Chapter 225

I woke up with a big stretch, a late night doing Rockerboy stuff meant a late morning, but I felt great after eight hours.

 

Sliding out of my bed I headed for the shower as I considered what exactly my day was going to be.

 

Hiromi and I were going to meet up during her lunch.

 

Before that I should probably get some things done. I had leveled again, which was just the best!

 

But I needed to spend my points, and it was adaptation time. As much as I really really wanted to put it into my Sandy, to get more effect out of it, I was also wanting to help Vik, so the answer was obvious.

 

Camillo RAM Manager *Adaptation RAM Manager 1/2*

 

Instantly I felt a bit of a shift in my neck, my range of motion… I could still feel the sort of hitch in the way my neck was moving, but…

 

It wasn’t real.

 

I blinked, sort of realizing it, it wasn’t an actual hitch where something was pulling or keeping me from moving my neck, but something more psychosomatic. Maybe a nerve pinched as I shifted, or something like that.

 

It was still there, but it… Wasn’t as annoying.

 

I stretched under the water and hummed. As much as I wanted to just stuff all my level ups into stats and become super powerful, it really was such an amazing relief to feel… Normal. After adapting to some of my chrome.

 

Well with that done I still had skill points to use.

 

Considering what I would be doing today?

 

One of my seven stored skill points disappeared, dropping me to six, as I leveled programming.

 

Programming 14

 

The flow of knowledge was… A lot. Once again, it wasn’t direct knowledge, but quirks, tricks, and processes, for programming things in a more… Virtual way.

 

On the fly adjustments, and ways to make programs that would better adapt to that sort of use.

 

Yeah, I’d have to do a go over on all my hacks soon, but I really wanted to try leveling Programming to 15, my current max before doing it, otherwise I’d just be wasting time.

 

So instead of spending the morning programming, I should do something else, maybe level programming again mid day and spend the rest of the day working.

 

Ugh. Was Alice going to ask for another practice session too?

 

Maybe I’d have to do some programming while playing.

 

My days sure were busy!

 

I finished my shower and headed out to get some food.

 

—–

 

I was slurping up some noodles, and eating a stick of roast something or other when I could practically feel the hostility on the back of my head.

 

Turning around I blinked as I had been about to reach for my sword when…

“Hayato?”

“There you are! Motoko!” She demanded all done up in her pretty Kimono, the girl stomped towards me stepping out of an expensive Villefort Alvarado.

 

And she was carrying a katana.

 

“Hey Hayato. What’s?”

“I refuse! IRefuseToAcceptThatYou!You!AreAKensei!” She babbled very fast, and her face was doing the cute flushed thing she does when she was mad about something.

 

“It’s sort of a thing. Want some lunch?” I offered, and she looked at me, to the vendor who looked like he was about to have a heart attack.

 

I was just on the side of the road at one of the little pop up food stands, getting some breakfast-lunch while figuring out what I wanted to do with my morning.

 

Her cheeks bulged out like a puffer fish for half a second, in a blink and you’d miss it moment, but she calmed herself and appeared as dignified as she tried to convey after a moment.

 

“Very well! But after, you must spar with me! I refuse to accept that you’ve become a Kensei! I fought you!”

“It’s a recent thing.” I admitted to her as she took her seat, with all the dignity a princess could while sitting at a street vendor.

 

The poor guy was looking half way to losing his shit, especially since there were a good few Tyger Claws, in suits all spreading out around her to keep an eye on things.

 

I shrugged, I’d protect Hayato if anything happened.

 

“Ah one Tonkotsu.” She requested and the chef instantly bowed quickly and got to cooking… Man that was waaay more than what he put into mine! Ah well, I wasn’t a princess. “I refuse to accept it!” She argued with me the moment after, turning to me and glaring.

 

“It wasn’t like I asked for it, Hayato.”

“I refuse!”

“Okay.” I laughed, unable to hold it back. “That’s fine honestly. It was super awkward. I was escorted to the shrine by Sensei, and these old guys-”

“The shrine elders! Motoko! Please have respect!” She said a bit high pitched, so I flashed her a smile.

 

“Never! But they were… Full borgs, and skilled. Very skilled.”

“Yes of course! They are the elders of the Chram Denya Jinja! Ugh! You met them! And they named you a Kensei! You!?”

“What’s wrong with me?” I mumbled, although it came out more, ‘whaz ‘ong ‘ith ma?’ since I had stopped to eat some ramen, noodles half sticking out of my mouth.

 

The look Hayato gave me was kinda hurtful, and then she looked up and down, and back up.

 

“Wude!”

 

“Eat your food!” She demanded at me, and I huffed, slurping up my noodles.

 

“Rude!”

“You are not the type I would ever think could achieve the art! You!? I refuse to believe it!”

“Last time I checked I didn’t need your permission, Princess.”

“P-Princess!? Now who is being rude!?” She demanded hotly, and I grinned.

 

“Still you.”

“Grrrr.” She growled, before glancing up and realizing she had the Chef right there, and instantly shifted back to polite princess mode. “After this I will test your so-called skill!”

“Heh! Anytime! We should do some hand to hand as well! I’ve been trying to get more practice with that. I don’t do enough.”

“Hmph!” She said in response, but it only took a single glance to see how pleased she looked to know she wanted that as well.

 

“So what have you been up to? Any more issues with what’s his face? Wakako is still paying me not to kill him, but I could totally do it.”

She chuckled a bit at my question and then shook it off. “Everything has been very good. Father has been bringing me into more meetings, and involving me. Your assistance… Was very important. Thank you.”

“Pfft. We’re friends, it’s not a big deal.” I waved her off, and right then a bowl of Ramen was passed over and a deeeeeep bow was offered.

 

She nodded and snapped her chopsticks and dug in.

 

—–

 

Gomorrah. Hadn’t been here in a while. This was the gym where I’d first met Hayato, that John had set up so we could have our first spar.

 

“Now then! No more waiting.” Hayato demanded grabbing a Shinai that I’m pretty sure wasn’t part of the gyms normal equipment. I grabbed the other one, and shrugged, adjusting myself and raising my shinai in front of me.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

 

Before I could even think Hayato moved, her reactions, as always, much faster than a normal person. Yet she couldn’t break through my guard. I could read her like a book, not only because we’d sparred in the past.

 

Despite her incredible reaction times, there was just…

 

Clack clack clack. Our Shinai slapped into each other over and over and yet Hayato made no progress, she tried to push me, but instead ended up stalling out and narrowly avoiding my return swipe before trying again.

 

“Grr!” She growled which earned a smile only egging her on more.

 

Then we went at it, a constant assault as we danced around the padded floor, until finally she stopped huffing a little, and glaring.

 

“It’s not fair! How?”

“I swung my blade ten thousand times and became enlightened.” I told her. Then smiled brightly as I laughed. “I just sparred a whole lot, and felt like I was on the edge of it, then I fought Sensei at the Dojo all out, and it clicked.”

 

“That’s such… Hayato actually cursed quietly in japanese, I knew she was cursing, but not exactly what she said.

 

“I’ll assume you were saying how wonderful it is for your friend.” I teased and she glared before doing her rapid fire emotions as she sort of jolted, and then flushed.

 

“I am happy that you achieved such a thing. Motoko.”

“Eh. Hayato… I was joking.” I told her instantly because she actually sounded really sad for a second and even bowed. “Don’t be like that. We’re friends. I’d prefer the angry ranting.”

“IWasn’tRanting!” She argued back in a blur and I just giggled at her response.

 

“Sure choom. So want to beat my face in a bit? Put these away?” I offered, and she perked up with a happy smile at the idea.