Adaption is Key (An Aza Chobei Fanfic)

Chapter Thirty-Two: Adaption is Key

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After many hours of traveling by sea, the group finally reached Hong Kong. When they all finally got down, Mizuho tied the boat to ensure it won't sail away. Once she was done, she noticed that there were many traders exchanging cargo with each other.

"Hey, let me hold that for you." Toma offered, suspicious of everyone else in the port. "This place seems like a breeding ground for pickpocketing, so it's safer with me."

Gui Fa nodded and handed the younger Aza brother their pot. Toma proceeded to wrap his hands around the vase. Meanwhile, Mizuho carried the osmanthus-haired child over her shoulder as they passed through the crowd. Wanting to get some money, Chobei would sneakily pickpocket some coins from a couple of passerby until they finally got out of the harbor. Although there were some traditional structures around like temples, most of the buildings looked Western, based on the books and scrolls Mizuho would read from Senta.

"This is different from how I envisioned my former homeland...." Gui Fa said as they stayed high up on Mizuho's shoulder.

"Well, thousands of years had passed so it would make sense." Toma answered after knocking a petty thief's hand away from the vase. "We need to find somewhere safe to stay."

"Yeah, I agree." Mizuho continued. "I want somewhere that could house all of us, including my sisters when they arrive here."

Then, Chobei noticed something at the corner of his working eye. Three gangsters sneaking past some guards as they went through an alleyway.

"Oi, I think I found our future home." He signaled as the rest noticed. "Let's follow those punks."

As they chased through the crowd to find the gangsters east, they were stopped by a soldier yelling in English to them.

"The fuck is he saying?!" yelled the Bandit King.

"I don't know... it's not Chinese..." Gui Fa mumbled with some confusion.

"Maybe he's speaking English...?" Toma guessed. "I remember hearing some lessons from Senta..."

"True..." Mizuho agreed.

The soldier continued to yell at them until he pulled out his firearm.

"Should we transform?" asked Mizuho, still holding Gui Fa over her shoulder.

"Not yet." Chobei answered before kicking him in the groin and elbow-jabbed him in the stomach, knocking the Englishman out.

"Should we kill him?" the younger Aza brother queried a little panickedly.

"No, this place is too crowded and open. However..." responded the older Aza brother as he stole his gun and handed it to Gui Fa, "you might need this to save up your Tao, pipsqueak. The rest of us got our Tao replenished after Rien healed us."

Gui Fa hid their gun in their oversized clothes as they all continued following the mobsters until they reached a Western style manor.

"Ready?" the Bandit asked with a devilish smirk on his face.

"Ready." Mizuho and Toma replied.

Immediately, Chobei kicked the door wide open, scaring all the thugs inside as one of them with a beard commanding them in Chinese.

"That unshaven man seems to be the boss...." Gui Fa observed as they pulled out their stolen gun. "He's ordering his underlings to attack us."

"Then, let's fight back." Mizuho responded as she unsheathed her katana and fans. "Hold on tight, Gui Fa." She asked the osmanthus-haired child before running, decapitating the gangster charging towards them with her weapons.