Kobe the Beast Tamer

Chapter - 119 - Talking with Mei

Most women that were sent to be prostitutes, wanted to be them. Or they had just grown accustomed to that life and didn't want to change. Mei was just a special case.

"It makes me think, was there really no other reason you wanted to save me that night?"

At this point, the water was getting pretty crazy. Waves and whirlpools were everywhere. I was very glad to have brought a small boat.

"Kobe?" Mei spoke up.

Oh, yea she asked a question.

"No there was no other reason. At the time, I really didn't consider people's feelings. After all, I was brought up with the assumption people only became friends with others for what they could get out of each other. And so an extent I was right. After all, you only followed me because I promised to teach you cultivation." I paused as I got rid of a whirlpool. "Still, I wouldn't trade this friendship for anything. After all, you could have left at any time, and I wouldn't have blamed you. You could have picked someone over me at any time, but you didn't. Mei, you are a better person than anyone I know. I don't deserve you and I know this."

"When did you start to accept me?" She asked.

I smiled as I looked over the water.

"I don't know. Maybe it's when I realized I would cry if you died." I said.

At this point, the water was getting crazy.

"Mei, you'll have to hold on to me very tight," I said. "It's about to get very rough."

She hugged my thigh for dear life.

"Kobe." She spoke up.

"Mmm?" I responded as the boat started to rock.

"Does that mean you've started to care about people?"

My hands stopped for a brief moment.

I choked as I responded.

"Yea."

I've grown to love this world, even if it didn't love me back.

This realization hit me like a ton of bricks. That's right, I love this world. And I'm going to save it even if it kills me.

At this point, the beach was very close. I could jump for it and make it. But the boat would be destroyed. Wait, my space.

"Mei, stand now."

"I-"

"Now!" I yelled.

She clung to me as she wobbled to stand.

I grasped her waist with one arm and took off with Flight Jumps. I snatched up the boat with the wave of a hand and quickly started to fall to the shore.

The water was shooting up like it wanted to grab me and the hair around me, was whistling in my ears.

Mei was screaming but I could barely hear her. I was too busy pushing through the air. I cut through and hit the sand with both feet and Mei over my shoulder.

I put her down and untied her to see that she was pretty shaken up.

"I hated that." She said.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's go," I said.

And like that, we started the trek through the wasteland. And it really was.

There was not a plant in sight. Just a lot of dirt. I started to wonder what happened. Sure Devils had Evil Energy but this was unbelievable. There was no way one man could do this. I refused to believe it.

At about that moment, my brain started to feel foggy.

"Mei-" The last thing I could call put before my eyesight went dark. Did I use too much energy?

"Child, you came." The same apparition from before. 

I couldn't speak.

"Child, the closer you get, the closer our connection will get. Cultivate to sense it."

And like that, I woke up with Mei yelling in my ears.

"Mei, stop." I opened my eyes and looked up.

She was holding me by the arms with tears coming out of her eyes.

"Mei, I'm fine," I said with a smile.

"Please don't leave me...you're the only family I have left." She said as she shook.

"Mei, that's not-"

She cut me off.

"That old man you call Master has been embezzling money. He cheats the poor and barely teaches me anything. Everything I've learned has been on my own." She said as she sobbed. "He's a selfish old man who I don't consider me family."

"Mei," I said as I sat up. "Has he been good to you?"

"What?" She looked over with tear-filled eyes.

"Mei, no one's perfect. But he's taken care of you in his own way. Sure he's a greedy man but truly did you really expect him to be completely pure?" I asked.

"But-"

"I mean seriously Mei, look at me. I've murdered more people than most and yet I also have a pure body. I can heal people, isn't that the most fucked up thing you've ever heard?"

Her eyes grew.

"Mei, I'm not saying this to lessen your pain. I know what it feels like to be lonely. But you must realize that I won't always be there for you. You're a grown-ass woman. You have to power to be whoever the fuck you want to be."

She placed her face in her hands and spoke.

"I guess I just thought you were perfect." She said in her hands.

"Mei..." I whispered as I got close.

She looked up at me.

"Mei, who do you want to be?" I asked.

"I've never had to make that decision." She said.

"Mei, if you want to follow me forever, I won't stop you. I just want you to choose your path."

She nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Kobe, do you regret some of your decisions?" She asked.

I recalled Jason.

"Yea, I do."

She looked up at me. I sighed and spoke.

"Remember the human Lord Devil?" I asked.

She nodded.

"I haven't seen him for a while, but I think...no I'm sure he was interested in me. Not romanticly, but if I could meet him again...I would want to build something with him."