Auren wakes up, his body still a little sore—especially his leg, which still aches.
As he slowly stretches, carefully testing his injured leg and gauging the extent of the lingering damage, he feels something warm and soft pressing against him from both sides.
Slightly panicked, he opens his eyes, only to see both Vanessa and Neffi snuggled up against him, still sleeping peacefully.
I forgot. What are they doing? My body's still sore—I really don't need this. How late is it?
Auren glances at the clock beside his bed and sees it's already 6 AM.
We've slept for over twelve hours... and these lazy girls are still asleep?! Just how?!
As Auren tries to get up, he realizes they're holding on to both of his arms.
"Wake up already," he complains, raising his voice as he lifts his arms.
Both Vanessa and Neffi groan, looking annoyed as they drag him back down.
"Let me sleep a while longer—that cow was snoring all night," Neffi grumbles, yawning.
"I didn't! And I'm not a cow, you flat-chested dog," Vanessa shoots back.
Losing his patience, Auren lightly bonks both of them on the head, adding just a tiny touch of Aura.
"Ouch!"
"That hurts!"
They both complain, rubbing their heads in pain.
"Get up already," Auren insists, prompting them to reluctantly rise, much to Auren's annoyance.
He shakes his head, noting they're wearing only underwear and oversized shirts.
"This might cause misunderstandings. Behave yourselves, will you?" he chastises them.
"How cute, are you embarrassed?" Vanessa teases him—only to get bonked again, this time a little harder.
"This is abuse!" she yells, rubbing her head more aggressively, while Neffi smirks beside her, seemingly having learned her lesson.
Neffi was so meek and submissive when I met her. Vanessa's bad tendencies are rubbing off on her. I guess she's still within tolerable limits, especially since her trauma seems completely resolved by now. I guess I should just accept it. Still, as for Vanessa, I really need to talk to Konrad about reining in his sister. She is an adrenaline junky indeed.
"I've got things to do," Auren says. "You can come along if—and I stress if—you behave yourselves. Might as well take a proper look at the real Meteor City, broaden your horizons."
Standing in front of his bed, Auren, his Aura fully recovered, begins activating Azure Restoration to finish yesterday's treatment.
Instead of leaving the room, Neffi and Vanessa simply watch him, their eyes fixed as the glow of his Azure Aura bathes the space in light.
It only takes him a few minutes to complete the process, restoring his body to peak condition, making his wounds magically disappear at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He tests his leg with a sharp kick, the force of displaced air sweeping toward the two women.
"That's impressive!" Vanessa remarks, staring at him with a slightly greedy expression. "I almost can't believe it. You could get rich with an ability like that, you know?"
Didn't she claim she had more money than she could spend? Looks like she's greedier than I thought... though, to be fair, I can relate to that—at least to some extent.
Neffi glares at her, clearly annoyed. "You'd better make sure you never tell a soul, Vanessa, or I'll beat you up! Also, newsflash—why do you think he is rich?!"
"Indeed," Auren confirms. "Why do you think I've established a close connection to the sparkling rat of the Association?"
"Ah... I guess that makes sense," Vanessa replies, looking a little embarrassed, before turning to Neffi. "However, you want to beat me up?! I'd like to see you try, dog."
"Someone who hasn't even created a Hatsu stands no chance," Neffi says smugly, making Vanessa lower her head in shame. "Also, your tits and massive thighs will just slow you down—you should go on a diet if you want to beat me. Auren prefers women and not cows."
I am done with this.
"I like women who do not waste my time and annoy me. Just get out if you want to bicker," Auren says, grabbing a set of clothes and heading toward the bathroom, intent on taking a shower. "We'll meet in thirty minutes. Get ready if you want to come along."
"I'll shower as well," Vanessa says shyly, trailing after Auren—only for him to kick her out and slam the door in her face.
"Hehe," Neffi snickers, watching her get rebuked so casually.
"I was just playing around... I'm not into that kid in the first place, I was just trying to be a good elder sister," Vanessa puffs, walking off in a huff as she exits Auren's room.
"I'll leave you behind if you don't hurry!" Auren warns them through the door, prompting both of them to head back to their own cabins.
Once he's finished, Auren checks in with the others on board, informing them of his plan to visit the city today.
To his surprise, all of them—except for the kids, Killi, Ella, Mio, and Kai—are already awake and present.
Even more surprisingly, no one seems even remotely interested in Meteor City. Without much discussion, the group collectively decides to remain on the airship and continue their training.
Even Jean, who usually loves going out to shop, doesn't show the slightest interest in leaving.
"I guess we'll work on Nen instead," she says simply, grabbing her shy twin-sister Joanne and pulling her back toward their cabin.
The others are quickly gulping down a quick breakfast.
Exactly half an hour later, like he announced, Auren, accompanied by Neffi, and Vanessa, steps out of the airship.
Before heading toward the Elder residences and the modest town-hall style building the city uses, Auren makes a short detour to the main section of the Troupe's hideout. The space appears empty at first, but to his surprise, he spots both Nobunaga and Uvogin in an isolated corner, silently training.
Uvogin stands still, one of his arms still wrapped in bandages. He's focused entirely on maintaining Ren—his Aura flickering, nearly drained, but still holding on.
Looks like he's been at it for a while.
Beside him, Nobunaga has his sword drawn, executing a series of fluid, practiced movements with the precision of a seasoned swordsman. As Auren approaches them, he immediately stops.
"What is he doing?" Auren asks, nodding toward Uvogin in mild confusion.
"The real question is, what are you doing? Already up, looking like nothing happened," Nobunaga replies, giving him a meaningful look. "You look just fine... I guess you decided to pay the price to recover? Are you sure that was worth it?"
"I like to invest in myself. I'm not spending a few weeks on crutches or stuck in a wheelchair," Auren says, sounding amused. "Though, to be fair, it would be kind of fun to buy a wheelchair with special turbines and use my Aura to propel myself forward."
He pauses, then smiles.
"More importantly, I promised you a spar, didn't I? I'm not about to miss a chance to fight a master like you. I'm still pretty inexperienced when it comes to the blade. Apart from a few real fights, most of my experience comes from sparring with students of the blade."
I may have sparred with Lidor and the other students, but those were just training bouts... I guess I fought Kite, but honestly, he wasn't that impressive technique-wise. I've got a long way to go. I have learned so much in my last spars. I think I am nearly where I want to be, and I know my weaknesses and what I need to improve. This might be the final spar I require, at least for now!
As he's speaking with Nobunaga, an exhausted, sweat-drenched Uvogin approaches, his eyes widening the moment he sees Auren's condition.
"What trick is this?!" he roars. "I crushed your damn leg! You should need months to recover—hell, weaker Nen users would be crippled for life!"
Auren casually takes a step back. "Remember why Chrollo invited me into this... unofficial position? Of course, my ability comes in handy. And you might want to remember the contract—for your own sake. Do not openly speak about it. I've got to say, though, you're looking pretty intimidating right now. I'm definitely shaking in fear... mostly caused by your... smell."
"You arrogant lunatic!" Uvogin growls. "Don't think this is over. I've been slacking on training, allowing you to keep up with me for a while! I won't make that mistake again."
He jabs a massive finger toward Auren, practically trembling with frustration. "Next time, I'll break you apart."
"Do you need help with that?" Auren asks, eyeing the bandaged arm.
"It's just a scratch!" Uvogin snaps. "Next time we fight, I want you at full power. No holding back anymore, that pisses me off! I won't forgive you for humiliating me in front of everyone!"
"How did I humiliate you?" Auren replies, visibly annoyed. "I gave up. You obviously won the spar."
"You lost because your body and Aura are still nowhere near that monster's," Nobunaga says with a smirk. "But even so... the fact that you did that well in a sparring match at your age? Trust me, he knows exactly how bad it would've gone if you'd treated it like a real fight. Especially if you grow up, he already knows in his heart that he lost. You played by his rules, truly unfavourable to you, and still gave him more than serious trouble."
"I hate to admit it, but he's right. You're impressive, you damn little monster," Uvogin mutters, turning away. "This isn't over, you hear me?!"
"That's about as much of a compliment as you'll ever hear from him," Nobunaga adds, watching him go. "He's more impressed by your guts than he'll admit. You never backed down. Never panicked, never quit, never begged him to stop. Despite the pressure, you didn't even use a Hatsu. Even the Boss took note. You challenged a bull head-on and didn't flinch—that takes real spirit."
Despite the words, Auren's expression darkens. "This kind of praise... it feels like you're still talking down to me. I know I'm here to learn, but if you keep underestimating me, you're in for a rough awakening."
"Hehe," Nobunaga chuckles. "That might be true. Let me know when you want to cross blades. I'm always up for it."
"I will," Auren says simply, before turning to Vanessa and Neffi. "Let's go."
Under Auren's lead, the trio walks along the winding paths, moving between towering trash mountains until the center of Meteor City comes into view.
"It's pretty impressive that you're able to talk to those monsters so casually," Neffi says, unable to hide her amazement.
Vanessa nods quickly. "I have to agree... To be honest, they scare me."
"Stop using the word monster—you, along with Uvogin and Nobunaga, keep using it. It's a dumb word that says nothing. They are just talented and hard-working Nen users. They are not monsters, and neither am I. In a few years, you can get there as well, if you believe in yourself."
"Really?!" Vanessa asks. "No... you are right. I should be more confident!"
"For once, I agree with you, co—Vanessa," Neffi says, nodding along.
The two shake hands and give each other a quick hug, frustrating Auren for some reason.
"Good," Auren replies, trying to stay serious. "Fear is useful. Never confront them as you are now. The outcome won't be pretty. That said, we're somewhat allied with them, so hopefully that situation never comes up. Anyway—we're here. Welcome to Meteor City."
He points ahead, toward the city center. Countless people move in every direction, bags of trash slung over their backs. Makeshift stalls offer cheap food, while traders and scavengers haggle over recycled goods and salvaged materials.
I'm not sure if I love or hate this place...
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