Morning of the celebration.
The sun had yet to rise but Akira was already up and was outside on the large balcony.
During the night before he did not have time to put all the bonus points into the usual stats because he leveled up during the ceremony, and when he had returned to his room he had fallen asleep immediately.
Before doing his morning exercises he decided to take a look at his current stats and allocate the large number of bonus stats into his usual three main stats STR, VIT, and STA.
He stood there admiring the large stat increase along with the huge rush of power even greater than what he felt the night before during the ceremony.
His stats were looking more and more powerful every time he leveled up. But there was just one problem, hist level was now stuck at level 50 with 0%.
‘I don’t know what to do about that since it didn’t say what requirements were in order to lvl up.’ thought Akira.
There was no use worrying about it so he closed the window and started to do his morning exercises as well as stretching his body trying to get used to everything after the massive boost to his level and stats.
It almost felt like the time when he was recovering at the monastery after he had first awakened there Earth tribe’s trait.
Several minutes passed before he became comfortable with his new strength in his human body.
Now that he was warmed up he decided to test his abilities and strength while transformed, sending a few jabs, punches, and kicks into the air. While running, jumping, and hopping all over the place.
His mind wandered as he trained thinking of all the things that had happened over the past few days. He had learned and experienced so much that his head was hurting trying to comprehend it all.
When he felt he had a good enough understanding and control of his new strength he reverted back to his human form.
He was happy that the normal extreme exhaustion he would have felt before last night’s ceremony was gone. The clan tattoo really did help to regulate the stamina use.
His ears were now even more sensitive so had noticed quiet breathing behind him for some time.
“It’s not nice to spy on people,” said Akira.
Startled, the person spying on him in their hast to escape stumbled and fell forward out onto the balcony.
Akira looked to see Azura sprawled on the floor. She had been trying to sneakily watch him from the doorway but was caught.
“What are you doing?” asked Akira.
Azura stood up and straightened her hair and smoothed out her clothing before speaking.
“I came to see what you’re going to do before the celebration this afternoon.”
“I was just going to go meet up with my friends and maybe tour the city. Why? Do you need me for something?”
“No, not really, I was just wondering. Do you mind if I come?” asked Azura looking away from him.
“I don’t mind since it will be better if we have someone who knows the way around the city,” said Akira with a shrug.
“When are you going?”
“After I eat breakfast. Have you eaten anything?”
Azura shook her head.
“Then you can eat with me and when we’re finished, we can go look for the others.”
“Okay!” said Azura happily.
“Don’t get too excited or I might think you actually like me,” teased Akira.
“It’s not like I want to hang out with you. I’m just going to make sure you don’t cause any problems,” said Azura not looking at Akira.
***
On their way to the guest house that the others were staying at Akira and Azura had the fortune or in Azura’s view the misfortune to meet Klyn.
“What’s this? A love couple?” asked Klyn.
“Die idiot!” said Azura sending a kick towards Klyn’s head which missed as he quickly dodged and hid behind Akira.
Seeing his little sister attack when she got angry made Akira silently asked himself, ‘Why is it that all the women I know are either violent, perverts or both?’ that last part was directed at Mileena.
“Calm down Azura you don’t need to get so worked up,” said Akira.
“It’s just a joke! This scene makes me feel like we have traveled back in time. The big brother is fawning over his little sister! Exactly the way it should be!” said Klyn as he poking his head out from behind Akira before hiding from Azura again.
“You’re not helping with the situation,” said Akira.
He was forced to hold Azura off at arm’s length to not get hit or kicked by her attacks directed at Klyn.
Azura’s forehead was pressed against his hand as she tried to get closer, but she was unable to make him budge and soon gave up after running out of steam.
“So what are we doing today?” asked Klyn.
“Going to meet a few friends before the festival,” said Akira.
“Can I come?”
“No! Go away,” said Azura.
“I guess you can as long as you don’t keep bickering with Azura,” said Akira.
“Alright let’s go meet my new friends!” said Klyn.
***
“Everyone you have all met Azura, my sister, before,” said Akira introducing Azura to them.
The rest of the group greeted her and turned to the oddball with glasses standing next to Akira.
“This is Klyn. Although I don’t remember him, he is supposed to be my childhood friend,” said Akira.
“Hello. I am Klyn, the genius scholar, and apprentice shaman,” said Klyn repositioning his glasses with a glint in his eyes.
“Hmph! Don’t let him fool you he’s just an idiot,” said Azura.
“Wow, a shaman! Were you one of the people that were chanting around Akira last night?” asked Mileena.
“That’s right! You could say that I helped my buddy Akira big time by helping him unlock a portion of his full power last night!” said Klyn.
“Not likely you were just back up the real person he should thank is the Head shaman,” said Azura.
“Last night was nothing I see stuff like it all the time,” said Chack.
“Really? Where?” asked Klyn turning to Chack.
“I lie! I peed my pants in shock.”
This caused Klyn to let out a hearty laugh.
“I like your style. Let’s be friends,” said Klyn holding out his hand to Chack.
“Okay!” said Chack happily grabbing onto Klyn’s hand and shaking it.
“Klyn, I was surprised when I saw you with the other shaman last night. All Azura told me about you was that you were a bookworm that doesn’t like to fight. How did you end up as an apprentice?” asked Akira.
“You aren’t the only one with a famous and powerful grandfather! My grandfather Is the head shaman. I have been learning from him since I was six years old. My grandfather had tried to teach my father but he never liked reading or learning stuff other than stuff about fighting. So my grandfather was quite happy when I agreed to continue in his footsteps. I’m still an apprentice but soon I will be a full Shaman!”
“Oh? Since you’re a shaman, do you have some type of Ultra superpowers?” asked Maya.
“No! Shaman are not freaks like that, and I can’t talk to you about it since you’re an outsider,” said Klyn.
“When I get back to my clan I will get my own Tattoo,” said Varbu.
“Oh? You Orcs doe stuff like that as well?” asked Klyn.
“They’re just fakes compared to ours,” said Azura.
Varbu shrugged he had never seen the ceremony nor received a tattoo back at home so he could not say if it was the same or not.
They continued to talk until someone knocked on the door to the room they were in.
“Azura, Grand elder is looking for you. He said to tell you since it was your idea for the celebration you have to help set it up,” said the messenger.
“Aww man… more work!,” complained Azura.
“Do you need us to help?” asked Akira.
The messenger spoke up quickly, “We can’t have that! The celebration is to honor you. Your friends are guests of the clan as well so they can not help. Come, miss, before the Grand elder gets mad.”
Everyone waved goodbye to Azura as she left them. ‘Haaa, it must be tough having to take on the job of a leader. Wait. Isn’t this going to be me soon?’ thought Akira getting depressed at the thought.
***
The celebration was all set up and ready by the time lunch came around. Akira and the others were escorted down to the ground floor where the celebration would happen. Azura, Wulfric, and the other clan elders were waiting for them along with thousands of clansmen.
“Now that the main guest has arrived, the festival can start! Today we have many different food stalls up for all to have a taste of the best food the clan can offer. There are many contests and games to play with friends and family and later there will be a friendly mini 1v1 tournament for those who want to challenge each other. As well as an area for the local artsy people to show off their skills. Lastly, we will have a great feast when the moon rises!” shouted Wulfric.
The crowd of people cheered loudly happy for such a jammed pack festival. They were all ready to start enjoying the festival.
“Let the festival…Begin!” said Wulfric raising his hand and bringing it down swiftly.
The mass of people all swarmed towards the food stalls and began ordering food. The people at the stalls were all swamped with hundreds of orders and were trying to work on them as fast as they could.
Wulfric walked up to Akira and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“We hope you enjoy the festival if you need anything just ask Azura since it looks like she will be hanging around with you,” said Wulfric before he and the elders left to discuss important matters.
“What should we do?” asked Varbu.
“Let’s get something to eat, I’m starving,” said Azura.
“Yes, yes. I’m hungry as well. Let’s eat something! As long as it isn’t me I don’t mind what it is,” said Chack nodding in agreement.
“What?” asked both Azura and Klyn.
“Just ignore him, he says some weird stuff like that all the time,” said Akira.
“Wrong!..I lie! It is true that I don’t want to be eaten.”
“Do you know any good food stalls to go to?” Akira asked Azura.
“Ha! You lucked out since I helped organize everything I know which stalls have what so all you have to do is follow me!” said Azura sticking out her nearly nonexistent chest and pointing to herself with pride.
They went from one stall to another. The prices of the foods and drinks were cheaper than normal due to it being a festival and also because they would be able to sell enough to make up for the difference.
Since Akira was the only one that had more than just a few coins, Mileena hung on his arm and cutely pouted and beg him to buy the exotic tropical fruit with the weird name Grapple. He could not resist her cute charm and bought everyone a Grapple.
Ding!
-
+1 charm
The same thing kept happening at each stall they visited. Whatever was there he bought it for the rest of the group after Mileena asked him to.
Exotic fruit, juicy meat pies, snacks that were sweet, salty, and some even ones so spicy they burned Akira’s mouth making him feel like he could breathe fire like a dragon.
Near that last stall when everyone had full belly’s Mileena was still holding onto Akira’s arm.
Azura finally could not take it anymore and walked between the two separating their arms.
“Stop hanging all over my big brother it’s annoying!” said Azura taking Akira’s arm into her own.
“Ha! Looks like someone is jealous of you Mileena! You aren’t a brocon are you?” asked Maya.
Klyn choked on what he was eating as he laughed at her unexpected words.
“Big brother what sort of perverted things have you been teaching those to girls?!” Azura asked Akira in an accusatory tone.
“Don’t look at me like that! I didn’t teach them anything! They were already perverts when I met them!” said Akira trying to defend himself.
This caused Klyn to start to laugh harder and even Varbu began laughing. Chack didn’t know whether to laugh or hide from the raging Azura.
After everyone had their fill of food the art viewing and 1v1 fights started.
Several people rushed to the fighting rings and fought until they puked up the food they had just eaten.
Seeing this Akira decided to wait for his food to digest before taking on anyone.
So they walked to the section of the festival where the art was being displayed. There were all types of art from carvings of monsters that the artist had seen to paintings of a distant land during a starry night and jewelry made out of metals and bones from monsters that had been killed.
But there were a few pieces that he had trouble understanding. A canvas with only black paint covering it, as well as a collection of ordinary stones put in a pile. He wondered if you could even call it art.
“I’m curious who is stronger, big brother or the bookworm,” said Azura breaking the silence as they passed the last piece of art.
“Of course Akira will win!” said Mileena.
“Don’t be so sure I may be a world-class genius, but I can also fight when I have to!” said Klyn.
“Then it is agreed that Big brother and the bookworm will fight! Whoever loses has to be the others lackey for a week!” said Azura mischievously raising the bar to make it more inserting.
“What? Hey don’t go making decisions for people without them even having a say in it!” said Akira.
“What are scared?”
“How could I be? I just don’t like people forcing me to do things!”
“Alright let’s go to a ring that’s free!” said Klyn dragging Akira back to the fighting area.
They stepped into the ring and when Klyn saw Akira bring out his shield and sword he shook his head.
“No, we fight transformed with no weapons to show off our true strength!”
When the surrounding clansmen saw that Akira enter the ring and was going to fight they were curious to see who his opponent was.
They laughed when they saw it was Klyn but decided to watch the fight anyways to see what type of strength the newcomer and possibly future clan chief had.
The outcome of the match? It was as you might have guessed if you knew the strength of both contestants.
Although Klyn had more experience with transforming and trained with all the clan warriors since he received his own tattoo he still lacked one thing that Akira had, Battle experience.
With the number of battles Akira had been through by now, he was able to slowly pick apart Klyn who was still a strong opponent, but the mistakes he made added up leading to his defeat.
The surrounding crowds all hooted and hollered at them when the match finished it was nothing special but it was a good fight nonetheless. The two exited the fighting ring to let other people waiting, continue the festive 1v1 fights.
“I knew big brother would win!” said Azura.
“Well looks like we truly have returned to how things were several years ago, now that you are my underling,” said Akira smiling at Klyn.
“It does look like that,” said Klyn.
