Aether Nexus: Curse of Love & Hatred

“Yes, indeed I do! In fact, our chief has one!”

“Really!?” Dama exclaimed, excited to hear that someone else had a Soulful Technique of their own.

Liam’s interest was piqued as he picked up a barrel of food from the carriage, something Mumu had already made progress on. "Really now? That’s surprising to hear, as they’re apparently very rare nowadays.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard too,” Clemens replied whilst starting to help, “to my knowledge, the chief is the only person in generations to be born with one in our village. It’s actually the main reason he was crowned the chief.”

“Generations you say? Just like Dama in our village!” Liam chortled as he handed a crate to an unsuspecting Gus, who fell to the ground due to it.

Setting down the last container of food, Liam and Clemens both let out a sigh of relief from work.

“Good job Mumu, you’re honestly the best!” Liam said as he patted Mumu’s belly, who responded to the gratitude by patting Liam’s shoulders.

“Whew! That thi—I mean, bear, really is helpful!” Clemens said through ragged breaths. “Is it really the result of your Soulful Technique, Dama?”

“A mighty fine question if I do say so myself, Clemens!” Domitius bellowed out with a hearty laugh as he walked up to the group. “I’m also curious, young Dama. Your uncle mentioned you had an ability. Pray tell, what’s the details? Don’t be shy!”

As Mumu and Nina went to stand behind Dama, the boy happily obliged. “Well, yes I, supposedly, do have a Soulful Technique. Thing is though, I…don’t really know how to control it… I don’t even have a name for it…” Dama answered with a slight blush of embarrassment. “All I know is that it’s the reason my two companions behind me, Mumu and Nina, came to life.”

“Is that so?” Domitius grasped at his chin hair as he studied Mumu and Nina.

“Trust me man, those two may look squishy, and they are, but both of them are way more than meets the eye!” Koul further explained while patting Domitius’ left shoulder, his pride and confidence overflowing within every word.

Liam piped up to affirm Koul’s words. “Not to mention, their squishiness means they’re pretty durable. I’d go as far to say they don’t feel pain.”

“Any other specialties?” Domitius inquired further, the intrigue in his face rising with every comment.

“Well, they both have their own mind and feelings. So Mr. Liam is sorta right. They can’t feel physical pain, but emotional pain is still fair game, so please, be nice to them.” Dama replied as he rubbed Mumu’s belly, then Nina’s head. Both of their stitch-like mouths raised at the ends as if they were smiling, which caught Domitius’ attention and showed that Dama’s words held true.

“They also take orders, but only from Dama, hehee!” Koul laughed as he pointed at Mumu. “If you wanna get even more specific, Mumu the bear is pretty damn strong for being only a stuffed toy! He can lift logs and whole boulders by himself! When it comes to Ni…na…” Koul’s words trailed off and pointing finger drooped, just now realizing Nina’s change in size. “Ahem! Nina the fox is very fast, nimble, and flexible, not to mention good at scaling high places. Though she's usually bigger than that, what happened to you, girl?” Koul asked while scratching his head.

Dama looked at Nina, who looked back up at him, her tail wagging. “Don’t know, but Mr. Liam says it might have something to do with my Soulful Technique.”

As Koul, Liam, and Dama pondered on Nina's current situation, Domitius cracked his neck whilst smirking. “So, two automatic soldiers who have physical capabilities that surpass normal men and live to serve their master? If only I could have that, a far-fetched dream for a normal captain like me, har!”

Dama laughed, albeit nervously. “Well, uh, I wouldn't really call them soldiers, or myself their master. Mumu and Nina,” he smiled whilst turning to his companions, “they're my family. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world!”

Before Dama knew it, Mumu had him and Nina in a bearhug. The three’s love for each other was immensely palpable and for all to see. Though, it was also obvious Dama struggled to breathe, squished between the two—yet still smiling and laughing all the same.

It was a scene that struck a chord of simple beauty within everyone present, even the indifferent Gus. They simply couldn't help the soft smiles that made themselves home on their faces.

Hearing Dama's pure and joyful laughs sent waves of warmth throughout each of the men's bodies, not only relaxing them, but also allowing them to briefly forget the sting of the cold around them.

“Dawwww~!” Koul voiced, touched by the scene before him. Liam only nodded to Koul's reaction, agreeing that he would have done the same in his head.

“Man, those two really are alive, huh?” Ryuu thought, his entire body relaxing for the first time in a while.

“Well, this is indeed a warming sight for these old and cold eyes!” Domitius bellowed out once more before punching his own palm. “So, let’s see here… Two stuffed animals who can’t feel physical pain, both with their own strengths, takes orders but can also do things of their own will… One can even change size according to Koul’s confusion. I only got one more question: Have these two been in a fight before?”

Domitius’ question caught everybody off guard, excluding Koul and Ryuu, the latter of which facepalmed. “If I’m what you’re thinking, Sir Domitius, it’s not a very good idea.”

“Har har! I’ve never really been a man of good ideas, now have I, Junior?” Domitius exclaimed as he patted his steel-like abs. “Do I have your permission, Uncle Koul?”

“Pfft, go ahead, you’re gonna be the one on his ass afterwards, har!” Koul replied as he walked to stand by Liam, who was slightly confused as to what was about to happen.

“Have they ever been in a fight…?” Dama repeated to himself as Mumu dropped the bearhug, still slightly taken aback. Thinking about it, only one memory surfaced. “Well, only once… One day us three encountered a brown bear while I was walking to Enohay Village. When it lunged at us, Mumu stepped in front of me and Nina, then took it on head to head. He quickly overpowered and subdued the bear, in which it ran away first chance it got. He got alot of scratches from the fight, but it was nothing Ms. Alder couldn’t stitch. That was about three years ago…”

“A brown bear, eh? Impressive. I took down a brown bear myself once too ya know.” Domitius smirked while adopting a defensive stance. “Come, young Dama, order Mumu to attack me!”

A spell of silence fell onto the area as Dama processed what Domiitius just asked, freaking out afterwards. In contrast, Mumu and Nina only tilted their heads at Domitius. “E-EH!? I’ve never told them to attack before, much less another human!”

“Eh, don’t worry, young Dama. I’ll be just fine, it’s not like I’m asking you to order Mumu to kill me.” Domitius reassured.

Reassurance that still met resistance, however. “I still don’t know about this, Mr. Domitius…” Dama murmured, looking down and taking his attention off of Domitius.

“Eh, I don’t blame the kid,” Domitius thought to himself, his face dropping due to slight disappointment, “he seems like the type to faint at a drop of blood. He couldn’t hurt a fly, let alone another human… But, if what I’ve heard to this point is true, we’re gonna need both of those creatures to have a chance to beat that damned Oni, especially the bear’s strength—and I know just how to gauge that strength!”

Switching to a battle stance that’s only taught within a style specific to Briarstone, Domitius dashed at Dama specifically. Raising his fist, he prepared to stop at the last second, However, before anyone could move a muscle, Nina had already coiled herself around his ankles, disrupting his dash.

Mumu then took the brunt of Domitius’ punch and gut checked him with enormous force, enough to send him several feet back and even cough up saliva.

In the end, Koul’s earlier comment was right, Domitius was the one on his ass afterwards.

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Next: (Chapter 37) Briarstone’s Chief