Shin and Bael lay lazily on their beds. Shin was too exhausted to move anywhere. His body cried in agony as the aftermath of the battle hit him like a train.
Shin occasionally let out a few cries of pain, and each time Bael would laugh at him.
"What's the matter, Your Majesty? You don't seem to be doing well today," Bael asked mockingly.
Shin responded with a moan. Bael continued to laugh at him as he got up and started poking him.
Each time Bael poked Shin, he would cry out in agony.
"Will you stop being a crybaby," Bael said as he continued to laugh and poke Shin.
"My body feels like I went through a blender for fourteen hours straight," Shin said in a hoarse voice.
Bael laughed hysterically. He fell back onto the floor and laughed until he started crying.
Shin lay there, having to endure the ridicule and humiliation from his master.
"When I'm king, I'll make sure I pay you back tenfold," Shin muttered.
Through laughter and tears, Bael managed to speak, "You say that as if you won't die doing some of the trials."
Shin looked at him with a confused expression. Bael saw it and continued laughing even harder.
He lay on the floor and waved his hands around to surrender.
"Please stop, you're going to kill me," Bael managed between breaths.
After a while, the room fell silent. Bael remained on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Shin remained on the bed, face flat.
Bael looked down at their luggage. He stared at a long, slim object wrapped in dark blue cloth embroidered with gold sigils.
He let out a heavy sigh as he walked up to the object. Bael unraveled the cloth and revealed a gorgeous katana.
It was in a beautifully crafted dark blue saya, embroidered with golden lines. It had light blue ocean patterns on it, capturing the beauty and mysterious danger of the sea.
Its crossguard had a unique circular pattern made up of sixteen thin golden arms. He held its deep blue handle and pulled it out.
The blade was sleek and clean. Its edge looked razor-sharp. Bael flipped it on its side and studied the inscription written on it.
The inscription was written in an old Japanese language, but Bael knew the words by heart.
He placed the sword down and knelt before it. Bael stayed in that position in complete silence for an hour straight.
He bowed three times and placed the sword back in its sheath. He wrapped it in its cloth and put it back near the luggage.
Bael stood up and walked toward the table near his bed. He sat down and wrote a message.
Bael spent a few minutes writing it. When he finished, he crossed his hands together and a magical circle appeared under the letter.
In a flash of green, the letter disappeared. Bael stood and returned to his bed.
"Rest up, Shin. Tomorrow we finally make it to the Demon God's shrine," Bael said as he laid his head on the pillow.
Shin responded with a faint moan. Bael let out a sigh and closed his eyes.