After the hunt they ventured deeper into the wilderness after their encounter with the Aranchnis Venomfang, Samael was back to his relentless chatter, his grin wider than ever. Ravihiro walked in stoic silence, trying his best to tune him out.
"Hey, Ravihiro, have you ever smiled in your life?" Samael teased, walking backward to face him. "You know, like this?" He pulled his lips into an exaggerated grin.
Ravihiro shot him a side glance. "You're going to trip."
"Ha! Me? Trip? I'm light as a feather, agile as—" Samael yelped as his foot caught on a rock, sending him tumbling backward into a patch of thorny vines.
Ravihiro paused, staring down at him with an almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"See?" Ravihiro muttered, continuing to walk.
"Don't pretend you're not laughing inside!" Samael called after him, struggling to pull himself free. "You're probably thinking, 'Good, now he's quieter.' Well, guess what? I'm not!"
The Sword Tease
As Samael finally caught up, he noticed Kageha at Ravihiro's side. "That sword of yours, it's pretty flashy. Do you ever talk to it? Like, 'Hey, Kageha, how's your day going? Should we slice something today, or just intimidate people?'"
"It's a sword," Ravihiro replied flatly.
"Come on! You don't even have a nickname for it? How about 'Little Blade'? Or maybe 'Mr. Stabby'?"
Ravihiro sighed. "Do you always talk this much?"
"Oh, only when I'm awake. You should hear me in my sleep. I give lectures on poison techniques. Maybe I'll name your sword! How about 'Grumpy Cutter'? It suits you."
The Cloak Swap
At one point, Samael draped his green cloak over Ravihiro's shoulders while he was distracted inspecting a beast's tracks.
"What are you doing?" Ravihiro asked, glancing down at the cloak.
"Relax, you looked cold," Samael said, striking a heroic pose. "Besides, green suits you. Brings out your cheerful personality."
Ravihiro pulled the cloak off and tossed it back to him. "I don't need it."
"Oh, come on! You're so dramatic. If you keep rejecting kindness, you'll end up scaring off anyone who tries to befriend you. Wait, is that your plan? To be the brooding lone wolf forever?"
Ravihiro didn't answer, already walking ahead. Samael followed, dramatically pretending to wipe away tears. "So cold. So heartless. The sword is probably his only friend."
The Bug Incident
As they trudged deeper into the wilderness, Samael abruptly stopped and froze, his face twisted in terror.
"Ravihiro… don't panic, but there's something crawling on me," he whispered dramatically.
Ravihiro didn't even look up. "Then brush it off."
"You think it's that simple?! This thing has legs—multiple legs—and I swear I saw fangs! It's planning my demise, Ravihiro. I can feel it plotting."
Samael flailed his arm wildly, accidentally launching the bug directly at Ravihiro's face.
Ravihiro caught the creature effortlessly between two fingers, his expression unchanging. He inspected the "demonic assassin" for a moment. It was a tiny beetle.
"It's harmless," Ravihiro said, placing it gently on a leaf.
Samael gaped. "How can you just— It was on my soul, Ravihiro. My soul!"
Ravihiro adjusted his cloak and continued walking. "Your soul seems fine to me. Fragile, but intact."
Samael chased after him, mock-wiping his eyes. "You saved me… I'll name my firstborn after you. Even if it's a bug!"
The Campfire Fiasco
Later that evening, Samael took it upon himself to start a fire.
"Ravihiro, let the fire whisperer work his magic. You focus on being broody over there." Samael crouched by the woodpile, rubbing sticks together.
Minutes passed. Then more minutes. Ravihiro sat nearby, sharpening Kageha, silently watching the "fire whisperer" struggle.
"Alright, time for Plan B." Samael pulled out a suspiciously large vial of flammable powder.
"Don't—" Ravihiro started, but it was too late. Samael dumped the entire contents onto the woodpile and struck a spark.
The resulting explosion shot flames sky-high, singed Samael's hair, and set his cloak ablaze.
"AHHH! I'M ON FIRE!" Samael screamed, running in circles like a flaming chicken.
Ravihiro calmly stood, poured water from his flask over Samael's head, and sat back down without a word.
Samael patted himself down, coughing dramatically. "I think… I think it turned out okay. What do you think?"
Ravihiro glanced at the charred pile of wood. "I think you're banned from anything involving fire."
Samael gasped, clutching his chest. "Banned?! I was born to wield fire, Ravihiro! This was just… a warm-up!"
Ravihiro sheathed Kageha. "You almost warmed up the entire forest. Congratulations."