Monster Quest Cursed Sword Chapter 4 (Patreon)

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Chapter 3 

Chapter 4 The Cave of Wonders

Toshiro was surrounded by fools. A part of him expected this adventure to be full of headaches and annoyances. Despite being invited, he thought he’d be pushed to the back and asked to not get in the way, as if he was some child.

There was some teasing, on Renji’s part, but to Hitsugaya’s surprise he was welcomed quite well. Ichigo asked him to work his magic, and after seeing his skills once it put any doubts to bed. They treated him like a member of the party and was expected to hold his own in fights.

Ishida saw to their battle formation and checked with Toshiro to see where he wished to be. His knowledge of tactics allowed him to fall into place with the squad.

He wasn’t being babied and it was such a refreshing change of pace it unnerved him. Despite their short time together, they faced many battles on their journey. Toshiro’s Ice Magic was great at blasting large swarms of enemies, and he could counter spells with the best of them. Even enemies who prided themselves on invisibility proved to be at a disadvantage against the genius wizard. He was powerful enough to conjure a brief snow, which made invisibility worthless. Despite being new to the party he received equal pay, he was given a fair shake of the spoils even when they had fights when he didn’t do anything.

Hitsugaya was able to observe them. They were quite odd, Uryu certainly liked to talk and got annoyed when no one listened to him, Ichigo and Renji being the biggest culprits of that. It was hard to see him in the party with Sado or Renji. The one he talked to most was Komamura. Despite his intelligence when he gets flustered he could be as rowdy as Ichigo and Renji.

Sado was a man of few words, which made him hard to read, despite his calm and level headed appearance he would sometimes do something crazy often charging a beast or an enemy without warning to protect the party. It was hard for Toshiro to believe he’d do well in a party with Uryu who liked a decent conversation. With Renji the two bonded over fights and held a respect for each other’s strength, but their fighting styles didn’t mesh well.

Renji was too wild, he had no issue attacking first. His childish teasing and impulsive actions seemed to frustrate the party now and then.

As for Komamura, the furry man lacked confidence, and while experienced didn’t have the capacity to lead. His shyness wouldn’t work with the group normally. Toshiro had a firm grip of their personalities and styles and didn’t get how they all meshed so well together.

There was no distance between them, in fact, they were potentially too familiar with him. Drawing him into to their rowdy celebrations. Ichigo treated him the most warmly, he was supposed to be the leader of the party but acted as just as much of a fool as the others.

By all accounts this party shouldn’t work but it did…their personalities should have split them apart sooner rather than later. Hitsugaya would get his answers soon enough.

-x-

They had stopped off in a small town along the way and had come to the local tavern for rooms and drinks. Ichigo and Renji were arm wrestling, Sajin was drinking knocking them back in an impressive fashion. Sado and Uryu were eating, Chad watching the wrestling match, while Uryu was focused on the local bard’s performance.

Things escalated when drunk approached them, mocking their party. Toshiro sized up the drunk, he called himself a rogue, but he was large, loud, and clumsy. His party members were more seasoned and trying to get him to calm down. This guy was probably a Rogue in name only, he was a spoiled noble who bought his way into a stronger party. While this guy Omaeda, wasn’t anything his party members were actually strong. The dark haired man was wearing a kimono and had two swords, the white haired man was a powerful spell caster, and the woman was the healer but she had the aura of a killer.

Getting into a fight with these guys was a bad idea. Omaeda was drunk, which made all his worst traits get amplified. A noble who looked down on others, who was overconfident in his own skills, and felt his coin purse made him untouchable.

He mocked them from their looks, to their assumed strength, to their classes, to their equipment, and it just kept going. Everyone was getting close to snapping. Ichigo actually showed a lot of maturity trying to get the guy to calmly walk away. “Why don’t I buy you and your friends a drink, and we can just enjoy the night?”

“Fine, drinks are on you!” Omaeda proceeded to pour a full glass of booze over Ichigo’s head.

Sado’s hand balled into a fist, Renji reached for his weapon, Komamura bared his fangs, and Uryu moved to divine smite this idiot. Even Toshiro gripped his staff, he had better control than that, but this guy was asking for it, seeing him do that to Ichigo was the last straw. The whole tavern got quiet as tensions increased.

Omaeda’s party members weren’t looking for a fight, the looks on their faces was more of a “here we go again”.

“Hahaha, drinks are on me, good one.” He had a fake smile on his face. “Here ya go.” Ichigo offered him his untouched drink. “Enjoy!”

“I don’t drink this low class booze!” Splash!

Once again Omaeda doused Ichigo in alcohol. Renji, Sado, and Komamura bolted from their seats. Omaeda fell back in shock. Kurosaki raised a hand and signaled them to hold back. “This runt is your leader, you must be joking? Can you even wield a sword?”

Ichigo wiped his face. “Well tonight is not a night for sword play.” He kept that fake smile on his face. “I’ve had enough to drink so let’s retire.”

The seasoned adventurers were impressed.

Omaeda twitched in anger. “Don’t you mock me you little low class rat!” He went to punch Ichigo, only to slip on some ice that appeared on the ground.

The noble fell flat on his ass and the tavern erupted with laughter. “You’re drunk, go walk it off, you are lucky Ichigo doesn’t put you in your place!”

“Why you little runt!?” He drew his weapon, a chain mace. “I’ll teach you to mess with a noble like me!”

Wham!

Ichigo showed no hesitation and slammed Omaeda’s face into the table. “Don’t you dare touch my party members!” Down he went and the seasoned members got up.

“Damn!” Toshiro was expecting a fight, but all three veterans laughed and patted Ichigo’s shoulders. It was all fine, Omaeda was so drunk he wouldn’t remember any of this and the healer Unohana would have him better so this never happened. He did this a lot, and they all showed a lot of maturity in putting up with his shit.

“Wanna drink?”

Shunsui and Komamura shared a drink, Unohana and Uryu had some philosophical chats, and Ukitake used his magic to clean up Ichigo.

‘How does he do it?’ Toshiro thought. These seasoned adventurers didn’t know them, and had a contract with their client and yet they were sharing a drink and food as the client bled on the floor.

Sado came over to him. “It’s funny isn’t it?”

“What is?”

“How he does it?” Toshiro spat out his drink.

“Can you read minds?” Sado shook his head.

“I’m just observant. I’ve seen Ichigo do his thing time and again. It can be surprising.”

“His thing?” Sado nodded.

“Our party wouldn’t be together without him. He’s like our sun that keeps us all in orbit.” He began to explain things and give Toshiro pieces of the puzzle.

Uryu was indeed smart and skilled, but often came off as a prodigy know it all and people didn’t like him. Ichigo saw how hard he worked and while seems like he drives Uryu crazy, he trusts Uryu to make a plan and work to see it through.

For Sado he was intimidating and couldn’t approach people well. Ichigo never found him scary and treated him with respect. They had each other’s backs and could work off each other without a lot of talking.

Renji needed someone to challenge him, to not just have someone to follow him but have the balls to stand at his side. He had the ability to lead by power but that wasn’t good for the long term and as Ichigo proved that dynamic could be changed in an instant.

Sajin well the deep issues with beastmen were obvious but like the others were drawn in by Ichigo’s warmth. If not for Ichigo Sajin probably/definitely wouldn’t have met Sado, Renji, or Uryu let alone got to know them. “Without him this party wouldn’t last.” Sado took a drink. “You feel it too don’t you?”

“I…” He hadn’t realized it, but Ichigo respected him, was warm to him, and invited him into this group. Yeah, the sun that fit and matched his vibrant hair. He was the lynch pin that kept this group together. The weird/odd piece of the puzzle that allowed the other pieces to come together.

Seeing Omaeda try to attack Ichigo is what set Toshiro and the others off. “It’s hard not to fall in love with him.”

Again Toshiro spat out his drink. “Love?” he coughed. “I’m not, I don’t, I barely know him.” His reaction was priceless.

“Usually how it starts, but you know enough right?” He smirked and Toshiro blushed. Love came in all shapes and sizes, in fact many compared love to a shapeshifter, taking different forms to survive, growing and adapting.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, he’s a skilled swordsman, but he’s just as crazy as the rest of you.”

“And yet here you are traveling with us on this crazy mission.” Sado had seen it enough times to recognize it even in himself.

“I’ve had enough, I’m turning in.” He set his cup down and marched, he didn’t pay attention and ended up slipping on the ice he set up earlier.

“Whoa!” Ichigo caught him from falling.

“You okay Toshiro?”

“Fine!” He gasped. “I’m fine!” The ice was dispelled. “We should turn in soon we have a ways to go right?”

“Right.” Hitsugaya marched off hoping Ichigo didn’t notice the blush, or Sajin notice his racing heart. He didn’t dare look back at Sado, he could practically feel the man smirking at him.

‘I’m surrounded by fools.’ Love wasn’t something a lot of people thought about given the oncoming darkness. Many adventurers saw love as a bonus to life, not something that had to be obtained to live a fulfilling one of an adventurer. Oh yes, upon realizing it, Toshiro could see a strong bond of love connected these adventurers to their leader, the only one who didn’t know it was the orangette himself. ‘He’s such a fool!’ He thought about Ichigo and his heart skipped a beat. ‘I’m a fool!’

-x-

The party surged forth and reaching their destination the Cave of Wonders. This was supposed to be the resting place of one of the legendary weapons.

It wasn’t a normal cave to begin with, according to legends this mystical cave was alive and had many natural defenses against evil. So it was only natural that one of the legendary weapons would be placed here for its protection.

This was the place Tosen sent them to. “Let’s go guys!” Ichigo was excited, they were so close to the weapon that could help defeat the Demon King, they could stop the war before it starts.

To be continued...The Trap and the Cursed Sword