“I knew that Outsider couldn’t be trusted,” Olfric growled. “Mark my words, he and Tanya are up to something.”

Zuken’s eyes glittered a shade brighter, and he wore a smile reserved for when he was exceptionally furious about something. “Getting angry won’t help anyone, Bergott. If anything, I’d say that last night’s events were rather illuminating.”

The two of them were back at the premises of Iylaerion. After leaving the Meewich Gate, Zuken and Elena went back to his estate while Olfric had offered to escort the Secretary to his residence.

Elena had taken up full-time residence at his mansion ever since they’d returned from the anomaly mission, and in the time lapsed, she’d grown visibly more paranoid and possessive towards him despite her best efforts to keep it as covert as possible. It was like watching a car crash, seeing her trying to appear casual while jumping at every other shadow, especially since Aguilar’s comatose form was lying in one of the rooms.

In the end, it was she who had suggested that Tanya should be hosting Aguilar. She hadn’t given him proper reasons, since ‘I had a hunch’ didn’t quite register as legitimate.

But that was for later.

“Is that so?” Olfric hummed. “Enlighten me.”

“We’ve learned that Lukas Aguilar is not without his bonds. His loyalty is certainly bound to Tanya.”

“Loyalty?”

Zuken frowned. “I suppose ‘loyalty’ might be an inapt description here. However, he has demonstrated that he is willing to go the extra mile for her for some reason.”

“Some reason? She’s sleeping with him! You can’t seriously be telling me you didn’t pick up on the looks he gave her in the anomaly?”

“You’re telling me that Lukas Aguilar, an Outsider and possible demigod, is making things intentionally difficult for himself in a new world simply because he gets to sleep with some girl?”

“It’s no stranger than some of the other things Gods and Divine spawn have been known to do. There’s the Fortune God Ebisu’s perverted inclination with jellyfish and Amaterasu’s…” Olfric paused. Walking over to the window, he covered it with the drapes to keep the sunlight out. “There’s her history with her own brother…”

“You’re one step away from claiming Aguilar is a demigod angling for a happy harem,” Zuken teased.

Olfric scowled at that. “Oh yeah? Well, do you know what he wants?”

“He mentioned he wants to find a way back.”

“To where? Back to his own world? We both know he did something with the Omphalos of the Crypt. Elena mentioned something about him absorbing all that power, and we saw how he devoured enchantments and mana like they were food. An ability like that doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, and not without reason.”

“You’re suggesting he may have ulterior motives?”

“Who doesn’t?” the Bergott heir challenged. “The entire thing is too fishy. The sudden presence of yokai in the desert with technology that could make our mechanics salivate, Tanya’s weird kami with weirder ice-based powers, and now this Outsider who is freakishly obsessed with being on her side.” His face was tinged red, and he looked agitated beyond belief. “There are too many variables in the open. With the war between Karnegrug and Luthar on one end, and Eaborid reacting to the detonation in the desert… It’s all a bubbling cauldron on the verge of blowing up in our faces.”

“And you believe Lukas Aguilar’s presence is too well-timed to be a coincidence.” Zuken had framed it like a question, but it was more of a statement. “But, I suppose it’s a good thing that the confrontation happened. No one demanded to know why I wanted Tanya to regain the Shimizu name in the first place.”

Olfric raised an eyebrow at the mischievous expression on his face. “Banksi… What are you scheming?”

“I did my homework,” Zuken grinned. “Let’s just say that Yanric Shimizu has a bigger reputation than most know of, or want to know of.”

“He was the son of the Wind King,” Olfric replied, not seeing the point. “And the wielder of Ezzeron after his father’s death. Known to be nigh undefeatable until his… death.” His eyes widened. “You think Tanya had something to—”

Zuken tsked. Olfric was quick to throw accusations. Zuken would need him to get over that bad habit. “Not everything revolves around Tanya, my friend. Yanric Shimizu was also charged with the imprisonment of a certain Tsurara. A creature of snow and ice.”

“Her ice-type kami?”

Zuken rolled his eyes. “Stop jumping to conclusions, Bergott.”

“…”

“The Shimizu clan was rumored to have been attacked numerous times in the past by insurgent forces. There were rumors of kidnapping, deaths, and cursed murders involved, but the clan swept it all under the rug.” Zuken carefully regarded him. “It is my theory that these… insurgents were after Tsurara.”

“Are you really telling me—”

“A creature beyond an Asukan’s ability to bind,” Zuken barrelled on. “A creature so powerful that she was made to possess the bodies of countless bremeten women in an attempt to trap it in a physical form.”

Olfric collapsed upon the chair. “A Yokai.”

Zuken grimly smiled. “Precisely.”

“What of the women?”

He could only offer Olfric a half-shrug. “Sacrifices are often necessary for the greater good. Or the benefit of the clan. The life and potential of several women must have been worth far less than Tsurara.”

“I can’t believe—” Olfric raked his fingers through his hair. “And— and what happened to her?”

“Her trail vanished sometime before Tanya fled Cyffnar. I’m still trying to get more information on what she actually did before coming here, but it's a work in progress.”

“You think that Tanya has Tsurara—”

“Or is possessed by the creature. Yes.”

“And Aguilar?”

“A piece that could prove instrumental in solving this puzzle. What I do know is that Tanya defers to him. Or, at least, this Tsurara does. I doubt Tanya herself knows it. If my hunch is correct, this may lead us straight to whatever allows the Yokai to exist within the desert and not register under the Divine Scans of the Empire.”

“Careful Banksi,” Olfric finally said after a few moments of silence. “One might think you have more ambition than being a freeholding Guild Master.”

“Please,” Zuken snorted, staring at the draped window. “You’ve only begun to scratch the surface of my ambitions.”

Lukas awoke to a massive, mind-numbing headache. Every time his heart beat, it sent a pulse of pain straight to his brain. Against his better judgement, he blearily opened his eyes, only to be blinded by the burning morning sunlight. He shut them immediately, but even closed, Lukas could see bright flashes of multi-colored dots dancing around in the darkness.

It took several minutes before he tried opening his eyes again. And to his immense relief, the sunlight wasn’t nearly as harsh this time around. He still had to squint, but it was infinitely better than being painfully blinded. Finally regaining his vision and feeling his headache lessen, he decided to take stock of his surroundings.

And froze.

Feeling an unfamiliar weight on his chest, Lukas grabbed the edges of the sheets and slowly raised them up. From his distorted memories of the previous night and the soft, feminine moan that was just let out, he had a good guess of who was next to him. His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted a familiar mop of golden hair. The sight of Tanya Shimizu drooling on his chest while snuggling against him wasn’t something he thought he would ever see in his lifetime. Certainly, he’d had incredibly detailed dreams of her ever since leaving the Crypt, but she seemed to be one of those ‘tease, but no touching’ types.

With their bodies practically smashed together, he could feel her every curse, every inch of soft, smooth skin on his own. Both of them were completely naked, he realized, and his erect, throbbing manhood was trapped between the spiritist’s luscious thighs. She shifted in her sleep, grinding against him, stirring a little more, before stopping altogether. Lukas would’ve believed she was still asleep if not for the small grin on her face.

“I know you’re awake.”

Her smile widened, though her eyes remained closed.

“Any plans for getting up?” he asked.

Finally, she lifted her head from his chest and stared at him with cute, blue eyes that shone with happiness and mischief. “No, you make a good pillow. I think I’ll keep you.”

Lukas mock-sighed. “There goes my chance at getting my own room.”

“You can always pay half the rent.”

“Not a terrible idea.”

Tanya smiled. Dragging herself across his chest, she tilted her head up and kissed his jaw. Lukas ran his fingers across her tresses and pulled her into a deep kiss.

“So… I’m not complaining or anything,” he said, pulling back, “but what does this make us?”

“Are you asking if I’ve fallen in love with you?”

Tanya laughed. It was a beautiful sound.

“Well?” he demanded.

“It’s… complicated.”

“Well, let’s uncomplicate it.”

Tanya sighed. “Do we really need to do this now?”

His hands found her ass and caressed it. “Haven’t you heard of pillow talk?”

“Pillow talk…” Tanya repeated, as if tasting how the word felt. “Sounds like an intimate thing.”

“It is.” He pulled her closer. “Now talk.”

Tanya muttered something incomprehensible under her breath and rested her head against his chest. “You were right yesterday. I’ve been hiding all my life, even from myself. Every time someone figured out my secret, I panicked and… you know. I was always afraid to trust people, or make friends for that matter. There was always the possibility of people finding out, and when that happened, I’d need to… silence them.”

Lukas found it a little funny and endearing that an infamous murderess was hesitant to even use the word kill in casual conversation.

He pulled her tighter.

That seemed to make her relax a little.

“Then you met me. Someone the Frost couldn’t kill.”

He could hear her heaving. “And you— you brought the Frost under control. To be able to use my powers without losing myself was… new. And exhilarating. I know I have you to thank for that.”

“I might have a few ideas about a down payment if you’d like to show your gratitude.”

She snuggled a bit closer. “You infuriate me to no end. You push me like no one ever has. With everything that’s going on, the svartalfars and this new development about my family, you’ve stood beside me through it all, risking yourself in the process. Unnecessarily, I might add.”

“Ah.” Lukas frowned. He certainly didn’t like where this was going. “Then… is this my reward? An incentive to remain on your side?”

Tanya gave him an oblique look. “I wouldn’t have phrased it that way.”

He snorted. “Sure you wouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

It was his turn to give her an appraising look. “You don’t need to pay me in sex, Tanya. You’re right. I like you. And honestly, with the way you are, I’d have to be a freaking reptile to not get all hot and bothered about you. But I did those things because you’re my friend, or at least whatever passes for friendship in this world. My partner. My teammate.”

He pushed himself off of her until she was lying beside him. “I thought we were having an actual thing, not me getting compensated for—”

“You’ve gone over the top to aid me in difficult situations,” Tanya replied softly, her eyes squinted slightly. “Some people might think you’ve earned my attention.”

“People think stupid things all the time. The only opinion that matters is yours. I didn’t want to force you into anything.”

“And what if I was willing?”

His stomach jumped a little at that. Tanya was attractive as hell. For God’s sake, they had just had a night of passion and still the thought of her writhing below him made the little guy stand up in salute.

Tanya chuckled at that.

“Minx,” Lukas growled. He grabbed her back and pulled her close. “I want you and I’d love it if you want me back. But not if there’s an element of coercion involved in it. I’m not into mmmph—”

Tanya pressed her lips into his, and the words he was about to say vanished from his mind. Within five seconds of mingling her breath and saliva with his, the lifeforce within him went berserk with naked lust. Within fifteen seconds, his mind had conjured a list of ‘Things To Do With Tanya’. By the twenty-fifth, he was lying down on his back, with her straddling him. He tried to be careful, reminding himself that she didn’t have an enormous amount of lifeforce flooding her veins, but Tanya seemed to react even more aggressively than he was.

So maybe it wasn’t about lifeforce at all.

Maybe it was about them.

And wasn’t that an amazing thought?

Finally, she pulled herself away and— was she pouting at him?

"What?"

If anything, her pout grew more pronounced. She glared at him sullenly with her golden bangs falling all over her face.

“Aguilar…” she enunciated, sounding like a parent reprimanding a child. “Has anybody told you that you aren’t a genius at conversation?”

“Um… not in those exact words,” he answered hesitantly, the question feeling slightly surreal. Inanna had called him thick-headed several times, but—

“Well, you aren’t,” she smirked. “So just shut up.”

She grabbed his hand and guided it to the appropriate destination.

There wasn’t a lot of talking after that.