Editing BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 2===
The night was dark, and the moon grew bright. The treetops rustled while a bonfire crackled. Water poured and streamed, causing steam to rise up. Celica squealed with delight at what she saw at the end of the narrow path, cut through the bushes in the secluded forest.

The village of the Kaka, under the guidance of Suzukaka, went around the rocky mountains and the forest. When the group arrived, the forest and the night sky were pitch black, and several bonfires burned between the little huts of stone and clay.

Celica's group, resting in one of the huts amidst the flickering red flames, had come here after being promised a trip to a special place before their meal was ready. It was a long way from the center of the village, and the rugged surface of the rocky mountains could be seen nearby. A few trees had been cut down, and in the center was a pond surrounded by rocks of various sizes.

It was more than just a pond: it was a hot spring.

— “That's so cool...!! Look, Sis! There's a bath outside!” — Celica squealed.
She wasted no time before taking her clothes off and hid her chest with a towel while she ran off toward the steaming rock bath. Nine and Trinity followed suit, covering themselves with thin cloths; their long hair, which usually slid down their backs, was now tied up. Their skin, from the shoulders to the nape of neck, reflected the color of the bonfires.

— “Hey, don't rush in or you'll fall!”

— “Ufufu...” Trinity chuckled, “but this is so nice... it's the first time I've stargazed in a hot bath!”

And she wiped the fog off her glasses with the tip of a towel. She only didn't take her glasses off because she wanted to cherish every passing moment and still be able to see her surroundings.

Suzukaka stood naked on the rocks surrounding the hot springs, wearing nothing but the hood that covered her head. She beckoned Celica and the others with a flutter of her hand.

— “You'll get cold if you keep gawking. Come on, don't be shy! Get in!”

Totokaka was one step ahead of her, already in the bath. She was dressed for a bath — or rather, covered in cloth from head to toe, floating in the water like a stuffed animal.


— “I'm coming in...!” With excitement and anticipation, Celica rearranged her ponytail into a bun, like she was rolling up her sleeves. Then she slowly dipped her toes into the hot water. “Haaa.... it's so warm!”

The water's warmth spread all over her body, eliciting a deep breath; her face naturally relaxed. The hot water was as soft as it was moist, gently soaking up the skin. Chest-deep in the water, she was completely captivated.

— “Hehehe... this feels great.” Leaning her milky white skin against the rocks, Trinity took a deep breath as well. Nine sat next to her and stretched out her long legs.

— “Mm.... never thought I'd get to soak up a hot spring like this.” Nine said while her notoriously tense face loosened into a relaxed, feminine visage.


Celica, too, stretched out in the tub, letting the steaming water wash away the fatigue that had plagued her the whole trip. In fact, it was just before noon today when she had woken up from a five-day coma. She recalled the doctor saying, “you must rest,” as the steam faded to white.

— “I found this place while digging for stones to build a house... so I decided to make it a rock bath for everyone to chill out in. Take your time and soak it in!” — Suzukaka said and sat on a rock. She dipped her knees into the water and sipped vigorously, from a rugged ceramic teacup filled with cloudy white sake. There was plenty more in a ceramic jug by her side. Nine, Trinity and Celica were offered some of her drink, but all three declined due to fatigue and age — not only that, but Nine and Trinity had just graduated from the Academy, so they could not drink alcohol under Ishana law.

— “So... where's Jubei? And the rest?” Suzukaka asked. Totokaka, who had been drifting innocently in the water until then, slid closer to Celica with only her head sticking out of the water. Celica mimicked her by holding her knees until she was neck-deep in the spring, then she nodded at Totokaka.

— “Jubei doesn't like getting wet... and the others are resting indoors, so maybe they'll get in after us.”

— “Can't imagine them taking a bath…” Nine grumbled, tucking some hair behind her ear.


Meanwhile, Trinity gave a wry shrug.

— “True... but even without Jubei, there's still Valkenhayn, Terumi, and Hakumen to go.”
Celica immediately imagined Valkenhayn, Terumi and Hakumen soaking in the steaming water — the mere thought of it made her burst out laughing.

— “Pfffffttttt — I'm sorry for laughing, but that sounds so funny!! I bet they wouldn't even bother chatting!”

— “Please don't say that, Celica. Just thinking about it gives me the chills.” — Nine said, and she felt a chill run down her spine that made her hold herself.
Suzukaka cackled while sitting on the rocks, and even Trinity held back her grin with a lightly-clenched hand. Totokaka was the only one who didn't get why everyone was laughing, looking around curiously while she spun around in the water.


Suddenly Celica stopped laughing, as if she'd seen something floating in front of her. And she ''had'' seen something: a ripple on the warm surface of the water every time she leaned forward or laughed. Nine and Trinity’s…

— “...........hey Sis, hey Trinity — you're full of style, aren't you?”

— “Huh? What's the matter?”

— “Don't look at me like that, it's embarrassing.”

— “The 'style' I mean is... your chest.”


With wrinkles between her eyebrows, Celica glared at the voluptuous mass floating before her. Maybe it was her top-tier athleticism, but Nine's taut, smooth curves made her breasts look perfectly solid. On the other hand, Trinity's were so soft they could melt to the touch. Celica looked down once more; dissatisfied, she covered her chest with her own hands. Though she was not homely in any way, she couldn't help but compare herself to the stunning beauties around her.

— “You’re my sister, but you’re Trinity’s pal, so… I wish I was more like you.” Celica said. Totokaka tilted her head at Celica's gestures, looking curious as usual.

— “Don’t worry about it. This has nothing to do with our friendship.” — Nine said, causing Celica’s lips to twitch at the thought. She immediately gave Celica a look of worry.


Trinity then smiled at the sisters’ exchange, while Suzukaka moved to the rock right above her. Holding a ceramic jug and a teacup in her hands, Suzukaka looked right at Celica’s chest with bright red eyes.

— “It feels great to have big boobs, don’t it…? If you eat some more, you’ll get bigger!”

— “But that’s not enough! Come on… can’t you share some of yours? Sis? Trinity?!”


Celica jumped out of the hot water and lunged at Nine. Grabbing her toned waist, she tickled her sides as hard as she could. Unable to resist, Nine wriggled and lashed out at her sister.

— “Hey, STOP THAT!” Nine yelled, but fell into a giggling fit as fast as Celica grabbed her.

Then Totokaka joined in, causing Nine to struggle even harder and practically hack up a lung with laughter while the water splashed farther. One splash went so high that it hit Suzukaka in the face, causing her to lose her grip on her ceramic jug. Her superhuman Kaka reflexes made sure she reached for the jug as fast as she could…

but she ended up grabbing the bottom of the jug.

The frothy liquor within was poured down on Trinity, who sat right below.

The outdoor rock bath, which had been lively with the girls' voices just before, was now cold with silence. Suzukaka and Totokaka could sense the air between Celica and Nine, so they were too stunned to even move.

While everyone stared at her in shock, Trinity saw that her glasses had gotten stained with sake.

She slowly took them off and glared with a massive, twisted grin...