for the worst. Despite the fact that the Kijin hadn't even been there for a month, she felt more pain than ever imagining them leaving. So much to the point that she ended up crying alone in her room at night sometimes.

During the day, the two went about their business as usual, bickering as always and scouting together. They didn't think much about it in the daytime, but nighttime was when they mostly had their alone time, letting their thoughts settle and sink in. It was tough on the both of them, not knowing whether or not they would go their separate ways after the battle. It seemed like the week flew by as the two of them wallowed in their sadness. If the Kijin were leaving, Souei and Kumiko both thought the time they spent together was too short, but their time alone was too long.

Rimuru couldn't help but feel a little guilty. He pushed Kumiko to depend on Souei, and she did bond with him rather quickly, but he hadn't considered the effects on Kumiko if the Kijin chose to leave. Rimuru, of course, wanted the Kijin to stay, but it was ultimately up to them. He sighed as he thought about it atop Ranga. The two were closer than he had thought they would be; it would be sad to see if the two went separate ways.

Rimuru had asked Kumiko once if she would follow the Kijin if they left. Rimuru got a reply with no hesitation. Kumiko would stay with Rimuru. When he heard, Rimuru felt a bunch of mixed emotions, ranging from happy that Kumiko was willing to stay with him but sad that she was willing to give up going with the other Kijin, Souei especially, to accompany him. It wasn't hard to know that the two Kijin had a bond like no other, so for them to be so willing to separate to follow their separate leaders, it but a strain on Rimuru's heart as well. As Benimaru had complained to Rimuru, Souei was a damned natural flirt when it came to Kumiko, drawing her in easily with his smiles and teasing and touching. Kumiko wasn't any better herself, with her own innocent smiles and light touches. Both Benimaru and Rimuru had sat together that night, cursing the two damned oblivious Kijin.