Raid: The Blacksmith-Chapter 50: Acquainted: Part Two

"Yoghurt... She was about to say I like yoghurt. It’s my favorite. Right, Melissa?" That oddly terrifying smile on Peyton’s face grows exponentially wider as she looks at Melissa.

Melissa then nods her head in agreement. Seems a bit forced.

"Well, I’d be lying if I said I knew what yoghurt has to do with anything at all that we discussed about, but hey. Whatever."

"Uhm...okay." I say. "Well... I mean. Y’know... Yoghurt’s nice."

"Isn’t it?" Says Peyton with a smile.

"Yeah... Th-the best."

"Totally-ah...?"

"Hm?"

What has my and Peyton’s attention right now, is Melissa. She’s grabbing Peyton’s hands as they’re wrapped around her mouth and neck.

"Uhm...Melly? What are doi-IIIIING!!?"

Before Peyton even finishes her question, Melissa takes off. She runs at an incredible speed with her little sister’s arms wrapped around her neck as she’s dangling like a ragdoll from behind her.

"WHOOOOA! OKAY, OKAY! I’M SORRY! PLEASE JUST LET ME DOWN ALREADY!"

"Nope. You asked for this." Melissa rejects Peyton’s plea as she continues running.

"Should I follow them?" I follow them.

"WHEN DID I EVER ASK FOR THIS!?" Shouts Peyton.

"Don’t be such a baby, we’re almost there." Says Melissa.

I finally catch up to them. "And just where exactly is ’there’?"

"Here’s ’there’." She says.

~Screech!~

A loud screeched is heard through the hallway as we stop running, our shoes sliding against the floor.

"You’re quick on your feet. I didn’t even tell you where we were headed and yet you stopped around basically the same time I did." Says Melissa as she turns to look at me. Peyton only barely hanging from her. She looks out of it, so I decide to snap her out of it, literally.

"Thanks."

~Snap~

I reply to Melissa as I snap my fingers close to one of Peyton’s ear. She instantly gets up and looks at Melissa. "You..." Even a blind man could tell how unhappy she is. A suffocating aura is radiating from her entire body. It feels like it could instantly kill anyone below A-Rank.

"Oh come now. Lie to me and say it wasn’t a little bit fun."

"Urgh... Seriously, I hate you so much it hurts."

"And I love you so much it kills."

"I know."

...

I take a look around where we stopped. In front of us was a Training Room, labeled ’Training Room 19’.

"So this is where this Sakura is?" I ask.

"If it isn’t here, I couldn’t tell you where." Melissa answers. "Come on, let’s check it out." She takes the lead as she opens the doors and Peyton and I follow her inside.

We’re met with quite the scene as we enter the room. It’s much like the one I fought Melissa in. One large arena, seating arrangements on two sides and a large set of varying weapons on one side. The only difference this time, is that there’s a person in the middle of the arena. She’s training all by her lonesome. Her hands, each wielding a uniquely designed blade. They look familiar, like I’ve seen them once before. What’s really eye catching however, is the woman herself. She’s beautiful, really beautiful. Her gorgeous emerald eyes shining even from a fair distance away. Her luminescent bright pink hair, long enough to reach her lower abdomen, dancing in the air as she moves. Her pale skin glistering in the light. Bewitchingly so at that. Her mature body, an hour glass shape, even more so visible with the clothes she’s wearing. They’re the same as the ones I wore when I fought Melissa, but they look way better on her. As for her movements, they’re masterful. Her duel wielding skills far exceed mine, I can tell this from a single glance.

"Beauty wise, she’s without a doubt on the same level as Peyton and Melissa. But strength wise, they don’t even begin to compare."

An S-Rank, through and through.

Melissa then walks towards the arena, followed by Peyton and then me.

"Hey Sakura. You busy?" She says.

"Hm?" Sakura stops to look. "It’s Melly. Oh and Pey-Pey too? Hehe, come on, you know I’m never too busy to see you two!" She says as she runs towards them. Leaving her blades on the arena’s surface. She then jumps on them as they both catch her. "I missed you guys so much! What are you doing here? Did you come here to see me because you missed me too? Aw, that’s so sweet!" She rambles on as she snuggles both Peyton and Melissa.

Three beautiful girls hugging each other.

"I won’t lie, that’s adorable."

"Hm?" Sakura pauses as she notices me. "Oh, who’s the cutie?" She asks.

"Cutie?"

"Cutie?"

"Well. While it’s no secret that Raid is indeed incredibly cute-"

"I am?"

"Please refrain from saying that out loud when Pey’s around, okay Cherry?" Says Melissa.

"Didn’t you basically just say the same thing just now? What’s up with that anyway?"

"Oh...so it’s like that, huh?" Sakura asks.

"Yes. Exactly like tha-urk!" A hand’s placed on Melissa’s neck.

"Urk!" And so is it on Sakura’s.

They’re Peyton’s hands. Her face is laced with an intent to kill. I doubt there’s anything that can stop her from going through with it. Her eyes are glowing a black light.

"Truth-Seeking Eyes!"

"Hold on, Pey-Pey! You’ve activated your most powerful Skill!? Y-you’re not gonna do anything right!?" Sakura asks with slightly teary eyes.

"Looks like she’s about to cast Revela A Sheol." Says Melissa.

"Hold on! Isn’t that her last resort Spell no one alive has ever seen!? The one that can kill even S-Ranks in an instant!?" Sakura wails.

"She has something like that!?"

"Yes. Yes it is." Says Melissa.

"You gave me no choice. I have to do this now... You two only brought this upon yourselves. To you the Spirits of Light are but nourishment. A feast meant to quench your insatiable hunger..."

"She’s doing a great job at sounding like an overpowered MC who’s finally been pushed over the edge right now. She’s even already started chanting that Spell of hers they’re talking about. And I thought she was plenty scary before. I see now that I had no idea."

"Welp... It was fun while it lasted." Says Melissa closing her eyes,

"How are you so calm about this!? We’re about to die y’know!" Sakura cries out.

"Death at the hand of my little sister. Doesn’t sound so bad."

"You’ve always been insane. H-hey, hey new guy!" Sakura says as she looks at me. "Raid, right? C-could you please help me out here!?" She begs.

"Sorry sister, I’m honestly scared of that woman." I say slowly backing away.

"P-please! I-I don’t wanna die like this!"

"Yeah no shit! Me neither! Who the hell does!?"

"Haah." But I cave regardless. "Let’s see...how do I do this?"

"Oh...that could work. Hey Peyton..."

"Yeah?" Peyton looks at me.

"Remember how you said that blade of mine is better than your knives?"

"Of course. That blade was a work of art."

"Well, then. If you let these two live. I’ll make you two new knives as awesome as First Dawn."

"Eh? ...promise?"

"Promise."

"...alright then!" She says as she lets both Melissa and Sakura go.

"Haah. Sweet release!" Sakura sighs heavily.

"Meh. Makes no difference to me." Says Melissa.

"Yeah, no one asked you...hm?" Sakura then looks at me. "You really did me a favor there, new guy. I don’t know what the whole knives thing was about but, thank you!"

"Hmph! ...uhm?"

"Sorry! I’m a hugger." She is in fact hugging me.

"And I’m a total stranger." I say.

"Any friend of these two is a friend of mine!" She replies.

"You don’t say."

"Now that I’ve gotten a closer look at her, she really does have a ’biiiiig personality’, considering my head is basically buried in it as we speak."

"I see what you meant back there now." I say looking at Melissa.

"Told you." She replies.

Sakura looks a bit confused. Not surprising. It’s basically an inside joke at this point. Peyton however isn’t confused. She just looks slightly irritated.

"Okay, you can stop hugging him now." She says.

"Oh right... Sorry. Hehe." Sakura lets me go.

"Haah... Seriously." Says Peyton scratching her head.

"It’s odd though. I still don’t get why Peyton felt threatened by Sakura. She seems cool and it looks like all three ladies get along just fine and don’t care at all about all that Warrior hierarchy bullshit. Besides, Peyton has a special Spell that can kill even S-Ranks, apparently. So then, is it really the so called ’big personality’ she’s so threatened by? I didn’t think Peyton cared about that kinda stuff, but I guess...if a certain part of my body that will not be mentioned was a tad smaller than some random guy’s, I’d probably not be okay with it. But I’m confident in my size so it’s no big deal...or should I say no small deal. Heheh. Anyway, same goes for Peyton. In my view, hell I think she’s got it going on, but I guess a woman would have a different perspective on the matter than I."

The girls have begun chatting among themselves and catching up while I’m lost in thought.

"I should try to comfort her." I think.

I then walk up to Peyton and tap her shoulder.

"Hey, don’t worry..."I say. "You’re still young, I’m sure if you give it time, your chest will grow into a size you can be proud of." I finish with a thumbs up and a smile.

"Nailed it."

....

The room falls quiet. Everyone’s looking at me with jaw dropped expressions. Well, everyone but Peyton. She’s just looking down.

"Hey Melly?"

"Yeah Cherry?"

"Tell me new guy didn’t just tell Pey-Pey not to worry about her chest size."

"I can’t do that, Cherry."

"Why not, Melly?"

"Because that’s exactly what new guy just said."

"What’s up? Did I say something wrong?" I ask both Melissa and Sakura.

"Uhm... What is wrong and what is right, really?" Says Sakura.

"Can we truly say we know if a line has been crossed?" Adds Melissa.

"After all, we are but simple humans."

"Merely following the whims of the universal forces that govern our reality."

"What is this, Philosophy Class?"

"What is up with you two-"

"Do you really mean that?"

"Hm?"

"Do you really mean what you just said?" Peyton asks as she looks at me.

"Uh...yeah of course."

"Really? ...then...thanks a lot!" She says with a bright smile.

"Whoa, she’s not mad."

"Of course not, it’s because it’s him." Melissa replies to Sakura.

"Huh? What’s me?" I ask.

"Wow... Seems like it’s true what they say about handsome guys after all." Says Sakura.

"The heck she talking about?"

"Hey Raid?" Melissa calls.

"Yeah?"

"Could you trust me well enough to tell me your Intelligence Stat?"

"You think that’s why?" Sakura asks.

"I guess it’s not a problem since it’s gonna change anyway... It should be above fifty-thousand by now." I answer Melissa.

"Then that proves it. It’s definitely the handsome guys thing." She says.

"I see, so the new guy’s a B-Rank, ey?"

"F actually." Peyton answers Sakura.

"Huh?"

"Raid’s actually an F-Rank." Melissa joins.

"Uhm...but he said his Stats are-"

"Yeah he’s apparently pretty broken like that."

"Hey! Rude." I lash out at Melissa’s comment.

"Come on guys... You really expect me to believe that he’s a Blacksmith Class!? The first one in history!?"

"Yes! That’s exactly what we expect you to believe!" A yell echoes through the room from a distance, responding to Sakura’s question. We all look to the direction it came from. From near the room entrance, a man approaches. He’s clad in a pure white suit and a black tie and shoes. From his face alone, one could easily tell that he has lived for quite the number of years. However, his posture, the way he walks, his entire physique is toned to perfection. A presence that demands respect. A strong and firm build, as if he’s physically capable of damn near anything. This is the Manager of the Niger Branch Warriors Association. This is...Chadwick Sukala.