Chapter 173: The skill

*THOOOM*

A building shattered as the aberrant flew and fell over the building. crashing it.

Standing on a small disc in midair, Yverine looked down at the aberrants.

Meanwhile, standing on the rooftop of a ruined building, Brandon sipped his drink, casually leaning on the railing.

Naevora was standing beside him, sipping her own drink as they watched Naevora fighting.

It’s already been two days since they came to Japan.

At this time, suddenly Naevora’s gaze narrowed and looked at the monster lumbering forward, smashing streetlamps and trampling cars like discarded toys.

"A powerful one..."

Brandon raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at the hulking aberrant walking toward Yverine smashing some buildings on its way.

’That certainly looks powerful...’

He turned his gaze to Yverine who stood unmoving in the air.

Yverine let out a soft breath and a sliver glint passed through her eyes "Got no other choice. I know this day would come one day..."

As she muttered, her hair suddenly glowed as a silver trail of fire burned on her hair, first at the ends of her hair, then traveling up in a curling arc.

Brandon was dumbfounded to see this ’Is that her skill?’

Seeing this, Naevora smiled dryly ’Is she not embarassed anymore?’

Yverine’s eyes turned silver and the flames condensed, forming a pair of fox ears on her head.

*swoosh* The flames on her body burned her outer clothes, revealing her tight top and her tight shorts.

The silver fire reached her waist before reaching her ass and forming a fiery fox tail just above her ass.

"What the fuck." Brandon almost spit out his drink looking at her transformation and he coughed, nearly spilling his drink.

Naevora couldn’t help control her laughter as she patted his shoulder "You okay?"

He wiped his lips and gave a nod "Y-Yeah, it’s just that.. it is unexpected."

She continued patting his shoulder "This is her skill."

The aberrant roared and its body swelled with thick tendrils and teeth along its arms.

It leapt toward her as its jaws split into three with a mess of bone and gore.

Yverine’s hands glowed with silver flames and then sliced forward in a swift motion.

A fox-shaped burst of flame exploded from her body, spiraling downward and colliding with the beast mid-air.

*THOOM*

The shockwave alone flattened the surrounding buildings further, sending burning chunks of metal and concrete tumbling in every direction.

"GRAAARGHHH!!!" The beast screamed as it was engulfed in silvery flames, thrashing wildly while disintegrating from the inside out.

Brandon and Naevora stood side by side silently.

Yverine kept her gaze on the burning aberrant as the wind tousled her burning hair.

Brandon let out a low whistle "Okay... I take back everything. She’s terrifying."

Yverine turned her head and glanced at Brandon looking at her.

Her body stiffened and a rush of embarrassment across her face "...Damn it."

The silver flames around her dimmed slightly, sputtering like they’d been caught off guard too.

She cursed internally, eyes darting down again at her outfit... or rather, the lack of her outfit.

The thin, tight black top hugged her body and shorts clung just below her hips, and the fire-forged fox tail swayed behind her.

’Damn Aspect Transformation. Atleast it didn’t burn these clothes too...’

She quickly turned her face away, her silver hair whipping with the motion, trying to act like she didn’t care.

But the redness in her ears betrayed her completely.

On the rooftop, Brandon tilted his head. "Huh. She just looked at me like I walked in on her naked or something."

Naevora let out a soft laugh "You did whistle at her like a pervert."

"Eh? I meant it in a respectful way. Respectfully terrified."

Naevora hummed under breath "Mmhm. I’m sure she felt very respected when you stared at her glowing fox tail and ass."

Back in the sky, Yverine was still frozen in midair.

Her hand moved up slowly, covering part of her face as the embarrassment refused to fade.

She could hear their voices, even at this distance.

It didn’t help that her ears were now enhanced, picking up every word.

She gritted her teeth and muttered "...I’m going to kill him,"

But then, she heard him again and this time, it was softer.

"Still though... amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. That fox blast looked so cool."

Something in his voice... genuine awe made her pause.

The flush on her face remained and she inhaled deeply, her tail flickering once before settling.

The fire around her dimmed, then extinguished with a whisper of ether.

Her hair returned to its usual color with fading silver streaks, and her fox-like features vanished in a curl of steam.

She slowly descended, dashing on the small discs and landed on the rooftop.

Brandon turned to face her, one hand rubbing the back of his neck "So... uh. That was cool."

Yverine didn’t respond immediately and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, refusing to meet his gaze "Next time, don’t whistle."

"...Was it that bad?"

She gave him a sidelong glance, "Yeah, you seem like a pervert."

Naevora burst into laughter, unable to hold it anymore "Yve, are you not embarrassed anymore?"

She looked at Brandon "Brandon, all these days, she was embarrassed to use this skill in front of you, also scared that it would burn all of her clothes."

Yverine’s lips twitched as she glared at her Master ’Can you not say it?’

Naevora offered a sheepish smile, raising her hand in mock apology ’My bad.’

Meanwhile, Brandon smiled faintly "Sister Yve, it looked cool as hell. Seriously. So don’t be embarrassed."

Caught off guard by the unexpected sincerity in his voice, Yverine turned her head slightly.

She didn’t meet his gaze, but she nodded "Mhm."

At this time, Brandon realized something ’Wait. If I copy her skill, will I also grow fox tails and ears? I don’t want such skills...’

Yverine glanced at Brandon and saw that he was thinking about something.

She turned to Naevora and spoke "Master, I’m heading out. I’ll kill a few more aberrants before regrouping."

With a nod, she replied "Sure, go ahead. Don’t overdo it."

As she vanished into the distance, Brandon let out a breath and leaned his elbows against the railing.

Naevora sipped her drink again and turned to him "Thanks for being patient with her."

Hm? Brandon’s gaze condensed slightly and she continued "She’s rough, but she’s got this... weight on her shoulders. Like she’s trying to carry the world and pretend it’s nothing."

"She’s been like that since I took her in. Grew up in the outer districts. Lost her family in a rupture incident. She was strong enough to survive... but not strong enough to protect them."

Brandon’s gaze softened upon hearing this.

Naevora let out a deep sigh "When I took her in, she didn’t even cry. She just asked to be made stronger. Not for revenge. Just so she’d never be helpless again."

Brandon exhaled. "I... see."

They both stood in silence for a while as the rustle of wind across the ruined city accompanied them.

Suddenly, a distant explosion bloomed in the horizon followed by a ripple of silver ether.

Naevora looked out "That’s her."

Brandon squinted slightly "Did she just suplex an aberrant into a crater?"

"She’s letting off steam," Naevora said with a knowing smile. "Just give her time."

"I get the feeling she doesn’t hate me," he said. "She’s just... figuring out how not to."

Naevora nodded quietly. "You’re not wrong."

Then she stepped back toward the center of the rooftop, finishing the last of her whiskey and setting the glass aside.

"Come on. Let’s practice the disc technique again. We’ve got a couple more days before we head back."

---

It was already night and the sky is painted with deep shades of indigo.

A gentle breeze carried with it the scent of roasted soy, grilled meat, and the faint tang of the nearby bay.

Brandon walked beside Yverine down a quiet backstreet with the sidewalk bathing in warm lamplight from rows of izakayas and small eateries tucked between narrow buildings.

Yverine wore a black zip-up jacket over her usual combat-fit attire, her long hair tied back into a high ponytail.

She isn’t walking ahead of him, like usual, nor staying silent with her earbuds in.

She was walking

with

him, shoulder to shoulder, just close enough that their sleeves brushed now and then.

Brandon had his hands in his pockets, hoodie sleeves pushed up to his forearms.

The past few days had been exhausting, physically and mentally, but tonight felt different.

After a while, Yverine glanced at him sideways, her silver eyes catching the glow from a nearby vending machine. "You always walk this slow?" she asked, a touch of dry humor in her tone.

Brandon shrugged casually "I’m matching your pace. Isn’t that what a gentleman’s supposed to do?"

She raised an eyebrow "Huh. Didn’t expect that answer. A gentleman also shouldn’t whistle looking at women’s ass."

He gave her a flat look "Let’s not talk about that please."

A soft chuckle escaped her lips "Alright."

They continued walking in silence for a while, the city noise growing fainter as they turned down a narrower street lit by overhead lanterns strung across from building to building.

Farther down, a small traditional restaurant sat nestled between a ramen shop and a bookstore.

Its noren curtain fluttered gently in the breeze, and the scent of grilled eel and sweet miso filled the air.

"That’s the place," Yverine said, nodding toward the restaurant.

As they approached, Brandon glanced sideways "You picked this one?"

She gave a small nod "Master told me to pick somewhere good while she finishes her call. But she said not to wait for her."

Brandon tilted his head "So it’s just us tonight?"

Yverine hesitated for a second but then she nodded "Yeah."

They stepped inside, greeted by the quiet warmth of wood interiors, soft jazz playing from hidden speakers, and a gentle clatter of dishes.

The hostess greeted them with a bow and led them to a window booth overlooking the street.

The two settled in, removing their jackets and stretching slightly.

Brandon leaned back with a sigh. "It’s nice. Cozy."

Yverine looked out the window with her arms folded on the table. "Better than most places I’ve been to."

He looked at her curiously "You travel a lot?"

Looking at him, she nodded her head "Hm. Master takes me to places for training ro for dungeons."

"Sounds fun."

"It sure is."

A waitress brought them warm towels and small cups of tea.

As they began placing their orders, grilled saba, oden, and chicken nanban.

Brandon leaned back and watched her discussing dipping sauces with the waitress.

Yverine, who is usually so cold and focused in battle, was so different here.

She is still guarded around him still but with an edge softened by warmth.

And for the first time in a long while, he realized how much he enjoyed just... spending time with her.

At the same time, a woman walked to the restaurent, her violet hair fluttering in the night’s cold breeze.