"Hah... hah..."
The relentless assault finally ceased. Takson collapsed onto the virtual grass, his limbs sprawled out in an undignified heap.
A second ago, he had been covered in blood and bruises, battered by the simulation of his teacher. In the next instant, a wave of warm light washed over him. His wounds knit together, his stamina refilled, and his clothes mended themselves.
This was the beauty of the Arena. It allowed him to fight at 100% capacity, break his body, and be instantly restored to do it all over again.
But while his flesh was renewed, his mind was heavy. The mental fatigue of being beaten down, over and over again, didn't vanish with a spell.
"Man..." Takson sighed, staring up at the simulated night sky. The stars looked perfect, too perfect.
He glanced toward the center of the arena. The combat simulation of Stell stood there, motionless, her golden eyes dim. Even inactive, her presence was suffocating.
A ripple in the air beside him announced the arrival of a clone, not the enemy, but a messenger.
"Reminder: Takson, your mental state has reached 'Critical Exhaustion,'" the clone stated flatly. "Rest is required."
"Yeah... you're right. I'm done for today."
He tapped the small device in his ear. "Teacher, let me out."
He didn't even finish the sentence before a golden portal tore open in front of him. It was always like this. He rarely needed to ask; she was always watching.
He stepped through the gate, leaving the artificial world behind.
The cool night air of the forest hit him. He blinked, adjusting his eyes to the real moonlight.
Standing near the edge of the crater was Stell. But she wasn't alone.
A young woman with familiar orange hair stood beside her.
Takson froze. The memories of a few years ago rushed back.
"When did you get here?" he asked. There was no hostility in his voice, but a definite note of confusion.
"Oh? Takson-niichan, you remember me?" Flamme smiled, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Of course I remember. You're Flamme."
"Correct. I'm impressed you didn't forget."
Forget? How could I? Takson grumbled internally. You're the reason I had that embarrassing misunderstanding with Teacher back in the city.
He remembered the jealousy he had felt, the fear of being replaced. Seeing her here now brought a faint echo of that feeling back.
"So," he asked, looking between the two of them, "why the sudden appearance? Don't tell me..."
He looked at Stell, waiting for the verdict.
"Notice: Flamme has joined the unit," Stell stated, her voice cutting through the tension. "She is now a registered Companion. Treat her with appropriate courtesy, Takson."
"Right."
The matter was settled. If Stell had approved it, he had no grounds to argue.
Truthfully, he didn't dislike Flamme. She was a good kid, well, a young woman now, and a talented mage. It was just... a small part of him missed the days when it was just him and his teacher against the world.
But he pushed that selfish thought aside. He was the senior apprentice here. He had to act the part.
He plastered a bright, welcoming smile on his face. "Well then, welcome to the team! Let's get along, yeah?"
"Mmhmm. Please take care of me, Takson-niichan, Stell-neechan."
Stell nodded once in acknowledgment. Takson's smile became genuine. There was no fanfare, no grand ceremony. Just a quiet reunion in the woods under the moonlight.
And just like that, the duo became a trio.
With the team assembled, Stell wasted no time.
"Notice: Route calculation complete."
"Where to next, Teacher?" Takson asked, falling into his usual role.
"Answer: The Demon King's Castle."
"Eh?" Flamme blinked. "The Demon King's Castle? Why are we going there?"
She knew Stell was strong, absurdly so, but marching straight into the Demon King's throne room seemed excessive, even for her.
"Answer: To confirm a specific data point," Stell replied, not breaking her stride.
"A data point?"
"Affirmative. To verify a hypothetical conclusion regarding a certain entity."
"You always speak in riddles, don't you?" Flamme sighed, shaking her head.
Takson, walking on Stell's other side, let out a knowing chuckle. He puffed out his chest, adopting the air of a seasoned veteran. "That's just how Teacher is. You haven't spent enough time with her yet, Flamme. You'll get used to it."
"Oh? And you understand her perfectly, Takson-niichan?" Flamme shot back with a sly grin.
"Well... I understand the gist of it..." Takson's confidence wavered, and he scratched his cheek awkwardly. He mostly operated on intuition and context clues. Translating "Stell-speak" was an art form he had yet to fully master.
Stell glanced between her two apprentices. The air between them was light, filled with a comfortable banter.
It seems the journey will be livelier than before, she noted internally.
….
"So," Takson said, his expression hardening as they walked. "You're looking for a demon named Schlacht?"
"Affirmative."
"Why him? Did he do something to you?"
Takson knew his teacher well. She didn't hold grudges, but she didn't act without cause. If she was hunting a specific individual all the way to the frozen north, that individual had likely done something foolish.
"Query: Do you recall the ambush by the four Great Demons?"
"Yeah. You wiped them out."
"Explanation: They were dispatched by Schlacht. My analysis indicates he utilized me as a tool to eliminate his political rivals."
Stell explained the situation concisely. Schlacht, the "Omniscient," had likely foreseen her power and used it to clean house, sacrificing his own subordinates to gather data and remove threats to his position.
The reaction from her apprentices was split.
Flamme nodded slowly, impressed by the demon's cunning. "He sounds smart. And dangerous."
Takson, however, stopped walking. The temperature around him seemed to drop.
"He... used you?"
His grip on his axe handle tightened until the wood groaned. Veins bulged on his forehead. To Takson, Stell was absolute. She was an object of reverence. The idea of some demon sitting in a castle, moving her around like a piece on a game board, was an insult he could not abide.
"That bastard," he growled, his voice low and shaking with rage. "I'll mount his head on a pike myself."
"Takson-niichan, calm down," Flamme said, patting his arm. "Look, Stell-neechan isn't even angry."
Stell watched him calmly. "Correction: Anger is an inefficient emotion. His actions, while manipulative, provided me with valuable combat data. The transaction was net neutral."
Takson took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax. He knew his teacher was right. She never got angry. But that didn't mean he couldn't be angry for her.
"Fine," he muttered. "But if I see him, he's dead."
Stell said nothing. She had tried to correct this behavior in him for years with little success. His loyalty was absolute, and with it came a fiery protectiveness that defied logic. But as long as it didn't interfere with his combat efficiency, she allowed it.
….
Some Time Later:-
"Neechan, contact front," Flamme announced suddenly.
She had been maintaining a wide-area detection spell, sweeping the path ahead.
"I sense life signs. Three of them."
"Affirmative," Stell replied instantly. Her sensors had picked them up long before Flamme.
She analyzed the data streaming into her mind.
Three entities. Two possess biological signatures consistent with humans. The third...
Stell paused.
...is a demon.
Humans traveling with a demon? In this era of war and genocide?
It was a highly irregular composition.
….
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