-Vol 5: A New Life-

-Title at the end-

“Shut up and stay still.” (SFX: Scrubbing sound) Kenshin grunted while holding a brush to scrub the dirt away from the child. Right now he was struggling in the bathtub filled with water added with disinfectants suitable for the children of his age.

Yes! Turns out the child was actually a ‘he’ though he looks like a girl at first glance. Kenshin was not that surprised, but he did felt relieved that he had actually bought clothes from the market and not gave him Akari’s old ones. If that happened, it would have been awkward for both of them.

Since it couldn’t speak human tongue, he didn’t bother to ask him that. Most of the time Kenshin was calling him ‘you,’ and the boy also didn’t mind being called by that or probably he couldn’t understand it. Whatever the reason, it had saved him a lot of trouble since the boy agreed with everything. Now the real trouble was what to do with him! Although he had brought him home on an impulse, a child with such unusual features, he can’t just blindly hand him over to the officials. He might be uncaring, but not a cold-blooded individual who would just sit back and watch atrocities done to people he knows.

But before he could think of anything, he smelled the funny odor from the boy prompting him to give him a bath. But who would have thought that he was so resistant to the idea of taking a bath! Kenshin had to work hard to convince him or more like dragging him to water and forcefully scrub him.

The whole ordeal took around an hour and a half to over, the boy looked even more adorable than before after getting a good bath and dressed up.

“Umu! Now you look presentable. Let's go and have something to eat. Wait…before that…” after giving him a bath, Kenshin felt hungry, and the boy’s stomach was also making noises since a while ago, so he decided to take him to a restaurant and have a sumptuous meal there. But the ears at the top of his head was petty glaring. Even if nobody believed them to be real, that in itself was a great problem. They would misunderstand the situation…well since he is so small, he might get away with it.

The boy was wearing a blue color shot pant and a yellow T-shirt. Above it was a light green colored jacket that looked really good on him. He wore an old red and black colored hat that Akari once bought from the market. Kenshin had saved all the stuff that Akari once bought, starting from toys to accessories, as a form of memory. It was arranged neatly in his room, always reminding of that tiny little girl who was growing up to be a valiant hunter in future.

It’s a source of the inner peace for him, reminding him that at least he hadn't failed to keep his promise to his mom and dad. Today a hat she had once bought when she was of the same age as this child, came in handy. Though he was reluctant to give it, he had no other way either. His hat was just too big for the small head of this child. As for the small cap, it fits perfectly to the head of the child, hiding his extra appendages pretty well.

Kenshin had also bought a set of shoes for him, so he looked even more presentable. But there lied another problem. This boy couldn’t walk with just two legs like humans, or more like, he didn’t want to walk like humans. Kenshin tried a few times, but he was not prepared to stand at all. That one time he even bit Kenshin on the hand to prevent him from forcing him, though he started moaning from pain soon after due to aches in his teeth.

Kenshin’s physique was beyond that of a normal human’s, he could even crush boulders into fine dust with the amount of strength he had, how can he be hurt by a child’s biting? At last, seeing that no other way was working, he decided to just carry him in his hands. For that reason, he had to take a taxi all the way to the restaurant. He had already called it, it will appear within fifteen minutes.

Both now sitting on the couch, looking at each other. The boy would hiss at him every now and then as if complaining about something and pull on the dress he was wearing as if it's constraining him. The boy was sitting on the sofa like a cat while fiddling with the clothes in his body. Thankfully Kenshin had bought quite a sturdy set made out of materials found in the dungeon. It couldn’t be that easily torn, that too by a child.

“Heh!” Kenshin couldn’t help but give a smug grin at the frustrated looking boy. He had really beset Kenshin enough. The bathroom as well as the room they were sitting both were in shambles. Thankfully he had the skill Opposites, or else he couldn’t imagine how many hours he had to spend to arrange everything. It would have been really time consuming and irritating process.

“Grrrr!!!!” the boy growled in anger seeing the face fo smirking Kenshin. he would scratch at it every now and then, but unfortunately, the clothes were just too strong for him to even leave a scratch mark on it.

Just as they were about to start another war, Kenshin’s phone vibrated again.

“Our ride is here. let's go and something to eat.” Saying so, Kenshin grabbed the boy and took him out holding like a sack of potato. The boy also didn't cause too much trouble, probably too hungry to do anything. Although the boy didn’t understand human tongue, he was able to understand the meaning behind the words and actions.

The rest of the evening was completely uneventful, Kenshin booked a private chamber, and both of them had a full stomach meal. Kenshin was also confirmed his suspicion of lack of any eating etiquette in this boy’s eating habits, for that he had booked this private chamber. Thankfully he had predicted that and booked a room in advance before something bad had happened.

His clothes were ruined entirely, stained with some thick looking grease. Kenshin was afraid that not even washing it with most advanced techniques would remove those stains. But thanks to his Opposites, the most useful skill in his arsenal, he was able to instantly undo all those atrocities done to those poor clothes.

“Hah! God bless Opposites skill!” Kenshin shed a tear as he heard holy gospel ringing whenever he thought about Opposites skill. It was a real godsend skill that had made his life a lot less hectic and mundane.

Grabbing the boy under his arm, he walked out of the private room and headed downstairs. Since he had already paid for his food back in the room, he could directly walk out.

With high spirits, as he was walking out, he suddenly bumped into someone. Moreover, the soft sensation he felt in his chest gave the indication that the other party was a woman.

“Ahh! Sorry. I wasn’t looking!” he instantly apologized.

“No! No! It's my fault as well. I am not looking where I am going.” The woman said, but Kenshin, on the other hand, felt a weird chill when he heard that voice. He felt like he had heard that voice somewhere before.

Looking closer, he suddenly had an urge to run away.

‘ITS HER!!’ Kenshin screamed in his head.

At the same time the lady also looked up, adjusting her crimson hair and like Kenshin, an astonish light flashed on her eyes.

“It's you!!”

“Hello! Maria…long time no see!”

-Meeting Maria again!-