[Spirit of Lust] Chapter 213: A name. (Patreon)

With how hard she was going at Will, anyone would think Aoi hated him or that he’d done something to upset her. In the middle of their new training spot, the rooftop of the apartment building, her wooden sword cut the air and thankfully nothing else as Will managed to dodge by the skin of his teeth. Aoi’s swings were fierce, precise and straightforward, keeping Will on his toes as he stepped back and circled around her looking for an opening to exploit.

When he finally found one, he realized only too late it was a faint. Aoi lowered her sword, leaving her left shoulder exposed. Will aimed his hand to shoot an aether bullet there, but Aoi’s sword came up like lightning, swatting his hand away with a hard strike. Then, after a single step forward, Aoi had the tip of her sword pressing against Will’s gut.

Will let out a grunt and a sigh. “I lose again.”

Aoi smiled. “I didn’t think you’d notice the bait I left for you. You’re getting better at this,” she praised, lowering her sword and stepping up to kiss his cheek.

“Am I really getting better if I fall for bait openings?” he asked his teacher.

“I’ve always left openings like those when we train, but only now you’re starting to see them. It means you’re getting better at using your eyes. Now you have to get better at using your head.”

Aoi dismissed her sword, the wooden construct dissipating into glowing white particles of aether. She moved her now free hand to hold Will’s. “Did it hurt?” she asked him, brushing his fingers.

“Not much. My enhancement in becoming more intuitive, too. You totally aimed to break my fingers, didn’t you?” he teased, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

Aoi smiled wryly. “It’s hard being your teacher and your lover at the same time. With my methods, it’s only a matter of time before you start thinking I hate you.”

“Nah, don’t worry. You took things seriously from the start, so I know this is just how you do things. Plus, I don’t mind. Training like this suits me better. I’ve never been good with books and theory.”

“It’s almost time for dinner. Shall we go back to your apartment?”

“Yeah.

They went down the stairs and into Will’s place. In the living room, Cynthia and Amelia were organizing a small pile of papers. They’d been at it since Will and Aoi went to train, and that was an hour ago.

“Still not done?” Aoi asked sympathetically and went to sit down with them.

“No, we already finished,” Amelia said with a sigh. “Just some last minute checking.”

“Everything’s in order,” Cynthia said. “The office we’ll be renting, the paperwork we need to register as a business, everything is ready to be submitted. If things go well, you should be able to open shop next week.”

Will’s heart skipped a beat. It was becoming more real every day. They would really be opening a supernatural Hunting Agency and would actively go and look for supernatural phenomena.

…

Will knew that was in part what the training with Aoi was for, but… He didn’t know if what he felt were nerves, anxiety or excitement.

“There’s only one thing we’re missing,” Amelia said. She looked straight at Will, arms crossed while impatiently tapping her finger on her elbow. “A name.”

Will flinched. “Why do I have to be the one to name it again? I told you we can go with whatever.”

“You and Ishtar will be the cornerstone of our business,” Aoi said. “Even if right now I’m more skilled than you as a fighter, you’re still growing into your power. A strong magic user who can get any job done. That’s what will give us credibility and a constant flow of work.”

Will sighed. “So you want me to be the face of the business?”

“It helps that you’re handsome,” Amelia said with a teasing grin. “But yes, it only seems fitting that you’d be the one to name it. Pick something you’re comfortable with.”

Will rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… I do have a name now, actually.”

“Oh?”

“I felt that going with lust-related terms would be fitting, but I also didn’t want it to look like we were a sex shop…”

“Huh… We COULD have opened a sex shop…” Cynthia mused.

“...So I did some research and remembered the second circle of hell…”

“Lust,” Aoi finished for him. “So the name would be…”

“Second Circle Consultation Office,” Will said. “How about it?”

“Ooooh, I like it,” Cynthia said, writing it down on an empty piece of paper. “Discreet enough for anyone who’s not into supernatural stuff, but eye-catching for those who are while maintaining professionalism.”

“Yes, I like it, too,” Amelia said. “Especially since we’ll be selling the lust-potion under that name. It fits like a glove.”

Aoi nodded. “Yes, no complaints here. We’ll need to ask Nanami for her opinion, too, but I can’t imagine she’ll object.”

“Where is she, by the way?” Will asked. “Where’s everyone else, for that matter.”

“Anna and Nanami went out to buy beer and wine since we’re out,” Amelia said. “Reina and Ruth, however, kidnapped your sex doll and took it down to Reina’s place.”

“Eh? K-Kidnapped…?”

Aoi snickered. “Don’t tell me they got jealous of a doll.”

“Hey, even I’m a little upset with it,” Amelia said, turning to Cynthia. “Did you have to buy him one of those realistic ones? It looks too pretty for a doll and that makes it uncanny.”

“I figured that the more human it looked, the better for Ishtar’s training.” Cynthia shrugged. “Besides, why get jealous over it? Will hasn’t even touched it, right?”

Will would keep to himself the fact that he had been tempted to use it, if only out of pure intellectual curiosity. Instead, he got ready to get started on dinner… And that was when Reina and Ruth burst through the door, looking all too proud with themselves…

…

And carrying the sex doll between the two, all dressed up in what Will recognized as Reina’s clothes.