Nic ventured deeper into the breathtaking Cherry Blossom area.
"Incredible... this is truly beautiful. The river is so clear, i can see the pink reflection of the trees perfectly," Nic muttered in awe.
He noticed a tree with a swing and decided to head over. As he sat on the swing, the petals drifting down from the Cherry Blossom canopy made the experience feel magical. It was a place of pure comfort.
From a distance, a figure in a pink outfit approached him clearly the Guardian of the Cherry Blossom Tree.
"Hello, visitor... I believe this is the first time I've seen you here. If you were able to enter, does that mean you have permission?" asked Sakura, the Guardian.
Nic stood up politely and bowed slightly. "Ah, yes. I received permission for winning the Kyu Samurai Tournament earlier."
"I see... in that case, welcome to the Cherry Blossom Area~" Sakura said, spreading her arms wide.
"Thank you... um..."
"Sakura. My name is Sakura. Nice to meet you."
"Oh, thanks Sakura! Nice to meet you too, I'm Nic!" Nic replied with a smile.
Nic then asked what he was allowed to do there.
"You are free to do anything as long as you don't damage the area. Most visitors take photos; pictures of the Cherry Blossom area are very expensive because this place is rare and only specific people are granted entry," Sakura explained.
Nic understood and thanked her again. Before he moved on, Sakura made a faint whistling sound so quiet it was almost inaudible, but Nic heard it clearly.
"A whistle? Is that a signal?" Nic thought to himself.
He moved on to explore other spots, taking photos to keep as souvenirs. While he was trying to take a picture of a heart-shaped tree, a white figure suddenly appeared behind him, startling him.
"Whoa, what's that?" Nic exclaimed, seeing the figure in his phone's camera.
It was the Guardian of the Jasmine Flower, dressed in white. "Ah, sorry for startling you! My name is Asamine, the Jasmine Guardian and Sakura's partner."
"Jasmine? Let's see what kind of test she has for me," Nic thought.
"You seem to be enjoying your photography. Would you like me to help you find some high-value spots for expensive photos?" Asamine asked with a friendly smile.
Nic nodded, choosing to follow along. Throughout their walk and photo session, Nic felt no test at all. Asamine's spirit seemed genuinely pure and elegant, without a hint of suspicion. He shook his head, trying not to be cynical by assuming every guardian would test him.
While resting after the long walk, Nic noticed Asamine leave.
"She left? She didn't even say anything," Nic said, confused.
Suddenly, he realized the scent of the Jasmine was incredibly strong. He had assumed it was just the natural fragrance of the flowers, but it was actually a hypnotic aroma. However, because Nic possessed the Anti-Manipulation passive, he was immune.
"It seems she went to wait and see if I'd fall under the hypnosis," Nic smiled.
A few minutes later, Asamine returned with Sakura to check on him. They saw Nic casually sleeping on the grass. Asamine smiled, thinking the hypnosis had worked.
"How is it, Sakura? Looks like he's under," Asamine said.
Sakura approached Nic and smiled. "Hmm, it seems he succeeded, Asamine. You underestimated him."
"Huh? Ah... Sakura, you must be joking..." Asamine couldn't believe she failed, especially since she had even managed to hypnotize Kyu Kazumi before.
Sakura told Asamine to punch Nic in the face.
"Are you crazy? He'll wake up!" Asamine hesitated.
"Just do it... I'm not joking," Sakura said, watching Nic closely.
Asamine braced herself. "Fine, if that's what you want... if his face turns blue, it's on you, Sakura!"
Sakura just nodded with a small giggle. Just as Asamine's fist was about to connect, Nic dodged at the last millisecond. Asamine missed, hitting the grass and falling right on top of Nic.
Nic sat up to find Asamine on top of him, her face bright red.
"What are you doing?" Nic asked.
Asamine immediately scrambled up, turned her back, and crouched down, completely mortified. Meanwhile, Sakura burst into laughter. Though she was usually elegant, seeing Asamine's misfortune always cracked her up.
"Haha... Asamine, what was that? See, I told you," Sakura said, covering her mouth.
Nic decided to be blunt. "You were testing me, weren't you?"
Sakura stopped laughing. "Oh... so you knew?"
"I've been tested by other flowers already," Nic replied.
Sakura was curious if he had passed them all. "So far, yes. But there are still three more I haven't met," Nic said, crossing his arms.
"You want to meet them all? For what?" Sakura asked.
Asamine, overhearing this, grew curious too and leaned in, though she still avoided eye contact with Nic. Nic explained simply that he wanted to help the trees that were threatened with destruction by the government.
"Huh? Are you sure you can?" Asamine asked.
"Hm? I could break your hypnosis, so this should be no problem," Nic teased.
Asamine had no comeback and just blushed.
"I could call all the tree and flower guardians here since I am the head of the Natural Tree of Heaven... but there's one difficulty: the Wisteria and Orchid. They belong to the Shin territory," Sakura said.
"Don't worry, I already met them at the tourist spot," Nic answered.
"In that case, do you want me to call them here?"
Nic shook his head. "No, I don't want to trouble you. I'll head out now and go to them myself."
Sakura smiled. "Then take this. It will make dealing with them much easier." She gave Nic a Natural Tree of Heaven necklace, an item owned only by the guardians.
"Am I allowed to wear this?" Nic asked. Sakura nodded.
Nic thanked her and reached out for a handshake. But it wasn't a normal handshake; Nic used Cupid Arsenal > Sticky Bomb, attaching the "bomb" during the hand-off.
Nic waved as he walked away, and then Boom!
[ Ding! Congratulations! Sakura and Asamine are 100% in Love and Loyal to Master Nic! ]
[ Ding! Hearth Claim active! They have both been added to the girlfriend list. ]
Asamine, who was waving while looking annoyed and embarrassed, suddenly felt her irritation melt into a shy blush. Sakura, feeling a flutter in her chest, touched her heart. "Hmm, he is very interesting."
---
Outside the Cherry Blossom area, Marin and Yami were waiting since they weren't allowed in.
"Nic, what did you talk about with Kyu Kazumi? When she met me, she seemed very enthusiastic talking about you," Yami asked curiously.
Nic was surprised. "She was talking about me? Really?"
Marin nodded. "Yeah, at first she was just chatting with Yami, but eventually, it was all about you. She said you lost on purpose?"
Nic was worried Marin said that to Yami, but then he remembered Yami had also been hit by his Cupid Arsenal, so it was safe if Kazumi confided in her.
"Ah, forget that... I have to go now," Nic said.
"Where? Can I come?" Yami asked.
Marin laughed. "Of course not! Let me be the one to accompany him!"
"Neither of you is coming. Marin, you should go home," Nic said.
Marin froze in shock while Yami patted her shoulder. "Sksk, be patient."
Nic took off so fast it left them both stunned. But just before leaving the Kyu territory, he saw Sayuri at the exit. She seemed to be waiting for someone.
"Who are you waiting for?" Nic asked.
Sayuri jumped. "There you are! I want a serious answer! Why did my illness disappear? Answer me!"
"Well... I'm an expert in acupuncture from the Shin region. When I hugged you, I managed to hit your vital pressure points quickly," Nic lied.
"Huh? That simple? Isn't it usually complicated and involves needles?" Sayuri asked, confused.
Nic explained he was so skilled he could do it with just his fingers.
"Uh... if that's true... THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!" Sayuri bowed deeply, genuinely grateful as she held back tears.
"I joined the tournament to cure my illness... I needed the money from winning to get into the Cherry Blossom area and take photos to sell," Sayuri said, wiping her eyes.
"You're amazing. You would have been the true winner if you weren't sick," Nic said.
Sayuri shook her head. "I don't think so. I saw you fight the Phenomenon, Kyu Kazumi. I definitely would have lost."
Nic laughed and led Sayuri to a nearby shop.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Just follow me."
Nic found a print shop and immediately printed all the high-quality photos he had taken in the Cherry Blossom area and gave them to Sayuri.
"EHH? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHY ARE YOU GIVING THEM ALL TO ME?" Sayuri was shocked.
Nic walked out. "That's a second-place prize from me personally! Good luck!"
As he said it, he shot her with Cupid Arsenal > Pistol.
[ Ding! Congratulations! Sayuri is 100% in Love and Loyal to Master Nic! ]
[ Ding! Hearth Claim active! Sayuri has been added to the girlfriend list. ]
Sayuri stood there, a mix of confusion and joy, clutching the valuable photos. The shop worker clapped. "Wow, your boyfriend is so thoughtful! Congratulations, those photos are worth a fortune!"
Sayuri let out a embarrassed scream and ran out of the shop.
To be continued...