[1 week later]
[Kitsu POV]
"Sigh, it's bigger and stronger. I can also hold its shape way easier now," I said, wiping a bit of sweat from my brow as I looked down at the half-sliced adamite brick lying on the training floor, its surface glowing faintly from the residual energy. The clean cut shimmered with barely restrained heat, steam still curling from its exposed core.
"Hmm, you're really improving fast," Kayda said, crouching beside the adamite brick and tapping it with her knuckle, producing a metallic thud. She raised an eyebrow, then gave me a sidelong glance, lips curling in a soft smile. "You weren't even able to dent this last week."
"Well, I only have that much time left before the deadline," I said with a proud grin, twirling a small orb of golden fire between my fingers before letting it dissipate. "No time to slack off."
"That you do, that you do." She nodded thoughtfully, then turned her golden eyes back to me with a mischievous glint. "Hmm, do you think you'll be able to take my full-power scorch ball now?"
"Huh!" I blinked and stared at her, dumbfounded. "Have you gone crazy after I haven't seen you in a few days?" My eyes narrowed. "Because that's what that sounds like. Actual insanity."
"Pfft." Kayda burst out laughing, her voice echoing slightly in the stone training room. "I guess you can," she added with a wink, clearly not taking my terror seriously.
"Sigh, whatever." I flopped down onto the floor, my long tails twitching with a mix of exhaustion and exasperation. "Do you want to go on a date?"
"..."
Her laughter stopped. She blinked. Then he just looked at me. Silent. Serious.
"I'm serious, Kayda. Do you want to enjoy the day today or not?" I asked, turning my head to look up at her. Her expression remained unreadable. "We both have the day off, after all."
"Are you taking a break from training?" she asked, but there was uncertainty in her tone now, like she wasn't quite sure if I meant it.
"Yeah, I got far enough for the week." I rolled onto my back, arms spread. The cold floor felt oddly comfortable against my skin. "I think I'll only need two more days before I can manage it well enough."
"Huh. Are you getting arrogant now?" she teased, her smirk making a comeback as she poked me in the side with her tail.
"If someone is stating facts, it is not called arrogance," I said, nodding wisely at her like some ancient monk.
"Oh sure, sure. Whatever the old lady says."
"You are older than me."
"No, I'm not."
"Yeah, you are. "You are older than me by two years," I said, laughing as I sat up and grinned at her smugly.
"Nooo," Kayda whined, turning her head away dramatically, pretending to be offended. Her tail flicked behind her like a pouty cat's.
"Kayda, just accept it, okay? Wisdom comes with age."
"Tsk." She crossed her arms. "So, what do you want to do on our date?"
"There are a few places I know you'd like to go," I said, grinning as I stood up and dusted off my clothes.
"Oh? So you're actually planning this, huh?"
"No, I just thought there might be places you'd like to go. You know me—I wing things like this." I shrugged.
"Sigh. As expected," Kayda said, her voice laced with playful disappointment.
"Heh. Get used to that feeling."
"..."
"Okay, okay, I was joking, alright?" I said, chuckling. "I do actually have a plan for everything we're doing today."
"You say that, but..." she said, trailing off suspiciously.
"Haha, don't worry. I'm confident everything will go halfway in my plan."
"Ah, so I should expect 50% of everything to go right."
"Pretty much," I confirmed, flashing her a sharp-toothed smile as I opened the front door for her with a dramatic bow.
"Haha. Thank you, milady," Kayda said with an exaggerated curtsy as she stepped out, climbing into the car parked in the driveway.
"You know where to go already, right?" I asked the driver as I slid into the other side.
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, and the car purred into motion smoothly, rolling down the polished path toward the estate gates.
"Good. Then let's go," I said, settling back into my seat and letting the moment stretch.
"So... do you have any hints about what we're doing?" Kayda asked, turning to me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"Well, it's almost lunchtime. First, we're going to this lovely little shop I found the first time I went to the city alone."
"Okay, so it's a meat place."
"Of course it's a meat place. What do you think of me? That I'd go to a vegetarian restaurant?" I gave her a scandalized look.
"Sigh. It would be the world's end if we saw you in a vegetarian restaurant, Kitsu."
"Pfft. Only the world?"
"Haha. Okay, okay. I get it."
"Well, anyway, we're here."
"Kitsu, we haven't even driven that far," Kayda said, glancing out the window. The mansion was still visible behind us, only a few blocks away.
"Yeah, so? Look, we're at a steakhouse." I pointed proudly at the large sign above the elegant building.
"Right... I never realized this was here," she muttered, eyeing the place with interest.
"Mother said the same thing the first time I brought her here." I pushed open the restaurant doors, letting the rich scent of seared meat roll over us.
"Huh. Then what was the point of the car?" Kayda asked, throwing a thumb behind her.
"Oh, the next stop is going to be some distance away."
"And the next stop is...?"
"Hehe, it's a secret," I said, grinning mischievously.
"Sigh."
"Good afternoon, ladies. Your table is on the second floor," the waiter said, bowing deeply with a smile.
"Thanks, Sebastian. I knew I could trust you." I clapped his shoulder as we stepped in.
"Well, knowing a moneybag is coming in, we need to prepare properly," Sebastian replied, straightening with a knowing smirk.
"Money bag?" Kayda asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah, it's a name and badge they give to people who spend a lot of money here," I said, puffing my chest out proudly.
"How much?"
"Uuh, what's the minimum, Sebastian?" I asked.
"Three hundred gold, ma'am," he replied smoothly, pulling out a chair for Kayda with a waiter's grace.
"There. Three hundred. That's the minimum," I said, plopping down in my seat.
"And how much did you spend?"
"Hmm... about nine hundred, I think?" I said casually.
"Great. Just great," Kayda muttered, resting her head in one hand.
"Yeah, and I'm not even the top spender," I added, smirking.
"What?" Kayda looked truly baffled now.
"Hehe. That's why this place is so great. Their target market is basically people like me—who eat a lot and aren't concerned about price."
"Huh... that's... strangely smart."
"I thought so too. Anyway—Sebastian, no budget today."
"I will do that, ma'am," he said before walking away.
"Hey, it's only lunch. No need to go overboard," Kayda warned.
"Well, our next activity will be quite physical." I wiggled my eyebrows.
"What are we doing after this?" she asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"It's a secret," I said again, smirking like a fox with a fresh rabbit.
"You—sigh—whatever."
[45 minutes later]
"You can't be serious, Kitsu," Kayda said, staring at the looming forest in front of us. The trees bent inward, shadowing the entrance like a giant mouth. The air carried a strange, sharp scent—something between burnt wood and wild animal.
"I am." I adjusted the straps of my gear and stretched my neck. "I asked Rebecca about the issues concerning the Dead Forest and everything related to it. After talking to her, I worked out a route for us to take care of the monsters while circling."
"You call that a date?"
"Well, it's not just that." I wagged a finger. "Afterward, we'll head to the night market in the lower district. They have an event going on tonight. Come on, let's get a move on. We don't have all day."
"You let everyone know we're coming today?" Kayda asked as we stepped into the gloom.
"Yup. Rebecca and Lily said they'd handle that part. I've never worked with Black Ops before, so I figured it was best to let the veterans handle the internal stuff."
"I see..." Kayda looked around the dark forest. "You really were planning this."
"I only planned it for a few days. That's not a long time, Kayda. It's just a few sketches and ideas, not a whole operation."
"True. Still, when did you even decide to do something like this? And don't say this is your idea of a romantic battle date."
"Ugh. I'd never call it that. I'd call it a... couples battle." I said, cheeks flushing a bit.
"Kitsu..."
"Fine, fine." I waved my hand. "The moment I learned about the Dead Forest. It's a wonderful place with strong monsters and a high chance of dying horribly. However, it has become more stable due to the efforts of Rebecca and her squads. So, it's the perfect place to test my invisible mana and level up."
"Sigh. So you want me to stand on the sidelines while you punch things?"
"Nooo. I'm a sage in training. You'll be my guide."
"Sigh. That night market better be amazing."
"Hehe. Thank you. And don't worry, you won't regret it."
"Well then, lead the way."
"Yes, darling," I said with a dramatic kiss to her cheek.
"Hmm. Do you have a map for this route?"
"Of course I do." I pulled it from my storage and handed it over. "Whether we follow it is another thing."
"Why... oh. We go up the mountain a bit?" Kayda frowned, studying it.
"Only halfway. We are just two people, after all. If we push too far and something goes wrong, we might actually die."
"At least you know that. Still, halfway up is already a bit of a push."
"It is?"
"Yeah. We'll survive, but if one of the kings comes down from the summit..." she trailed off.
"We get caught up in something we really shouldn't."
"Huh... yeah. Let's not take the risk."
"I agree."