Azure Chronicles: Maelstrom

In Golden Bear Bakery, Kēki pulled a tray of blueberry and strawberry muffins out of an oven and brought them to the marble table in the middle of the cute golden bear-themed kitchen. She placed the tray on the table before grabbing the icing. Kēki placed her free hand on her chin while thinking Zalroth was somewhat goofy for asking her about common knowledge. While being distracted by her thoughts, she coated all the muffins in silver icing before using cyan icing to draw a simple kitsune face on one of them and tails on the rest of the muffins.

"Although they're cute, those are some weird-looking bears, Sweetie," Kēki's grandmother (who's one of those cute smol grandmothers) remarked teasingly. Kēki made a funny noise as she snapped out of her daydream and lostly stared at the muffins she made. Kēki groaned and placed her hands on her forehead with a defeated huff.

"Sorry, Gran-gran...," Kēki uttered sombrely. Kēki's grandmother playfully patted Kēki on the head and rustled her hair.

"There's no need to apologise. Just because the bakery is bear-themed doesn't mean we can't sell food themed on other animals," Kēki's grandmother said with a reassuring tone. Kēki rubbed the back of her head and sighed.

"You sure?".

"Of course, it's like a bakery known for making crepes making other baked goods.". Kēki lowered her head and sighed.

"You're not just accommodating me, are you?" Kēki asked. Kēki's grandmother amusedly sighed as she transferred the kitsune muffins to a plate.

"I wished you had the same bravado you had when talking to that guy when you're working.". Kēki unintentionally giggled as she heard the ding of the entrance bell.

"I'll go see who it is~," Kēki said before she zipped out of the kitchen, leaving her grandmother to cheerfully shake her head.

Kēki entered the shopfront of the bakery, walking behind the counter with glowing pale bague-coloured glass displays filled with baked goods. Kēki walked through the open counter hatch and walked over to Maxwell, sitting in the area inside the large curved window.

"Hiya, Max Man," Kēki chirped while raising a hand in the air. Maxwell brushed off his dark grey suit before looking up at Kēki.

"Hello again, Kēki," Maxwell murmured.

"So, what brings you here tod-.".

"Has Oleka been spilling stuff she shouldn't be?" Maxwell asked apothetically. Kēki tilted her head to the side while blinking at Maxwell.

"Spilling stuff?" Kēki asked puzzledly. Maxwell sighed as he rose to his feet.

"Like me being a hunter inspector?" Maxwell stated.

"Is that something to be worried about?". Maxwell shrugged lazily.

"I, personally, don't care whether people know or not, but it's classified info at the moment, so it's a matter of protocol, sadly.". Kēki nervously giggled, twiddling her thumbs as she gave Maxwell puppy dog eyes.

"Don't give me that look, as long as it's just you who knows I won't press the matter... the last thing I need is incurring your mother's sulking again," Maxwell remarked. Kēki amusedly giggled as she scratched her cheek.

"Yeah... sorry about her and step-sis Oleka," Kēki said before giving Maxwell an apologetic bow. Maxwell couldn't help but stifle a chuckle, causing Kēki to raise her head.

"It's honestly impressive how Rina and Khrnowa could have a kid and have them be as respectful as you," Maxwell remarked, making Kēki awkwardly giggle.

"Come on, Max Man, they aren't that bad-," Kēki uttered before she watched a large bird-shaped fire attack fly through the street, illuminating the shop with a red glow which caught Maxwell's attention. Maxwell spun around in time to see Zalroth leaping from lamp post to lamp post at blurring speeds while Oleka tried to hit him.

"Get back here, monster, and release that guy from your control!" Oleka exclaimed while jumping on top of a lamp post. Zalroth sighed while thinking it's almost funny how often people go for the mind control explanation when they don't understand why someone is doing something, like protecting monsters. Zalroth mentally chuckled, given he couldn't blame Oleka for having that conclusion before he lept off the lamp post to avoid a fire lance.

"Why's step-sis attacking Mr Zalroth?!" Kēki blurted out while Maxwell silently watched. He focused his vision and narrowed his eyes as he spotted a startled Kuuyasa desperately clinging to the bottom of Zalroth's long snow-grey fur coat. Maxwell sighed and scratched his head as Kēki waved her hand in front of Maxwell's face.

"Shouldn't you like... do something?" Kēki asked worriedly. Maxwell sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"I'd rather not... but then I'd have more paperwork to fill out," Maxwell muttered as he walked towards the bakery's front door, "Not that this will cause more paperwork for me anyway".

As a torrent of fire lances and spears flew at him, Zalroth ducked and weaved between Oleka's relentless attacks before backflipping and catching Kuuyasa in his arms. Zalroth and Oleka landed in the middle of the street, right in front of the A Ranked Gate (a large red opaque medieval door made of crystal textured energy) and a group of confused hunters. One of the surrounding hunters, covered in bruises and blood-soaked bandages, spotted Kuuyasa in Zalroth's arms, making the guy spring to his feet and widen his non-bandaged eye.

"He's got the dungeon boss!" the battered hunter exclaimed. Mixed with Oleka's previous statement and knowing Kuuyasa is the boss of the dungeon-broken gate, all the non-injured hunters readied their weapons and jumped into the fray to assist Oleka. Kuusaya nervously shivered before tightly clinging to Zalroth's arm.

"Don't you worry, Kuu, these lot won't even work up a sweat before I'm done with them," Zalroth remarked with a reassuring tone. Kuuyasa raised an eyebrow and twitched her tail at Zalroth's remark.

"Don't you mean you won't?" Kuuyasa asked.

"I can't sweat, so I couldn't work up a sweat even if I tried," Zalroth remarked. Before Kuuyasa could respond, Zalroth dashed to the side to avoid the downward slash of a sword. The sword-slashing hunter swung his sword in Zalroth's direction only to miss him, given that Zalroth wasn't even there anymore.

"Careful now, you could've hurt the kid," Zalroth stated as he stood behind the hunter. The hunter swung around but paused mid-attack as Zalroth moved his hand in front of the hunter's face, making the hunter close their eyes. Zalroth smirked before he lightly flicked the hunter in the head. The hunter flinched, fearing what was to come, but as nothing happened they apprehensively opened their eyes.

"Wouldn't this be the part where I'm meant to go flying?" the hunter uttered.

"Would you prefer that?" Maxwell uttered. The hunter was about to respond before they along with all the other hunters swung their heads in Maxwell's direction. Maxwell grumbled as he complained about how much paperwork he'll have to do. Oleka dashed in front of Maxwell and flailed her arms around.

"Maxwell, Maxwell! This guy's been-," Oleka managed to say before Maxwell bonked her on the forehead, making Oleka clasp her forehead.

"You dolt, if he was being controlled, his scleras wouldn't be white," Maxwell stated. Oleka rubbed her forehead as she glanced back at Zalroth, seeing his eyes and how non-white they weren't. Oleka defeatedly sighed and hung her head before swinging it back up as a revelation hit her.

"But if he isn't being controlled, why is he protecting the Kaiser Beast?" Oleka said bewilderedly. Maxwell rolled his eyes, thinking Oleka shouldn't be asking that question given who her mother is.

"Did you even ask?" Maxwell asked. Oleka went to answer before she paused and mulled it over.

"I don't...think so?" Oleka uttered nervously. Maxwell groaned before he turned his attention to the surrounding hunters.

"Alright, you lot, return to guarding the gate. I'll deal with this," Maxwell stated before looking straight at Oleka, "And sort things civilly.". Oleka nervously chuckled as her polearm disappeared into a glowing transparent red square.