A Maken-Ki Fanfic

Chapter 12

Inaho climbed up the mountain clinging to Deimos's arm, full of energy, while Takeru and Kengo panted behind them.

"Deimos-sama, we're almost there!" she exclaimed enthusiastically.

Deimos, not breaking a sweat, smiled. "I wonder where my lovely fiancée gets all her energy from."

Inaho giggled softly, squeezing his arm a bit tighter. "It's because I'm with you, Deimos-sama!"

But for a moment, her smile faltered as she remembered how the girls had been getting too close to Deimos during the day. She frowned, jealousy creeping in. I won't let them get that close again... she thought. Then, her gaze shifted to Takeru, who was barely able to keep himself standing. And I still have to protect Takeru-kun until he gets his Maken...

Kengo, exhausted, slumped against the wall. "How... do you climb these stairs without getting tired?"

Deimos chuckled. "Maybe because you two complain too much. Takeru, should I tell Haruko that you need more training?"

Takeru immediately straightened up. "No, no, no! Please don't tell Haru-nee!" He sped up, the mention of his sister seeming to give him a sudden burst of energy.

Inaho smiled at them. "Come on, guys! Just a few more steps. Don't give up!"

Kengo, lying on the steps, raised his hand weakly. "Inaho-chan... could you give us a push?"

"No, no! You have to do it yourselves," she replied with a cheerful smile, though her eyes kept glancing at Takeru, assessing whether or not he needed help.

Finally, the group made it to the top. Takeru and Kengo let out long sighs of relief. Deimos, however, looked up to see Yuuka waiting for them, smiling as always. Impressive... it's expected from a ninja, he thought, while Inaho tightened her grip on his arm upon noticing Yuuka.

"You're all here~!" Yuuka said with a grin. She noticed how possessive Inaho was being with Deimos and decided to save a little teasing for later. This will be fun, she thought.

As Takeru caught his breath, he looked ahead and saw the traditional Japanese building before them. "An... onsen?"

Yuuka smiled. "Exactly~. Oh, and I almost forgot... gentlemen, please put these on," she said, handing them some bathing shorts.

Deimos took the shorts, but his excitement had nothing to do with what the others thought. Soon... I'll see it... the onsen bear... he thought, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Kengo looked at the shorts, confused. "Why do we need these?"

Yuuka, savoring the moment, responded, "Fufu, because this is a konyoku."

"A... konyoku?!" Takeru and Kengo exclaimed in unison, their exhaustion vanishing instantly. They could already imagine themselves in the hot springs surrounded by the Maken-Ki girls, and their grins widened.

Deimos, on the other hand, was in his own world, excited about only one thing: The bear. I'm going to pet the bear! he thought with an innocent smile.

Inaho, hearing that it was a konyoku, immediately tensed up and clung tighter to Deimos. "D-Deimos-sama..." she murmured, worry creeping into her voice.

Yuuka noticed Inaho's reaction and let out a quiet giggle. This IS going to get interesting, she thought, as she motioned for them to follow her inside.

Takeru and Kengo, now energized by the idea of a mixed bath, changed quickly. While Kengo struggled to pull on the bathing shorts, he couldn't stop talking about Himegami. "She's like a goddess... those intimidating eyes..." he sighed. "She's untouchable, and that makes her even more irresistible."