It was already night time. He was laying on hid bed thinking about the tomorrow. But there was one more thing keep popping up in his mind, his first time. He just couldn't forget about it.
Kazui's phone buzzed violently against the wooden study table beside his bed, shattering the quiet of his apartment. Still groggy from his impromptu nap, he fumbled for the device, squinting at the caller ID—Kenta.
Shit. He'd completely forgotten to call his best friend back.
With a grunt, he swiped to answer, pressing the phone to his ear. "Yo."
"Yo, Kazui," Kenta's voice crackled through the speaker. "You finish Quest 2 yet?"
Kazui yawned, stretching his arms over his head. His cyan T-shirt rode up slightly, exposing a sliver of toned stomach as he slumped against the headboard. "Nah, not yet."
"Then let's run it together," Kenta suggested.
Parties were common in the Tower—most climbers teamed up for efficiency. The only rule? You couldn't party up for a floor's first quest. That one had to be conquered alone.
Kazui smirked. "Yeah, sure."
A brief pause. Then, Kenta's voice dropped, curiosity lacing his tone. "By the way… you gonna tell me about that power of yours now?"
Kazui stiffened.
Right. He'd promised to explain once he got home. But between Saya, the relic's revelations, and his own exhaustion, it had slipped his mind entirely.
He exhaled. No point hiding it now.
"Maiden Gacha," he said simply.
"Maiden… Gacha?" Kenta repeated, skepticism evident.
"Yeah. Lets me roll for either weapons or… well, Maidens. Any rarity. And they'll do anything for me."
Another pause. Longer this time.
"Wait. Anything as in…?" Kenta's voice dipped, implication heavy.
Kazui's grin turned wolfish. "Yup. Lost my virginity to my first pull. Her name's Saya."
"WAIT! FOR REAL!?" Kenta's shout nearly blew out the speaker.
"Dead serious."
"Dude… that's…" Kenta spluttered, torn between awe and disbelief. "Is it even strong?"
"Hell yeah."
"Good. But… you gotta take care of them, you know?"
Kazui blinked. That wasn't the reaction he'd expected. "Wait… thought you'd ask to borrow one."
Kenta snorted. "Nah. They're yours. Why would I? Unless…" A teasing lilt. "You'd actually share?"
Kazui's chuckle was dark, possessive. "Not a fucking chance."
Silence. Then, curiosity got the better of him. "What's your power?"
"Eh, I'll show you tomorrow," Kenta deflected. "Meet me at the main reception by 9 AM. I'll grab the party tickets."
Party tickets were issued to the group leader—free for the first floor, with a max of five members.
They exchanged a few more idle words before hanging up.
Kazui tossed his phone aside, staring at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, the real climb began.
Kazui lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, but sleep refused to come. His mind kept circling back to her—Saya. The way her kimono clung to her curves, the sharp glint of her katana, the depth of her dark, endless eyes.
With a slow exhale, he sat up and spoke into the dimly lit room.
"Summon Maiden: Saya."
A soft whoosh of displaced air, and there she was—kneeling gracefully at the foot of his bed, her head bowed. Moonlight caught the edges of her tattered black kimono, the fabric loose enough to hint at the swell of her chest. Her eyes, when she lifted her gaze, were pools of pure onyx—dark, bottomless, and utterly focused on him.
God, she's mesmerizing. His pulse jumped. And those curves…
"Saya," he murmured, voice rough. "If you're okay with it… can you sleep with me?"
Her lips curved, a small, knowing smile. "Of course, Master. I have no objections."
The mattress dipped as she joined him, her movements fluid. The kimono slipped further, revealing more of her soft skin. She settled onto her back, then turned slightly, beckoning him closer with just a look.
Kazui didn't hesitate. He shifted until his head rested against her chest, and Saya's hands—strong from battle, yet gentle—guided him into the warmth of her breasts.
Heaven.
They were perfect. Soft, warm, her heartbeat steady beneath his ear. Her fingers trailed through his hair as her dark eyes watched him, unreadable but tender.
"Sleep well, Master," she whispered.
And wrapped in her scent—steel and cherry blossoms—Kazui finally drifted off.
When Kazui opened his eyes the next morning, he found himself still nestled against Saya's warmth, his head pillowed on the softness of her breasts. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, painting golden stripes across the rumpled sheets.
He shifted, sitting up slowly, and Saya stirred beside him. Her dark hair fanned out across the pillow like spilled ink, her obsidian eyes blinking awake to meet his gaze.
"Good morning, Master," she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep.
"Morning, Saya," Kazui replied, his own voice rough.
Without thinking, he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle, lingering kiss—a quiet greeting for the new day. When he pulled back, her expression remained serene, though her fingers briefly brushed where his lips had been.
"Saya," he said, clearing his throat. "Can you make breakfast?"
"Of course, Master. It's my duty."
She rose with effortless grace, gathering her wild hair into a high ponytail before padding barefoot toward the kitchen.
Kazui dragged himself to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face to shake off the last dregs of sleep. By the time he'd showered and dressed, the scent of miso soup and grilled fish had begun to fill the apartment.
He found Saya standing by the small dining table, a steaming meal laid out before her.
"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, pulling out a chair.
"No, Master," she replied. "We Maidens feel neither hunger nor thirst."
Then, to his surprise, she lifted a bite of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks, holding it out to him.
"Say 'ah,'" she instructed softly.
Kazui froze, his cheeks heating. "I—uh—"
Saya's brows furrowed. "I apologize if this is rude, Master. I thought... you might enjoy being fed."
"No! I mean—yes! I mean—" He fumbled, then exhaled. "It's not rude. I'd... love that. Please."
Her smile returned, small but radiant, as she carefully brought the food to his lips. Kazui accepted it, the flavors bursting on his tongue—but all he could focus on was the warmth in her dark eyes as she watched him.
By the time they finished, only an hour remained until his meeting with Kenta. Kazui stepped out of the apartment, the morning air crisp against his skin, Saya's presence lingering in his mind like a promise.
The morning air hung crisp and golden over Tokyo, carrying the faint salt-tang of the distant sea. A mellow autumn breeze stirred the ginkgo trees lining the streets, their fan-shaped leaves catching the sunlight like scattered coins. Some had already begun to yellow at the edges, promising the fire-gold cascade that would soon overtake the city.
Kazui stepped out onto the sidewalk, his breath forming faint wisps in the cool air. The neighborhood was just shaking off its drowsiness—salarymen in identical dark suits marched toward the station, their polished shoes clicking against pavement still damp with dew. A group of schoolgirls in navy uniforms giggled by a convenience store, their cheeks pink as they huddled around a steaming vending machine. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and melting butter drifted from a nearby kissaten, where the elderly owner was propping open the door with a potted chrysanthemum.
High above, the Tower loomed—its obsidian surface swallowing the morning light, untouched by the warmth that gilded everything else. A few crows circled its midpoint, their caws muffled by distance.
Kazui paused at a crosswalk, watching his reflection fragment in the windows of a passing tram. For a fleeting moment, he saw not just himself, but the ghost of Saya's silhouette behind him—her black kimono, her watching eyes—before the vehicle rushed past, scattering the image like smoke.
Kazui walked for about half an hour before finally standing outside the Tower again. The massive structure loomed before him, its obsidian surface absorbing the morning light.
The Maiden Inventory was another mechanism of the Maiden Gacha - a separate space where all summoned Maidens resided when not actively by their master's side. From the outside, it appeared as nothing more than a simple inventory screen in Kazui's relic interface. But inside, it was nothing short of paradise. The Maidens didn't feel loneliness or neglect while stored there, as the space provided every possible comfort and luxury - gourmet food, fine wines, lavish baths, and beautiful gardens.
A similar but purely functional Weapon Inventory existed for storing acquired arms and armor.
Currently, Saya was inside the Maiden Inventory, honing her skills by practicing katana forms in one of the training courtyards. Her blades flashed through the air with precision as she moved through familiar stances, her black kimono fluttering with each controlled motion.
Meanwhile, Kazui passed through the Tower's imposing gates and entered the first floor lobby once more. The familiar hum of activity surrounded him as he made his way toward the main reception area where he was supposed to meet Kenta.
The lobby buzzed with other climbers preparing for their own quests, some forming parties while others checked their relics for updates. The scent of coffee from a nearby concession stand mixed with the faint metallic tang that always seemed to linger in the Tower's air.
As he walked, Kazui absently rubbed his wrist where the relic was embedded, wondering what challenges the second quest would bring.
The thought of having Saya's combat skills at his disposal gave him confidence, but he knew better than to underestimate the Tower's trials. His footsteps echoed slightly against the marble floor as he scanned the crowd for his friend's familiar spiky brown hair.
The Tower's lobby hummed with subdued energy—a strange mix of bustling activity and hushed tension. The cavernous space echoed with the low murmur of dozens of conversations happening at once, yet it all blended into a muted background drone, like the distant roar of ocean waves. Climbers moved with purpose through the marble-floored expanse, each absorbed in their own missions.
Near the weapon appraisal station, a group of veterans argued over stats in clipped tones, their relics projecting glowing screens mid-air. A rookie clutching a fresh sword trembled by the quest board, his eyes darting across the shifting runes. The lamia receptionist's forked tongue flicked as she processed a line of climbers, her ledger flipping pages on its own. The scent of sweat, steel, and something faintly electric hung in the air.
And there, slouched on one of the burgundy leather sofas near the main reception desk, sat Kenta—an island of calm in the controlled chaos. He nursed a glass of water, the condensation dripping onto his black t-shirt where it stretched across his shoulders. His matching black pants were scuffed at the knees from some earlier skirmish. One ankle rested on the opposite knee, his free hand tapping an irregular rhythm against the sofa arm. His spiky brown hair looked even more disheveled than usual, as if he'd been running fingers through it while waiting.
The moment Kazui stepped into his sightline, Kenta's bored expression sharpened. He raised his glass in a lazy salute, water sloshing precariously close to the rim. "Took you long enough," he called over the lobby's white noise, though the smirk took any real sting out of the words. Around them, the Tower's endless cycle of preparation and aftermath continued—someone laughed too loudly by the bar, a dagger clattered to the floor, the dullahan receptionist's disembodied head floated past carrying a stack of papers—but here by the sofas, it almost felt like normal life. Almost.
Isko kar
Kazui glanced at the tickets in Kenta's hand. "You got the party tickets?"
Kenta smirked, fishing them out of his pocket. "Yup, here they are." The dull red tickets bore the words Party Ticket in bold, with Kenta's stylized face symbol stamped at the center. He tossed one to Kazui.
Dressed in his usual casual attire—white tee, black pants, and black sneakers—Kazui caught it with a flick of his wrist.
Kenta raised his relic. "Party Form."
Both their relics activated simultaneously, holographic text flashing before them:
[You have successfully joined the party: Dehydrated Skulls]
Kazui blinked at the name, then shot Kenta a dry look. "Wait, you came up with this, didn't you?"
Kenta grinned, tilting his head. "Cool, right?"
Kazui huffed a laugh. "Yeah, sure."
With the party officially formed, they turned their attention to the task ahead.
"You read up on Quest 2, right?" Kazui asked.
"Obviously," Kenta said, stretching his arms behind his head. "We've gotta hunt corrupted crows—some in normal form, others in humanoid versions. But the real target?" He leaned in, lowering his voice. "There's one dressed in a full white suit and cap. Wings, but also humanoid hands. That's the boss. Kill him, plus ten regular corrupted crows each. Quest's called Hunt of the Crows."
Kazui cracked his knuckles. "Sounds messy."
Kenta smirked. "Messy's fun."
They exchanged a look—half anticipation, half unspoken competition—before turning toward the Quest Door, its surface pulsing with ominous energy.
Time to hunt.