Side Story: Tino’s Hot Spring Nightmare
“No, Lizzy, you can’t go in!”
“Yeah? Who are you to boss me around?”
Lizzy was in a pink yukata and glaring at Tino. It was an intimidating glare, but Tino somehow clenched her fists and pulled herself together. Behind Tino was the door that led to the open-air bath. That catastrophe with the dragon had resulted in the destruction of the main bath, but as this was a luxury inn, each room was furnished with its own private open-air bath.
Tino had tried the bath in her room. It was pleasant and wide enough that multiple people could get in and still have plenty of room. It wasn’t as large as the main bath, but it wasn’t lacking any features and there weren’t going to be any more dragon appearances. It was enough to make Tino feel sumptuous.
If Lizzy wanted to bathe in a hot spring, that was just fine. What Tino didn’t understand was why she was insistent on this one. Tino could just barely hear a tune being hummed somewhere behind her. She spread her arms out wide and barred Lizzy’s path.
“Master is currently in the bath! Please, use the bath in your room!” she yelled.
Why did Lizzy want to come all the way over here when she had a bath in her own room? Tino didn’t understand it at all. No, she did understand. Lizzy was quite fond of Krai and she wasn’t the type to resist her impulses. But that didn’t mean Tino was going to give in.
Tino was here for a reason. She had changed out of the yukata Krai had complimented and was now back in her usual gear. Standing before the door, she took a deep breath.
“Lizzy, I must inform you that Master told me to stand guard!” she said.
There was burning energy in Lizzy’s eyes. “Hmm? Then do so. Now get out of my way.”
“I told him you wouldn’t do something so brazen!”
To Tino’s sensibilities, barging in on the bath of a member of the opposite sex was inconceivable. Even when the dragon emergency had forced her hand, she had been so embarrassed she thought she might die.
But it wasn’t hard to imagine Lizzy doing something like that; she was always clinging to Krai. And yet Tino had believed in her mentor. She had believed. She didn’t think she would be betrayed on her first day on the job.
Exasperated, Lizzy put her hands on her hips and smiled. Her robe complimented her slim figure very nicely and Apex Roots seemed to be on standby. Yukatas weren’t easy to move around in. After all, they weren’t made for combat. She probably just preferred being bare-legged, even in an emergency.
“Shameless? Are you really gonna tell me you can’t handle a naked man? What if you’re attacked by a guy in his birthday suit? Would you be too scared to fight?”
“Don’t try and change the subject! Master asked me to stand here and protect him!”
If such a man attacked, Tino could fight him. She could even ambush a man in the bath if she had to. But the man in question wasn’t an attacker.
Lizzy seemed unconvinced. In fact, she was looking at Tino as though she had lost her mind.
“Hmm. Well, whatever. Now, I’ll say it again. Will you get out of the way? I’m gonna wash Krai Baby’s back.”
“No! Lizzy, please understand my position.”
“Krai Baby and I are part of the same party, you know. We’ve been around each other since we were tiny and we’ve bathed together before. Don’t worry, I’ll let him know you did your job.”
Tino silently took her stance.
“Don’t worry,” Liz continued. “He’ll just say something like, ‘Well, there’s no stopping you, Liz.’”
Tino placed her right foot forward, lowered her back, and steadied her breathing. She was aware that her eyes were begging for mercy, but even still, she looked her mentor in the eye. Even if Lizzy was restricted by the yukata, she was still too much for Tino to hold back. Lizzy was superior in speed, stamina, and just about every other aspect.
Lizzy tilted her head. “Hmm. Tino, have you gotten stronger?” she asked as she rolled up her sleeves and clasped her hands. “I didn’t think I’d see the day you stood up to me.”
“I-It’s thanks to your training.”
To Tino, Krai’s orders were her number one priority. They were also her number two priority. And number three and four.
She examined her surroundings. Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t anything she could use as a weapon and she didn’t want to make a mess of Krai’s room. All she had to fight with was her own body.
Tino thought back to the time she had worn the mask. Her emotions had been intensified, but her body could still remember how it had moved back then. If she fought with every bit of her strength, she just might be able to restrain Lizzy. Looking her in the eye, Tino could tell her mentor wasn’t messing around.
Lizzy furrowed her brow, but then let out a small sigh and said something quite unexpected.
“Are you an idiot? If you want to obey his orders to the letter, you can still at least let me wash his back.”
“Huh?”
“You can still keep watch from inside the bath, can’t you? You gotta think harder about these things. Ah. I’ve got it. T, come with me. It’s two birds with one stone. We can build your resilience to naked men and I can show you how to wash someone’s back.”
Go with her? Where? Wash someone’s back? Whose?
It took Tino a moment to realize what Lizzy was getting at, but her mind went blank the moment she did. Her heart pounded and she became restless. She pressed her lips together, aware that her face was probably burning red.
Master’s back? No. Not in a million years.
Even if he ordered her to, she probably couldn’t bring herself to do it. She’d die of embarrassment. She had wavered for a mere moment, but that was all Lizzy needed to close the gap.
She grabbed Tino’s wrist and casually strolled through the door, apprentice in tow.
“Krai Baby, I bet it’s lonely all by yourself! I’ll wash your back!”
“No, Lizzy! Master, run for it!”
Steam brushed Tino’s cheek. With her free hand, Lizzy undid the sash on her robe. All Tino could do was close her eyes and wrap her arms around Lizzy in an attempt to restrain her.
***
“Wh-Why are you here, Siddy?! This is Master’s room!”
Siddy looked at Tino curiously. They were, needless to say, in front of the door leading to Krai’s open-air bath.
“That’s what I’d like to ask you. What are you doing, T?”
Siddy wore a cool blue yukata that suited her quite nicely and held a white cloth in her right hand. Her eyes didn’t bear the flames that Lizzy’s had, but they instead offered glimpses of her intellect. She thought for a moment, before placing a finger to her lips.
“Were you perhaps trying to peek?” she asked in a placid tone.
“N-No! Master told me to stand guard out here!”
“Oh, that’s a relief. If you were doing something bad, then I’d have to punish you.”
Tino felt a shiver run down her spine. Siddy’s tone was jocular, but her eyes were dead serious. Tino had never even considered peeking, but who knows what might have happened to her if she had tried?
She was once again reminded of how intimidating Siddy could be, though in a different way than Lizzy. Lizzy was violent, but never harbored suspicions towards Tino. Siddy, on the other hand, was mellow, yet kept a sharp eye out for anyone, friend or foe, who might be trying to get close to Krai.
“Well, I wish you the best of luck.”
With an entrancing smile, Siddy began to walk past Tino. It was such a natural movement Tino’s reaction was delayed. Still, she managed to catch Siddy’s arm. If it had been Lizzy, Tino probably wouldn’t have made it in time.
“W-Wait! What are you doing? Master’s in the bath right now!”
“Of course he is. And I’m going to go wash his ba—”
“Huh?!”
She was doing the same as Lizzy and without a hint of remorse. By tightening her grip and twisting her body, Tino managed to pull Siddy away from the door. She couldn’t let her guard down, not even for a second. After what happened with Lizzy, it seemed to her perfectly natural that Krai would entrust her to watch the door.
“No, you can’t! Siddy, that’s indecent! Master told me to not let anyone through this door!”
Fortunately, Siddy wasn’t the type who fought on the front lines; Tino was the stronger of the two. As long as she didn’t space out a second time, she would be fine.
Siddy blinked and cocked her head. “Indecent? T, I think you’ve got the wrong idea.”
“Wha?”
Wrong idea?
As Tino began to relax, Siddy laughed, her cheeks flushed slightly.
“T, did you think I was going to aid him in the nude? Naughty, naughty,” Siddy teased.
All the way to her ears, Tino’s face felt like it was on fire. Tino had indeed been thinking that. Siddy was a gentle person, but she had the same lack of respect for personal space as her sister. She might do anything if Krai asked her to.
“Huh? You’re not?”
“I’m not. I don’t share your lecherous nature, T. Look, I brought a swimdress.”
Grinning, Siddy spread out the white cloth she was holding. What Tino had assumed to be a towel was actually a swimdress. The loose, thin fabric vaguely reminded her of a yukata.
“See? I can wear this and wash his back without showing any skin,” Siddy said.
“I-I see.”
Siddy chuckled. “I’m not like Lizzy, I don’t show skin that easily.”
“I’m sorry. I jumped to the wrong conclusion.”
Tino had never realized that was an option. Leave it to Siddy to have such a smart idea. Tino had only ever known hot springs as being places where you bathed naked and that had clouded her judgment.
As Tino hung her head, Siddy walked past her. The door silently shut behind her. Tino took a deep breath and collected her thoughts.
“Hm?”
Immediately, she got the feeling she was forgetting something. She blinked a few times. Then once more. She turned towards the door and stared at it for a moment. Then began to pound on it frantically.
“Siddy?! It doesn’t matter! It doesn’t matter that you’re wearing a swimdress! You can’t go in there, Siddy!”
Such a thin garment, and a white one no less, would become transparent if it got wet. Hell, it might not even need to get wet. Surely, Siddy was aware of this. This was a premeditated crime. She had said she doesn’t show skin that easily, but that was a dubious statement when she was already going to wash Krai’s back.
“Maaaster! Run for it!”
Tino hesitated, but she quickly overcame her doubts. This was all her fault and she had to live up to Krai’s expectations. She had to protect her master from Sitri!
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and burst through the door.
***
Her master’s orders were absolute, but Tino felt her will beginning to break. First Lizzy, then Siddy. Just how contested was this door to the open-air bath? Besides, wouldn’t it normally be the man doing the peeking? Not that Krai was actually that sort of person.
Tino’s eyes opened wide. A new, and quite unexpected, person had appeared.
She was in a yukata, as opposed to her usual black robe. The contrast of her porcelain skin and lustrous black hair was breathtaking. Her frail, fleeting impression was quite unlike Lizzy and even Siddy.
“L-Lucy? You too?!” Tino cried.
“What are you talking about?” Lucy asked.
“Never mind. But, um, this is Master’s room. And he’s in the bath right now...”
Tino was acquainted with everyone in Grieving Souls, and that naturally included Lucy, but her ethereal aura made her a bit unapproachable to Tino.
After a moment of confusion, Lucy sat down next to Tino, folding her legs beneath her. Her black hair flowed over her white robe.
She cleared her throat and said: “I know. That’s why I came here. Standing watch during these situations is usually my job. So why are you here, T?”
“Master asked me to stand guard.”
“There he goes again, working you like a dog.”
“N-Not at all. I’m doing this because I want to!”
Lucy furrowed her brow, but didn’t say anything and instead snapped her fingers. Two cushions came flying in from somewhere and landed next to Tino and Lucy. Next came a teapot, which automatically filled the two teacups that flew in with it. When she first saw it, Tino had been surprised by Lucy’s magic, but now she was accustomed to her irregular spells.
“Th-Thank you very much.”
“Think nothing of it. Now that I’m here, you can go and enjoy yourself,” Lucia said while opening a book up on her lap. She was ready to be in it for the long haul. But Tino was a loyal hunter; she couldn’t just leave Lucy alone.
“No, this is something Master ordered me to do,” Tino said, clenching her fist.
“Is it now? Well then, we can keep watch together.”
“Sounds perfect!”
Tino’s spirited answer briefly caught Lucy off guard, but then a chuckle escaped her lips.
Tino found something pleasant about the faint warmth against her back and the comb flowing through her hair. She had undone her ribbons and was letting Lucy brush her hair. She handled the comb very tenderly, putting Tino at ease.
“Even with mana material, hunters still need to maintain their hair,” Lucy said in a soft voice.
“I know. I want to grow my hair out like you, but it’s been difficult,” Tino replied.
Lucy’s long shiny hair was something any girl would be envious of. But long hair could be an impediment for most hunters.
“For Magi, hair makes for a convenient mana catalyst. But for a Thief, unless you can have confidence in your movements like Liz does, you might want to give up on long hair.”
“Okay.”
“And while you can get your limbs back, even Ansem can’t help you if your head gets cut off.”
“Mmm. And it gets in the way during close-range combat. But once I get stronger, I’ll definitely grow it out like yours.”
“And taking care of it is a lot of work...” Lucy said in a small voice. She grabbed a lock of her own hair and brushed it against Tino’s cheek. They both had black hair, but Lucy’s had a certain weight to it. “Matching hair. That might be fun.”
“You think so?!” Tino said with glimmering eyes.
Lucy giggled and tied Tino’s ribbons. What a kind soul. Tino knew that once the ribbons were in place, she was supposed to stop leaning against Lucy, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.
“One’s coming,” Lucy murmured. “They never ever learn.”
Her eyes were sharp, almost unrecognizable from the gentle eyes that had been looking at Tino. Before Tino could say anything, the door swung open, and in came one of the Smart sisters—the energetic one.
Lizzy hadn’t been expecting to run into someone besides Tino. Before Tino could recover from her confusion, Lizzy darted forward, and, almost like magic, began to run along the ceiling, her robe fluttering wildly.
“Krai Baby! I’m gonna wash your back!”
“Lizzy?! Master’s currently—”
Lizzy ignored Tino completely.
Before Tino could even get to her feet, Lizzy was pulled off the ceiling and came crashing into the ground. Her yukata began to change color. It was turning gray.
“Turn to stone,” Lucy said in a chilly voice.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Lizzy cried.
Tino had never seen that spell before. It terrified her.
Her clothes now entirely transformed into stone, Lizzy lay on the ground, glaring at Lucy.
“That’s what I’d like to ask you,” Lucy said. “I can’t wrap my head around how you manage to be so stubborn.”
“It’s none of your damn business! Now get the hell out of my way!”
“Solidify.”
Lizzy tried to break through the petrified garment. But to Tino’s shock, those fists that could break through some metals had no effect on the stone.
“Ah! Okay, I get it! Lucy, you can come along! You too, Tino,” Lizzy screamed.
Lucy’s eyebrows twitched.
“Begone.”
“What can I do for you, Luke?” Lucy asked.
The tension was palpable.
“Ah, the thing is, Lucia, it’s about this hot spring. There’s no waterfall,” the red-haired Swordsman responded, completely serious.
What were they to do in such a strange situation?
“I can’t train like this, so I thought I’d ask Krai for alternative training methods. Is he in there?” Luke asked. Neither his crimson eyes nor his tone of voice suggested he was joking around.
In some ways, Tino found Luke to be the hardest visitor to deal with. She had been entrusted with the task of making sure no one got in the open-air bath. However, Luke and Krai were of the same sex. Some might argue that meant it was okay for him to go in. After all, the main bath was divided by sex and Luke probably wouldn’t stick around once he was done talking to Krai.
Uncertain what to do, she looked up at Lucy, who didn’t seem quite so lost.
“Very well,” she said with a small sigh. “I’ll make you a waterfall, so please leave us.”
“Make it a hot one.”
“Yeah, as you wish.”
An avalanche of sky-blue dragons came bursting through the door.
“Raaawr!”
“Wha?!”
The herd of excited dragons was barreling straight at Tino.
“Lucy, why’s a herd of dragons here?! Why?!” she screamed, completely at a loss over what to do.
Lucy remained unshaken and simply said an incantation.
“Begone, every one of you.”
With thundering footsteps, a gray giant entered through the ruined doorway. It was Killiam and the other Smart sister was atop its back. Through holes in a paper bag, two eyes peered down at Lucy.
“He he, I imagine you must be tired after casting so many spells, Lucy.”
“Siddy?! Were those dragons your doing?!” Tino cried.
Siddy made a smug grin. Tino had seen her fair share of villains, but this still sent a shiver down her spine.
Killiam looked around through bloodshot eyes. It was a powerful magic creature, more than Tino could handle on her own. Now that it had come to this, all she could do was depend on Lucy.
“Begone,” Lucy said.
“Hehe, your spells will do you no good. You see, I’ve taken a number of anti-Lucy countermeasures. Don’t think you can get rid of me so easily.”
Siddy held up an empty vial. Tino didn’t know for certain what had been in it, but it seemed safe to assume it had been something that enhanced magic resistance. Tino thought Siddy’s behavior was awfully childish compared to her usual demeanor.
Lucy scowled as Killiam began to slowly approach.
“Worry not, I’m not going to kill him, just wash his back. Oh, Lucy, feel free to call me Mistress Sitri.”
Lucy stood up and glared at Siddy. Mana emanated from her body. Her expression caused Tino to take a few steps back.
“Very well. You really want to do this, then? I’ll beat you down, just as I always do, Mistress Sitri.”
***
“Ryuu-ryuu.”
Today’s guest was sweet-sounding and quite fine-looking. It was also a Troglodyte.
“Master, does it matter if they’re human or not?” Tino wondered aloud.
“Ryu-u?”
A circlet-like pattern adorned the top of her head. In other words, provided Siddy was correct, this Troglodyte was the princess. She blinked a few times, a very humanlike expression. Apparently, these creatures had intellects on par with human beings.
“Master’s not a Troglodyte! Shoo! Shoo!”
“Ryuu-u-ryu-u!”
It didn’t seem like words would work, so Tino made a scattering gesture. The princess nodded and began to walk onward to the door—only for Tino to jump on her.
“You can’t go in! I was told not to let anyone enter!”
“Ryuu!!!”
With her arms wrapped around the princess, Tino was surprised to find that her gray skin was actually soft like a human’s. The Troglodyte wriggled her hair in an attempt to shove Tino off, but she held tight.
It no longer mattered to Tino whether or not it was a human. This was a gauntlet for her to overcome and she wasn’t going to let anyone pass.
“Ryu-u-ryu-u!”
The door opened and five more Troglodytes came barreling in. They must have sensed their princess was in danger. It wasn’t as big as the swarm Krai had commanded, but it was more than Tino could fight off.
“No! Nooo! Master, run!”
The Troglodytes tackled Tino and the princess, slamming into the door. Without a loud crash, it slowly fell over.
***
It wasn’t working. Tino alone wasn’t enough to ensure her master’s ability to enjoy a bath. Her mind resolved, she pulled out her last resort—the Relic she had received from her master.
Evolve Greed would draw out her latent powers. Super Tino, as her master called her in that state, should be able to fight off any potential intruders. She had never thought she would need to use it outside of a battle.
No, this was a battle. This was war.
“Has my time come at long last? How I’ve waited,” said the mask.
Tino always carried the mask with her, but not with the intent of using it. There was no meaning in power granted easily. But now wasn’t the time to be picky.
“There’s no denying the strength I bring out in you. No doubt, you could protect your beloved.”
“Beloved?!”
“Do not forget, I am but a tool. Your true adversary resides within yourself.”
What was this mask talking about? It didn’t matter, Tino had made up her mind. She would protect her master, even if it meant wearing this mask. She wouldn’t have brought it out otherwise.
Once again, Tino surrendered herself to the mask and became Super Tino.
Power flowed through her. Feelings of intoxication and elation overwhelmed her. Her blood burned, her breath was fire. Her clothes felt tighter. The mask did more than just draw out her latent powers. She grew taller, her chest grew bigger, and her figure improved overall.
It was a feeling of omnipotence. It was strength. Lizzy, Siddy, not even the princess could stand against her. Tino squeezed her chest. She was already slightly larger than Lizzy, but now the difference was undeniable. A thrill of pleasure ran down the back of her neck.
She turned to the door she had been protecting thus far. She could win. In this state, she could seduce Krai. Lizzy’s chest was small. Siddy was a malicious person. But she had been loyal, had a nice figure, and was young. She couldn’t lose.
No, no, no. I can’t think like that. It’s an illusion of the mask.
Tino wasn’t going to be fooled. She was strong. Even if it seemed like a good idea right now, she knew she would regret it later. The surest path to victory was through steadily establishing trust. She took a deep breath and praised herself for not getting swept away by temporary impulses.
Then she noticed her hands were moving on their own, removing her clothes. She undid her shoulder straps and slowly took off her camisole-like top. She burned with feelings of both freedom and guilt. No matter how hard she tried, her hands wouldn’t stop.
She stopped lying to herself. She knew she was doing this of her own volition.
It’s all right, whispered another Tino—Evil Tino. She had watched over Krai all this time. He was kind enough to even stay friends with Lizzy. He would forgive her, just this once. Then it hit her. She could wash his back. She had to say thanks for everything he had done for her. Just this once and never again. She was going to make memories and this was the only chance she would ever get.
She burned with anguish. Her voice was desperate, just like it had been with every other incident so far.
“Master, run for it. I-I’m coming in,” she said in a small voice and quietly entered through the door.
***
In front of the door to the open-air bath, Tino stood with arms outstretched to block any intruders. But the intruders paid her no mind and simply stepped over her. Tino cried out in frustration.
“Ribbit. Ribbit,” she croaked.
***
Then Tino woke up. What a terrible dream that had been. She had dreamed about protecting her master’s safety, but being too powerless to carry out her duty. She lost to Lizzy, Siddy, even herself. But then the dream came to an end.
Now that she was awake, this time she would protect her master. With renewed determination, she pulled herself up. She was in Krai’s room, the one she had seen so many times in her dream.
In front of her, Lizzy and Siddy were fighting. Pillows were being thrown and legs swung. Potions were used. Killiam was present. It was chaos.
Tino finally remembered. She had fainted. And she hadn’t been entrusted to protect Krai. When she really thought about it, it didn’t make any sense that he would rely on her to stand guard. He wasn’t the sort of person to lose his head just because Lizzy or Siddy broke into his bath. Naturally, Tino wouldn’t faze him either.
With a sense of enlightenment, she knocked on the door and then went in, making sure the fighting sisters didn’t notice her.
“Master, those two are running rampant. Please do something about...”
“Rawr?”
In the form of a sky-blue dragon, her master cocked his head and looked at her with doe eyes.
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