'I hope it's not him…' Ogashi grumbled, slowly dragging his feet toward the door. He could have reached it in three strides, but took twice that, savoring the irritation he imagined his visitor was feeling. If it was his older brother and eternal rival, then stalling just long enough to get on his nerves was well worth the effort. Teasing Iseki was, after all, one of the few pleasures Ogashi never outgrew.
When he finally opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Kurara?" he blinked. "What are you doing here?"
He hadn't expected to see Kaoru until tomorrow's training session, and certainly not on his doorstep. In all the time Kaoru had lived in the Leviathan settlement, not once had he visited Ogashi's home voluntarily. If he wasn't summoned, he simply didn't show up. So now, after seeing him here unannounced, Ogashi's instincts kicked in, making him think that something must have happened.
His gaze swept over the boy's body with the scrutinizing precision of a combat medic. He looked for scraps, bruises, blood, anything that would explain this visit. But instead of injuries, what he found was something far stranger.
Kaoru was excited.
"Yes, yes, everything's fine!" Kaoru blurted, clearly too worked up to notice Ogashi's concern. "Soma told me about the tournament, and I want to enter! It'll be perfect for training. I need some real practice against opponents who aren't worried about breaking my bones!"
The words tumbled out one after another, his breath barely keeping up with his mouth. He looked like a kettle boiling over.
Ogashi raised a brow, unimpressed by the flood of enthusiasm. He had no interest in debating tonight, especially not after tea, which for him marked the official end of all responsibilities. He'd planned on dozing off within minutes, not negotiating with a stubborn Takime. But Kaoru wasn't someone who could be swatted away easily. Ogashi knew from experience that once the boy latched onto an idea, he dug in deep.
So the old Leviathan tried reasoning first.
"If you're doing this just to get access to those techniques," he began slowly but firmly, "then forget it. You don't need to win some silly contest for that. We were planning to teach you all of them anyway. And the library…" he gestured vaguely over his shoulder, "...is already open to you anytime."
Kaoru's face didn't budge.
Ogashi sighed and decided to drop the real bomb.
"Actually… we're taking you to a special place soon. It's time you started training in the Leviathan Sage Mode."
He leaned back slightly, waiting for Kaoru's reaction, fully expecting awe. But what he got instead was…
"But Grandpa Ogashi! I can start learning Sage Mode in a few weeks. Right now I want to test myself!" Kaoru's tone shifted into exaggerated sulking. His voice wavered, full of theatrical disappointment as he tilted his head just enough to make it clear he was playing for sympathy.
Ogashi was not amused.
"No," he said flatly, cutting through the mood. "You're not participating. That's final."
For a brief moment, he thought he'd won. Then Kaoru gasped, an over-the-top dramatic inhale like Ogashi had just insulted his ancestors, and slowly turned his head, eyes narrowed.
"Grandpa Iseki was right. You're no fun at all, Elder Ogashi," Kaoru muttered with exaggerated dejection, turning his back and pretending to leave.
'Elder Ogashi? Grandpa Ikaka?' Ogashi's head could not hear anything more.
That did it.
Before Kaoru could even pivot fully, Ogashi lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar, spinning him back around.
"What?!" he barked, voice booming far louder than someone of his reputation and standing should have. "That smug old cephalopod said what?! And he gave you permission to enter?!"
Ogashi was practically steaming now. Not because Kaoru had disobeyed, but because his brother had dared to undermine him. The nerve of that overripe barnacle!
"What else did he say?!" Ogashi demanded, eyes wide, breath flaring through his nostrils like an angry bull.
Kaoru crossed his arms and shrugged. "Hmm… Why should I tell you?"
"Kid," Ogashi growled, pointing a firm finger, "tell me and I might just let you enter."
"No, you won't. Grandpa Iseki was right, you hate fun. You'll never let me join the tournament." Kaoru turned again, this time actually stepping away, though his pace was suspiciously slow, almost daring Ogashi to stop him.
Ogashi's face turned crimson.
"Oh, is that right?!" he shouted, trembling with rage. "I'll show him who hates fun! Kid, I'm registering you right now! And when I come back, I'll prepare you myself! I will show him who's not fun…"
And with that, the old Leviathan spun on his heel and stormed off, muttering curses under his breath about smug brothers and insolent children as he marched toward the arena.
Kaoru watched him go, a sly grin spreading across his face. He folded his arms and tilted his head, amusement radiating from him in waves.
'As long as he registers me before talking to Grandpa Iseki, I'm in the clear.' He stifled a victorious chuckle. It was a rare thing - outwitting both old men in a single night. But tonight, Kaoru Takime allowed himself the win and fun.
'I'll definitely have to pay for this later… but forget the tournament, just tricking Grandpa Ogashi was worth it. Maybe I should prank people more often?'
Kaoru wandered the settlement in high spirits, a rare, weightless bounce in his step. His feet dragged lazily across the ground, kicking pebbles and drawing zigzag lines as he walked without a destination. It was rare for him to allow this kind of freedom, and even rarer to enjoy it so much.
But he was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as his nose picked up on a delicious smell.
A rich, warm aroma curled through the air like a beckoning hand, rich with spices he couldn't name and a depth of flavor that made his stomach rumble on instinct. Kaoru didn't even need to guess. There was only one Leviathan who would be in the kitchen on a day like this, cooking with such intensity even when the restaurant was officially closed.
"Anya," he called out, knocking gently on the frame of the restaurant's open door.
"Kaoru, come in!" came the warm reply, her voice already beaming with excitement. A moment later, Anya poked her head out from behind the kitchen door just to make sure it really was him and he would not be slipping away.
"Why are you here?" she asked, though her expression made it clear that the question was just for formality's sake. Her entire face was practically glowing.
"I was visiting Grandpa Ogashi. I'm heading back now," Kaoru replied with a half-smile, though his full attention had already locked onto the source of the smell. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his nose twitched as he leaned forward just enough to sniff like a bloodhound.
Anya laughed and turned, opening one of the lower drawers behind the counter. From inside, she pulled a simple but elegant ceramic plate piled with tightly wrapped bundles of reddish-green herbs, dotted with strange, textured seeds and paired with a small bowl of thick, red sauce.
"Here," she said, sliding it toward him. "Try it."
"What is this?" Kaoru asked, barely able to keep himself from drooling. His nose hovered so close to the plate that if it had a tongue, it would've tasted the meal first.
"I have no idea," Anya replied proudly, hands on her hips. "I'm experimenting with flavor blends again. It's not even named yet."
Kaoru eyed the food cautiously, but only for a moment. When he'd first started eating Anya's cooking, her dishes had made him hesitate. Unfamiliar textures. Strange colors. Ingredients that looked more like potion components than food. But time and taste had changed him. Her meals, no matter how bizarre, always ended in flavor that felt almost divine.
"Alright. I'm giving it a try," he said with a grin, grabbing one of the tightly wound herb rolls.
The outside was coated in what looked like tiny, bark-like grains - rough, textured, like edible tree nuts - and topped with delicate yellow round seeds that shimmered faintly in the light. He dipped the whole thing into the crimson sauce, which was denser than soy and clung to the food like syrup, and then moved it into his mouth.
The moment his teeth sank into it, Kaoru's entire body stilled. His eyes slowly drifted shut, and a soft hum escaped from his throat.
The herbs were soft, almost buttery in texture, and infused with a salty, earthy richness. The nut-like grains added a subtle crunch, not intrusive but complementary, and the yellow seeds followed with a faint, whispering sweetness that melted into the sauce's bolder flavor: sweet and deep with a spicy afterbite that warmed his throat.
He chewed slowly, reverently, not wanting to miss a single note of flavor. Each bite was like a small discovery, and the combination of textures danced across his palate with layered complexity.
"So?" Anya asked, leaning forward on the counter, eyes glittering like a child waiting for praise.
Kaoru opened one eye, then the other, slowly pulling himself back from flavor-induced bliss.
"Yes. As always, it's incredible," he said with a smile, voice light with genuine admiration. "Anya, you're some kind of kitchen sorceress."
She laughed, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Flatterer."
"I mean it." Kaoru laughed along, grabbing another bundle and devouring it with noticeably less restraint. "Honestly…" he continued between bites, mouth still half-full, "...I don't even know what I'm supposed to do when I go back home. I'll miss your cooking so much, I'll probably cry."
Anya's expression softened, the pride in her craft glowing warmly across her face.
"But… you're not going back yet, right?" Anya asked softly, though it came out more like a plea than a question.
Kaoru tilted his head at the sudden shift in her voice. He had already noticed how Anya, for all her kindness and vibrant energy in the kitchen, seemed to exist just slightly apart from the others. The elders clearly adored her, treating her with respect and warmth, but among the younger Leviathans, she didn't really have anyone. No real friends. No one to share meals with when the restaurant closed. It wasn't hard to see why she tried to linger whenever Kaoru came by - he was human, yes, but he was also open in ways most Leviathans weren't.
"No, no. I'm not going anywhere yet," Kaoru said quickly, flashing a grin meant to scatter the faint shadow clouding her expression. "And even when I do leave, I'll still come back every now and then. Especially if you keep cooking like this."
Her lips tugged upward, the corners of her eyes softening.
"Actually," Kaoru continued, puffing out his chest dramatically as if to show off a physique twice his size, "I'm going to register for the tournament. I'll smash every Leviathan who dares to stand in my way!"
He raised his arms in mock intimidation, striking a pose so absurd it pulled a snort from Anya, then full-on laughter. She laughed freely, her shoulders relaxing in a way that suggested she hadn't done so all day.
But the moment passed too quickly.
Her expression turned thoughtful, then serious. She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms as she fixed him with a look.
"You do realize the tournament starts the day after tomorrow," she said. "And registration ends… today."
Kaoru blinked. His grin faltered slightly as the realization sank in.
'So that's why Grandpa Ogashi took off like that. He wasn't just being dramatic, he was trying to make the deadline.'
"It's fine," Kaoru said, though the confidence in his voice had lost its edge. "I'm sure Grandpa Ogashi handled it. He probably registered me already…"
"Also," Anya interrupted, her tone shifting again. "There's someone else. Our strongest Leviathan is competing this year too."
Kaoru's brows rose slightly.
"Well, strongest among the younger generation," she clarified, though her tone didn't lighten at all. "He's a piece of work. Arrogant. Cold. The kind of person who makes others uncomfortable just by walking into the room."
Her fingers curled slightly on the counter as she stared past Kaoru, as if remembering something unpleasant. "But when he fights… he's terrifying. Even the elders admit it. He doesn't hold back."
"Kaoru, are you ready for that kind of fight? This isn't like sparring with Soma or dealing with Sona's chaos. If you face him… he won't show mercy."
There was a pause.
Then Kaoru smiled.
Not the goofy grin he used when comforting Anya before. Not the quiet smirk he wore after outsmarting someone. This one was bright and clear - full of eagerness, confidence, and something deeper… excitement.
"To that," he said calmly, "I say, bring it on."
**
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