ã€ŠThe Grey Line Between Light and Shadowsã€‹


 Prologue

    ¡°Once upon a time there were three deities chosen by the Great Lord of Time to watch over a really peculiar world. A world ruled by three different races, three races so different in appearances, life styles and convictions that conflicts between the three races seemed unavoidable, but against all odds there were no disputes between the races mostly because none of the races were aware of the others.This was bound to change though.

    Therefore, the three deities were assigned by the Great Lord of Time to keep the peace in this world. Each of the deities was given a race to guide.

    Their goal was to encourage the collaboration between the races, so that this world could prosper beyond what was expected from a world with only one race, like all the other worlds in the mulitverse.

    The Great Lord of Time did choose each of the deities fitting the needs of the race they were responsible for.

    The first deity was Alexa the goddess of Order, whose beauty was said to bebeyond that what any mortal female could ever hope to reach. Although, most would have described her with positive adjectives like caring, benevolent and kind-hearted, they also wouldn''t shy away to use negative ones. Especially, since she had the habit of poking her nose in the affairs of other gods in the pantheon of the Great Lord of Time, causing trouble for many gods.

    Thus, the Great Lord of Time was quite happy to send her into a wolrd far, far away from his pantheon and gave her the mission to look after the Serpahs, one of the three races inhabiting said world.

    The Seraphs are a race of magical humanoid beings with large bird like wings on their backs. These wings serve as a point to gauge their might, the larger and the fewer individual wings, they have, the stronger they are.

    Seraphs are really conservative. They desire order and despise change. If you ask me, a pretty stupid ideology, but you can''t blame them, because too many changes might be too much for their little bird brains." Lamia put on a funny grimace to point out the stupidity of the seraphs, causing the little boy who was listening to her fairytale? to show a devilish smile.

    The moment Lamia saw that smile, she felt like the proudest mother on the whole multiverse. "But don''t let their stuidity fool you!" She said in a warning tone. "Seraphs might not be the brightest race, but they have a high affinity towards light magic. Unfortunately, even fools can become dangerous given the right tools.

    The second deity was Fors the God of Fate. Unlike most of the deities, who like taking the appearence of 20 to 30 years old handsome males or beautiful females, Fors prefers the appearance of a 55 year old man with a light beard, at least if we can trust the illustration in the temples.

    Fors has always been a wicked man, he loved to use deception and cheating to slip his way up in the Great Order of Gods, the Cabinet serving the Great Lord of Time. So, it wasn''t really a surprisewhen the Great Lord of Time sent him away to the furthest, most remote world in his domain. Fors was chosen to guide the Humans.

    Humans are the weakest of the three races since most of them lack magical talent. They don''t live very ling at most 150 years, but unlike us and the seraphs they reproduce like rabbits, securing that way the survival of their race. They are a really smart race, they make up for their lack of magic through their knowledgeof alchemy and physics.

    They are ruled by the Elder, a gruoup of demihumans possessing great magical talent. That''s only because the Elders are a crossing of either Seraph with Humans or Demons with Humans, mostly Demons with Humans because most of our males don''t know self restrain." Lamia rolled her eyes annoyed.

    "Let''s hope you don''t end up like one of those guys, no, you won''t, since I will raise you to a fine gentleman." Lamia smiled at the boy and started to pet the boy who was busy trying to free himself out of his festivity garments.

    Lamia took the two years old boy and placed him on her lap.Making all the struggles the boy went through to get out of the garments were in vain. After Lamia had made sure the tailcoat the boy was wearing stayed on, she continued with her little fairytale.

    ¡°As I was saying the Elder are the only ones that could match the weaker ones of our race in strength and magic. But they mean us no harm, since we teach them and train them in magic and they are the offspring of our kind. In exchange for that training they let us free access to their technologies and they would help us to fight the birdbrains if needed.

    The third deity was Permix the God of Chaos. He is said to have used the appearance of a youth, not older than 20 with an athletic build. On his head he wore yet black hair that did what it pleased, giving him a wild look.

    His hair wasn''t the only thing wild about him, he himself was a freedom loving person, doing whatever he pleased, not even caring about the opinions and orders of the Great Lord of Time. He was unpredictable, a really emotionally driven person, thaton one moment he could be the most kindhearted God on the pantheon of the Great Lord of Time, and on the next he could be kicking the ass of some other god for some petty reason.

    Obviously, the Great Lord of Time did not have to think twice to decide sending him to our world and making him the God chosen to guide the Demons.

    We Demons are the stronges of the three races. Unlike the seraphs we are smart enought to go with the time and even promote major changes if needed and we posses great magical talent.

    We posses a strong affinity towards dark magic and have the abilty to live for centuries withoug even showing signs of aging, just like the seraphs do. That''s why we don''t bear many children...That''s whyyou are my little miracle." Lamia said as she kissed the boys head and hugged him tightly.

    Indeed the boy''s birth was a miracle for the Demons: Usually a female Demon or Serpah would only be able to bear children during a set period of time. Mostly for over sixty years after reaching their thirtieth birthday. Once that time window is overstepped they''ll become infertile.

    Even during those sixty fertile years, it is really difficult for a female Demon or Seraph to get pregnant. This trait, special to those races was chosen by the nature to regulate the population of said races, making sure they wouldn''t bear more than two children.

    Lamia''s time window for bearing children should have closed over two centuries ago, but she still got pregnant with the boy. So his birth was not only a big surprise for her and her husband, but also a miracle.

    ¡°As you can see demons and humans don¡¯t look too different. If it wasn¡¯t for the magical auras around our kin not even I would be able to differentiate between the two races. Well, that just applies for when we use our Human form.¡± As Lamia said that two black, bat like wings unfolded from behind her back, luckily for her the dress she was wearing had an open back so, it didn''t get damaged. And from under the long black dress a tail coiled its way out for the boy to see.

    "We Demon''s just prefer our Human forms, because they aren''t as impratcial. Our demonic form would just get in the way during our daily routine and don''t get me started in fights. You can''t imagine how painful it is when your opponent pulls you from your tail and starts swinging you around." Lamia shuddered remembering something she thought she had already forgotten.

    ¡°Anyways, the three gods came here to our world eager to guide their respective races. The first step they took to guide us was the creation of cults. Each god had their own cult following one ultimate goal; The assimilation of all three races so they could continue living in harmony.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    This worked out quite well, the Demonstaught the Humans magic and learnedfrom them about technology. Although, more reserved the Seraphs also exchanged their magic with the Humans and to a even lesser extend with the Demons.

    This caused the influece of both, the Seraphs and the Demons to grow on the Humans. Growing so big that the Human became dependent of these two races.

    Fors already bitter from being sent tho this remote world, didn''t like the idea of seeing his race dependent of the other two races. To his displeasure he wasn''t only sent to this world at the end of the multiverse, but he was also given the weakest race to look after.

    In his opinion his race was worthless, not only were they weak, but also just accepted every fate, he would give them for entertainment, no matter how ridiculous it was.

    This new dependence on the other two races was just the last straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. For Fors it was crystal clear. He had to act. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn¡¯t just defy the orders of the Great Lord of Time!

    He just didn¡¯t know what to do. So he asked Permix for advice, because Permix was one of the few that had gone against the wishes of the Great Lord of Time and lived.

    Permix was a simple-minded person, he didn''t have any ambitions like Fors, so he just couldn''t understand his friends sorrows. He even made everything worse, by telling Fors the reson why they were sent to this remote world. That reason being, thathe was banned by the Great Lord of Time, because he had caused to much trouble in the Pantheon.

    Hearing Permix''s words was just like pouring salt into Fors wounds.

    Fors despair was just getting bigger and bigger. Why would the Great Lord of Time punish him? He had always been a good subject. If you overlooked his ambitions to take the crown of the Great Lord of Time to rule over themultiverse, of course.

    Was he just over thinking things? Was his race not as worthless as he made them to be?- No, they were worthless! Thinking about it, he realized the whole reason he was given this job was so the Great Lord of Time would have an excuse to purge him with his whole army, if he decided to defy his authority.

    He couldn¡¯t help but admire the Great Lord of Time. To come up with a move like this just was something real rulers could come up with. He who had spent almost an eternity conspiring against the Great Lord of Time didn¡¯t even realize he was just a little fish in the much bigger net of the Great Lord of Time.

    Fors spent days laughing at his failure. He the god of fate couldn¡¯t change his fate what an irony!

    Since he couldn¡¯t change his fate he decided to make the best out of his stay in our world. And Alexa, the goddess of Order wasn¡¯t so bad to look at. Maybe this wasa chance to settle down and to create a family. Up until now, he had never even considered that possibility, since he had been too busy conspiring against the Great Lord of Time.

    Fors didn¡¯t waste any time and went straight to Alexa¡¯s mansion. He dressed up in his most expensive and beautiful garments and took a small box with him. Inside the box: A pair of earrings. The earrings he once had won from Bella, the goddess of beauty. they were the most expensive item he had, nvertheless, he had decided to give them to Alexan as a pressent, to show her how serious he was.

    When he reached the door of her mansion he realized something was odd. Usually Alexa did spend her evenings on the veranda staring in her glass globe trying to find a mortal worthy of her blessing, but not so on that day. He couldn¡¯t find her on her veranda nor could he see any light coming from her house. It wasn¡¯t late enough to say she was asleep. So what could have happened to her?

    He knocked on her door several times, but she didn¡¯t answer. He had no reason to worry about her because she was strong enough to take on any foe. Maybe, she found someone worthy of her blessings and she decided to pay him a visit.

    As he was wondering about this and that he heard her laugh. He turned around and looked towards the place her laugh was comming from, just to find her blushing and holding hands with Permix. Fors didn''t know what to do, except running back home, hopping they hadn''t noticed him.

    When he reached his house he felt like a fool. Why did he think it was a good idea to woo her? And why had she fallen for a musclebrain like Permix? Why did everything he did go wrong? How cruel could his fate be?

    The next few months were a torture for Fors. Not only did he had to see every single day the stupid lovey dovey couple showing their love for each other every moment they could, but he also had to witness his race becoming weaker and weaker, more and more dependent of us and the Seraphs.

    What made it worse were the attempts of Alexa and Permix to cheer him up. ¡®Are you still in contact with Bella?¡¯ ¡®We are sure she wouldn¡¯t mind dating you.¡¯ ¡®Finding your better half makes you see the world with different eyes, maybe you won¡¯t be so gloomy if you find yourself a girlfirend¡¯Their kind words were rejected by Fors and just caused his rage to grow and grow.

    The Day after thecouple proudly announced Alexas pregnancy, Fors rage reached its peak. Fors closed himself in his private chambers and decided it was time to do something. Why was he the only one who had to suffer? Why were those two blessed with so much happiness?

    In his opinion, this world was too small for three deities. One was enough! And now he most likely would have to share it with another! He had to find a way to stop them no matter what, therfore he came up with a plan so malicious it scared him how evil he could be sometimes.

    A few nights later he decided it was time to put his plan in motion. He knew Permix had to choose a new grand priest therefore he would be returning to his and Alexas home late.

    Fors waited for as long as he could until he felt Permix aura comming back from the festivities through the gate leading to the moral realm. He used his transformation skill and changed his looks to an exact doppelg?nger of Permix. Looking like Permix, he entered the couples house took Alexa in to their bedroom and started doing it with her.

    As planned by Fors, Permix walked into them.

    Fors changed to his usual appearance just milliseconds before Permix entered the bedroom, leaving Alexa dumbfounded.

    Before she could even react a ray of dark lightning hit her. Having her defenses dow, she couldn''t bear the power of the death spell and was immediately dead.

    As Permix realized the spell had hit Alexa and not Fors, he walked towards her to check if she was ok. A simple death spell as he had used, would never be able to kill a God, at least if they had their defenses up.

    In his pain Permix forgot about Fors presence, who took a curse dagger from out of his sleeve and stabbed into Permix''s body.

    One time, two times, three times, four times, five times, six times, seven times, eight times, nine times...

    He continued stabbing untill he was sure of Permix''s death.

    "You''ll pay for this, my... one of my children will make you pay for thi.." were Permix''s last words as he coursed Fors.

    Permix¡¯ last words made Fors wary for a while, but he soon forgot about it, because he was sure, the Permix''s child had died with Alexa, so there was no reason to be wary about that curse.

    The first thing Fors did after cleaning up, was to inform the Great Lord of Time about what had happened. Of course he didn¡¯t say he had planned everything. He just mentioned a lovers¡¯ quarrel going overboard and when he reached their mansion, it had been too late. He asked the Great Lord of Time not to send other gods to this world. His arguments were that the world would be too small for one world and arguments could end bloody like it had just happened.

    The Great Lord of Time didn¡¯t have any other options than to listen to Fors advice. He made Fors officially the lone ruler of this world ordering Fors to guide all three races.

    Fors second step was to mess up with the order all three gods had worked so hard to create. His goal was to break the dependence of the Human race with the other two races. He didso by sending Lunae, the continet of the Seraphs to another dimension and Umbra, our conitent to another dimension, leaving Terra, the Human continent alone on ouroriginal world.

    He couldn¡¯t really forbid us the contact with the other races, but he managed to massively reduce the contact between the races. There are only a few portals leading from Umbra to Terra and all three portals leading to Lunae were shut down because we don¡¯t get along quite well with those stupid birdies.

    Fors didn¡¯t stop just there. He used a very powerful spell on the humans letting them forget about the other two races. Fors couldn¡¯t totally wipe out our influence. His only choice was to give the humans a dangerously high amount of pride, letting them think everything in their world were the fruits oftheir achievements. This mostly includes the knowledge about magic.

    After being done with the humans Fors went on to fool the seraphs. Fors knew he couldn¡¯t use a spell of that scale to brainwash them like he had done with the humans because many of them could resist the spell. He decided to deceive their high priests and their Queen. He told them about how our god Permix had killed their goddess Alexa and how Permix had given us the quest to take over the world.

    He told them the reason why he had to divide the world in three dimensions, was because of Permix¡¯ quest. He asked them for help to keep the new order. This would include reducing their bonds with the humans to a minimum also to ensure we didn¡¯t have many contacts with the humans.

    Once he had the two easiest to convince races behind him, he made his move on us. The negotiations between Fors and our leaders were long and exhausting. What came of it was: We are allowed to interact with the humans as long as we don¡¯t interfere with their growth as a race.¡±

    The door of the room was opened. A beautiful woman wearing a French Maid costume came in, only her silver colored hair was a hint of her real age. ¡°Mistress the ceremony is about to start¡±

    Lamia looked toward the door. ¡°Seems like I was lost in one of my stories again.¡± Lamia said as she walked towards the door the boy in her arms.

 The Initiation Ceremony

    Lamia walked with the boy in her arms out of the big room they had been staying in, into the main hall of the Temple. She had been waiting for the ceremony to start in that room since early in the morning. As a pass time she had told Tristan, her youngest son, her favorite fairy tale. But now it was finally time for the ceremony.

    Lamia was really excited because today was Tristan¡¯s initiation ceremony. The initiation ceremony is a ritual every child had to go through. It is a ritual to judge the magical potential of the children, to seal the magic powers of the children to protect them and their surroundings from accidents and to introduce the new family members to Fors the ruler of the three realms.

    The ceremony was held one week after the second birthday. Children under the age of two didn¡¯t have to worry about magical accidents so there was no reason to hold it earlier. No matter how fast a child did grow the earliest point in time the ''mana circuits'' would start forming was after the second birthday.

    As the name suggests mana circuits are a circuit inside the body. They cover the whole body much like nerves or the bloodstream just that they are used to transport ''mana''. The older one got and the more one trained, the more complex and thicker the circuits got.

    Mana is the energy one needs to use magic. To be able to channel that energy one needs a mana circuit. Mana is generated passively and stored in one of the two mana poles of the body. The South Pole is found in the belly area. The North Pole is found in the area around the right eye. Depending on what type of magic one wants to use one Pole is activated. Magic users most of the time don¡¯t realize which pole they are using because channeling the mana from one of the Poles happens subconsciously.

    Lamia brought Tristan to the center of the dome shaped main building of the temple, where the high priest and his helpers had already been waiting. She handed Tristan to one of the female helpers of the high priest. She went to one of the benches around the altar the priests were on. Now she was reunited with her family. Her husband was there with her eldest son so where her parents and her parents in law. Many other people were also attending the ceremony.

    The initiation ceremony was second to ones wedding the most important moment of one¡¯s life. Therefore the parents would invite all their friends to take part in the ceremony and the celebrations later on. Lamia was the head of the ¡®Schatten¡¯, one of the three clans ruling Umbra. Ergo, it was no surprise the main building of the great temple was full with people attending little Tristan¡¯s initiation ceremony.

    The female helper holding Tristan placed the boy in the middle of a magic circle. The other five helpers surrounded the magic circle the boy was in and started to move around in a very unnatural manner. From the outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked like they were twitching nervously and convulsing around the kid. But it was all part of the ceremonial dance to attract Fors attention.

    The head priest began chanting some words in the ''old language''. The old language was once spoken by every race; before the division of the world in three dimensions. After the division each race developed their own language. The old language is now only used during religious ceremonies.

    The magic circle the boy was sitting on started glowing. Lamia did hold her breath. The moment she had been waiting for a week was finally here. The whole room was illuminated by holy light. Nobody present had ever seen the holy light shining so bright during an initiation ceremony.

    Was Fors going to decent to give the boy his blessings? It had been almost ten millennia since the last time Fors personally visited Umbra. The last time he visited Umbra, was after the separation of the three continents.

    Lamia couldn¡¯t help but feel proud. She knew everybody was thinking the same thing. Everybody knew Fors would appear any moment now. The intensity of the holy light kept rising till it reached the point people had to use barriers to not get hurt by it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The spectacle of light continued for five whole minutes. The intensity of the holy light kept increasing. Everybody was lost in thoughts like ¡®How am I supposed to face Fors?¡¯ ¡®Why would a Fors descent now?¡¯

    A loud bang brought everybody back to reality. The holy light was suddenly gone. The magic circle the boy was sitting on was shattered into thousand pieces. The six helpers of the head priest were hurled out from the altar they had been on.

    To everyone¡¯s surprise Fors was nowhere to be found. A loud but gentle voice could be heard. The voice saying ¡°Sorry guys I had no Intention of damage the altar and the magical circle¡± didn¡¯t belong to Fors. The voice sounded too young for Fors. So who was the one speaking?

    The speaker now addressed Lamia, who had been holding her husband¡¯s hands so tightly some bones were crushed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lady Schatten, Tristan is ok. You probably want to hear now about his magical potential, right?¡± Lamia just nodded. In this situation she wasn¡¯t able to squeeze out a single word.

    ¡°Well¡­ what stats am I supposed to start with? Sorry I¡¯m kinda new to this whole initiation ceremony thingy. It wasn¡¯t a thing yet, back in my days.¡± The head priest stuttered ¡°We usually start with the magical potential sire.¡± ¨C ¡°Oh! Right! Thanks man! Hmm the kid¡¯s magical potential is pretty high. Ohh! ¡­ Wow! ... To be honest the potential of his mana pool is unrivaled by any other person in this world. That is just if he trains enough¡±

    Lamia¡¯s eyes started to shine. She knew it! Her little Tristan was made to do great things! She found the confidence back, she had as the head of the Schatten and asked the voice ¡°What about his ''passive and active abilities''? Does he have a ''prophecy''?¡±

    Every demon has an active and a passive ability. The passive ability allows a demon cast magic without having to use a catalyst. A demon¡¯s passive ability works like an inborn catalyst that enables the demons to use one of the three dark magic types. Dark magic is subdivided into shadow magic, death magic and chaos magic. If a demon wants to use a magic type that doesn¡¯t fit its passive it has to either use a magic circle, a chant or a gem as a catalyst.

    The active ability is a special skill varying from demon to demon. The variety of special skills reaches from breathing fire over shape shifting to telekinesis. The abilities are ranked after popularity. The more people have the same ability the weaker it is ranked. The reasoning behind it is, the more often one fights a certain ability the easier it is to find a counter to it.

    ¡°It seems we have an eager one here!¡± said the cheerful voice. ¡°I dunno though if you¡¯re gonna like what I am about to say. Anyways, let¡¯s see what his passive ability is! Can someone please take notes? What I¡¯m about to say is rather rare around here. His passive ability is called ¡®checkmate¡¯.¡± The words of the youth invoked puzzled looks from his audience.

    The voice noticed this and gave a meager explanation. ¡°You probably want to know what this passive ability does, right? Hmm¡­ according to the description I have, his passive gives him the ability to think faster than other mortal.¡± No one seemed sold on the explanation so the youth added a little annoyed ¡°On Aetas crown! It means he is smartest mortal in this world! Thinking about it he even might be smarter than some gods, me included¡­ Feels bad man, right?

    Sorry for that little outburst, I am just bad at holding back my emotions. Let¡¯s get going it is not like you or I have all day to hang around here, right? Here comes the good part! His active ability is ''Gates''. Before you ask, my sheet says it is a variety of ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯.¡± Lamia¡¯s world caved in. Not only had her son not inherited her shadow magic, but he also had the most common and useless active power of all! ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯ is an ability that allows one to summon weapons from a pre arranged room. It is useless because everyone knows how to summon things through magic and summoning magic is a very mana efficient spell.

    ¡°I can see it in your faces; you are not really pleased with ¡®his¡¯ verdict. Hope you know it can be changed, right? If you want to I can tell you his prophecy. I have no clue though what it is supposed to mean. Maybe you want to write it down and give it to him one day. He is supposed to be smart so I am sure he will figure it out, right?. It says: ¡®The boy who should not have been born shall challenge Fate and change the world with his companion the: mightiest her.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s all from my side so¡­ Good luck boy, you¡¯ll probably need it, right? ... See you later people I¡¯m out!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Lamia cried, but she received no answer. The owner of the voice was already gone and there was no way to bring him back. Lamia was standing there staring at her child, tears flowing down her cheeks. ¡°The boy who should not have been born¡­¡± she whispered over and over again only for her to hear.

 Behind the scenes I

    3.11 9967 ACS (Time after the continental separation) in the pantheon of the Great Lord of Time

    Aetas was in his office. He was absorbed in a file he had taken from the pile of documents. It had been centuries since he had read something so entertaining. His smile became brighter and brighter as he went through the file.

    He had always been a fan of well elaborated pranks. He himself had pulled quite a few of them when he was still young. That¡¯s why he had been enjoying the file¡¯s content so much. The papers inside the file contained detailed information about a ¡®little prank¡¯ his wife was trying to pull.

    He had always wondered why he had married her in the first place. ¡®Was it because her unrivaled beauty?¡¯ ¡®Or was it because of her loyalty?¡¯ No know he had the answer it was because her character. It was because she could be so mean if she put her heart into it. ¡°I should always try to stay on her good side,¡± he muttered to himself.

    Someone knocked on the door of his office. Aetas looked up. He hid the file he had been reading in a drawer only he had access to. Aetas knew it must have been something important. His secretary knew, not to disturb him in the morning while he went through the pile of documents like he did every morning.

    A young elf like woman entered the room. It was Aetas secretary. ¡°Your wife is outside and wishes to talk to you, sir¡± Aetas knew why she was here. He told his secretary to let her in.

    A beautiful, well build red-haired goddess entered the room. She wore a tight, white strapless dress emphasizing her curves. ¡°Hi there, Old Man¡± she said with a seductive voice, smiling at Aetas. ¡°How many times have I already told you I¡¯m not an old man?!¡± The woman giggled ¡°I know, I know but I just can¡¯t get enough of your serious expression. It¡¯s so manly¡± She walked behind Aetas and hugged him.

    ¡°I just came to make sure you approve of my little prank. You know, playing with the mortals in my world has gotten a little boring.¡± Aetas turned around and found two big arguments for his wife. ¡°And how are you going to make sure I approve of your little prank?¡± he asked smiling.

    She kissed Aetas ¡°I have my ways.¡± She set while she sat down on his lap. Aetas rolled his office chair so that he could continue with his work with her on his lap. ¡°Yes, I have read the files you sent to my office. And the answer is yes. You can do as you please. I only have one question. Why did you choose ¡®him¡¯ as your victim?¡±

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t like him. He just creeps me out. Not only did he steal one of my favorite pieces of jewelry, but he also has the blood of my big bro, his wife and my nephew on his hands. And let me tell you want thing, I the sort of woman that doesn¡¯t forget. I am the type that doesn¡¯t stop till she gets her revenge.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Aetas, who was caressing her belly button stopped. ¡°I guess it can be helped. That man had been a nuisance since long; I just didn¡¯t have any means to attack him because of my political position. To make things worse I¡¯m sure he is plotting something; I just don¡¯t know what¡± Aetas hand had wandered all the way down under her dress and started caressing her private parts.

    The woman gave a sweet little moan. She turned around and looked into Aetas eyes, ¡°I love you Old Man¡± she said and let her tongue slip into Aetas throat. Struggling for air Aetas brought out an ¡°I love you Bella.

    29.7.9970 ACS in the Schatten¡¯s castle in Obscurati (the capital of Umbra)

    One week had passed since Tristan¡¯s initiation ceremony. After the end of the ceremony Lamia had closed herself in inside her office. She only came out of the office to sleep or to take a bath. She hadn¡¯t seen Tristan for a whole week now.

    Before the ceremony, she had spent every free minute with the boy. Now she tried to avoid the child as much as she could. She was drowning herself in work to forget the young man¡¯s voice. But no matter how hard she tried. She could still hear the ¡°The boy who should not have been born¡­¡±

    She felt guilty. It was her fault. The boy¡¯s birth was her responsibility. She was the one to blame because she was the one who wanted to keep the baby. Although she knew it wasn¡¯t a normal pregnancy. By the time she got pregnant, she should have been already infertile. But she still insisted on keeping the baby. And now even ¡®fate¡¯ had rejected the poor boy. Every time she thought about it, she started to cry.

    Her husband, Ray on the other hand started to research the boy¡¯s abilities and prophecy. He couldn¡¯t do much about the abilities. They were sealed and he couldn¡¯t find any information about them in the church¡¯s database. Although the church has kept track of all abilities since the separation but there was not a single entry on Tristan¡¯s abilities in the database.

    The prophecy was a different thing. He had hired the greatest linguists and philosophers on the continent. Still, none of them could make much out of the prophecy. The only clue they had was the part about ¡°¡­his companion the: mightiest her¡± All of them came to the same conclusion. He was supposed to marry the mightiest female demon. With this clue Ray started to look for the mightiest female demon.

    That was easier said than done. How was he supposed to find her? Organize a tournament with only females as participants? As Ray was wondering how he could organize a tournament this big. One of the priests, he had ordered to search for ¡®her¡¯ in the database, entered the room.

    He had found a girl who had the following prophecy: ¡°She shall lead the demons into a golden age thanks to her unrivaled strength¡± The only problem with her was: She was the bastard daughter of the leader of ¡®Zerst?rung¡¯ one of the three leading Umbra.

    Schatten and Zerst?rung had never had a good relationship. So Ray knew the negotiations ahead of him would be really tough more so since he couldn¡¯t count on his wife the clan head of the Schatten.

 Meeting

    It had been a month since Lamia started avoiding Tristan. The old head maid named Nana, was playing with Tristan in one of the big rooms in the ¡®Schatten¡¯s Castle¡¯.

    The Shatten¡¯s Castle had been for over eight millennia the headquarters of the Shatten clan. From there they coordinated operations in Umbra and Terra. The castle was located on top of a hill on the northern part of Obscurati.

    Nana peered over the windows down to the city. How long had it been since she joined the main clan as a maid? Was it twelve or even thirteen centuries ago? She didn¡¯t know anymore. She had joined right after she graduated from college.

    She had taken care of the education of Lamia¡¯s mother, Lamia, Lamia¡¯s sister, Tristan¡¯s big brother and now it was Tristan¡¯s turn.

    She had helped to bring up many children of the main clan. But she never encountered a case like Tristan¡¯s. All the parents of the main clan had been good parents. They did spend as much time as possible with their offspring and they had taught everything they could to them. She also knew Lamia and Ray weren¡¯t bad parents. They had done a good job with Magnus; Tristan¡¯s older brother.

    Until a last month they were doing a great job in taking care of Tristan as well. Everything changed after the ceremony. She felt sorry for Tristan. She knew the boy wasn¡¯t stupid. Heck the voice said he was the smartest of their race! She knew he was aware something was off. He had even started to ask questions like ¡®Where is mommy?¡¯ ¡®Why doesn¡¯t mommy tell me fairy tales anymore?¡¯ ¡®Where is daddy?¡¯

    Nana knew Ray was trying to help Tristan. She knew he was researching the prophecy and the abilities and also trying to find ways to keep Tristan in the ¡®high society¡¯ even though he didn¡¯t have a usable passive. Although she knew all this she couldn¡¯t help to recent Ray¡¯s actions. Why did he care so much about the status the boy would have in the future? Wasn¡¯t it more important to show the boy he loved him now? Was he aware what he had been doing by neglecting the boy?

    She looked at the boy, who building things with his building blocks. As the boy looked up, she couldn¡¯t help but to be reminded of Lamia. Tristan had inherited her grey eyes what brought for Nana¡¯s anger.

    How could her little princess turn out to be such a bad mother? How could the once so lovely and caring girl turn into a heartless woman like her? Did Lamia forget all the things Nana had taught her? No, she knew better. There must be a reason behind her actions. Nana hoped Lamia could be persuaded to be a good mom again.

    Nana had made up her mind. Tonight she would confront Lamia. She would demand answers of her. She would plead for the boy. Yeah, no child had to live without the love of her parents!

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    At the same time Ray was on his way to the ¡®Castle of Zerst?rung¡¯ on the other side of the city. He had a meeting with Laidir Zerst?rung.

    He had tried to meet the leader of Zerst?rung for weeks. But Laidir had been taking care of his business in Malitia; a city located south east of Obscurati.

    At the door Ray was greeted by a horde of young maids. From the way they treated him, Ray knew the girls fresh out of college. He knew they were Laidir¡¯s harem. He felt sorry for Laidir¡¯s wife. Although he had married Lamia 397 years ago and he still loved that woman like the first day.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Ray was lead to a big room. There was a big, like an oval shaped table in the middle. Chairs were arranged around the table. The young woman offered him a seat. Ray sat down on one end of the oval.

    After a few minutes Laidir entered the room. Took place on the other side of the table and started the conversation.

    ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t too bored waiting here for me. Had to discuss things with that old hag. She just keeps nagging and nagging, about shit no one cares about.¡± He laughed as he said that. Laidir and Ray knew each other since college. In college, they lived in the same dorm and they had always got along well together.

    ¡°But I must admit this time she had a point¡± Lairdir added. ¡°So what do you want old friend?¡±

    ¡°I heard one of your whores got pregnant¡±- ¡°None of them is a whore! They are all high class maidens! At least until I train them¡± Laidir laughed again. ¡°So what is that you want of her? I don¡¯t assume you came to give your congratulations.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. You know I heard pretty interesting things about your daughter. To be precise about her prophecy¡±

    Laidir glanced at Ray. ¡°Has your wife sent you to steal her from me? I should have known better ever since you met her you do everything she says! What did that Schatten bitch do to you? Did she cut down your testicles or what?¡±

    Ray suppressed his desire to jump on Laidir¡¯s throat. ¡°You probably heard about my son. He has a similar prophecy as your daughter. The specialists say he is born to marry your girl. And as far as I know your whore isn¡¯t all that happy about your bustard.¡± Ray smiled at Laidir who had gotten silent all of a sudden.

    ¡°You son of a fat Wyrm! I should have known better you always do your homework before coming to negotiations!¡± Laidir who had been laughing, exhaled staring at Ray. ¡°So what? Do you want me to give my daughter to your god dammed clan? Do you expect me to give someone with such a prophecy to some other clan?¡±

    ¡°No, to be honest, I didn¡¯t expect you to do that. All I can say is that your daughter won¡¯t live long if she stays in this house. I don¡¯t expect Lea accept someone like her.¡± Ray answered in a calm manner.

    ¡°Ok, ok, I get where you are coming from, but still. I can¡¯t! Meeting you here is already too much. You know my clan doesn¡¯t have much in common with yours. If I went out an announced the engagement of my daughter to your son ¡­ They would kill me! Those old geezers don¡¯t mess around. And who arranges marriages in this day and age?! Lea and I are the best example how it just doesn¡¯t work out.¡± Laidir had an apologetic expression as he said that.

    ¡°Who said you would have to give your daughter to our clan? If her prophecy is right, she will raise to the top with or without a clan. I know you aren¡¯t a bad person and you just want the best for your child. I¡¯m just pointing out the easiest path for her to take. Have you ever heard of ¡®Guradian Academy¡¯ in Nocturnio? I could arrange things so that both my son and your daughter enter the academy as soon as they are five instead of the regular seven¡± Ray smiled; he knew he had Laidir¡¯s attention.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Nana entered Lamia¡¯s office. ¡°What brings you here Nana?¡± Lamia played dumb. She knew exactly why Nana was here. She knew Nana would bring up that painful topic. The topic she was trying to get out of her head.

    ¡°Mistress, please excuse this old woman, but I just can¡¯t stand looking at the girl I raised, doing such inappropriate things. You know that boy needs a mother! He doesn¡¯t fully understand it yet, but he knows something is off. He keeps asking for you! Mistress you are his mother. If you keep hiding from him, he will end up hating you!¡±

    Tears flowed down on Lamia¡¯s cheeks. ¡°So what? I don¡¯t have the right to be the mother of a child even the gods disapprove of! And ¡®they¡¯; my predecessors told me to dispose of it. Someone as powerless as that child doesn¡¯t have a future in our society. You know how hard it is for me not being with him right now? There is nothing I can do! They have decided.¡± Lamia looked up to the speechless Nana.

    ¡°What do you think Ray and I have been doing all this time? Yes at the beginning I was trying to run away from this sad reality but I¡¯m not someone to run away from my problems! You should know me better. The last three weeks I gave my all to convince them. And guess what? They agreed on letting him alive! As long as we send him away on his fifth birthday and I don¡¯t interact with him, they are fine with him being alive! I couldn¡¯t care less if the boy hates me one day! All I care about is that he stays alive! There is nothing to be done. As we speak Ray is already setting everything in motion. So would you please take care of the boy a little longer?¡±

    Nana had to sit down. She was speechless. She just couldn¡¯t believe Lamia¡¯s words.

 New City

    Obscurati city center (15.7.9973 AS)

    Tristan was standing in front of the Obscurati ¡®Portal Main Station¡¯, located in the heart of Umbra¡¯s capital city. Tristan was there with the maid who had been taking care of him since he was two: Nana. Nana had a sad look on her face. Today was their last day in the Capital. It was the day she and Tristan had to move to Nocturnio so Tristan could attend the Guardian Academy.

    Nocturnio was the southernmost city in the continent. With its 28 million habitants it was the second biggest city of the continent right after Obscurati. The city had grown so big thanks to the location of the gates to the other realms. This made the city the most important trading spot for human technology. That was the reason why the city was also known as ¡®Door of World¡¯.

    ¡°What are we waiting for? Shouldn¡¯t we get going? The earlier we reach Nocturnio, the faster the paper work for the academy can be done and the more time we have to explore the new city.¡± Tristan said pulling on Nana¡¯s long skirt.

    ¡°How many times have I already told you to not rush things? Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take a last look of this city? Next time we visit it you might have already a beard.¡± Nana answered faking a smile. ¡°Also, we aren¡¯t traveling alone. We have to wait for our travel companions. Haven¡¯t I already told you? Today is the first time you see your future wife. Please make sure to behave.¡±

    Tristan looked confused. ¡°I¡¯m five! I couldn¡¯t care less about women. I guess it can¡¯t be helped though. I will be spending a lot of time with her from today on, won¡¯t I? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to embarrass myself. Also, I don¡¯t mind leaving this city. It¡¯s not like I have any emotional connections to the city. I¡¯m getting chased away from ¡®my so called home¡¯ on my fifth birthday by my own parents. So yeah, I don¡¯t really care about this city.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You act and speak like an adult so I always forget that you are so young.¡± Hearing those words from the boy left a deep mark in Nana¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know, I know. I¡¯m special in that regard. No one expects a five year old to reason like an adult.¡± Tristan smiled at Nana.

    ¡°Look, they are here!¡± Nana pointed at a group of people at the entrance of the building.

    Tristan and Nana walked towards them. They seemed to have noticed and a girl and a woman did split from the group. The young woman introduced herself as Dolores Verheerung and the young girl as Laura Verheerung. Tristan presented himself as Tristan Halblicht and not as Tristan Schatten, like his mother ordered him to.

    Together they entered the ¡®Portal Main Station¡¯. It was a gigantic, dome shaped building from where people could not only reach every ¡®Portal Stations¡¯ in Obscurati and its surroundings, but also be connected to every City on the Continent.

    Inside the Portal Main Station there were two big time tables. The bigger one had names of locations in and surrounding Obscurati on it as well as the platform and time the portal was closing. The smaller had the names and departure information to the other Cities.

    They were just on time. The portal to Nocturnio was closing in 15 minutes. They barely managed to enter the line of people heading to the City. They were lucky enough to have a first class ticket, so their line was shorter and they didn¡¯t have to fear to be left behind.

    Portals are the best way of travelling long distances in Umbra. Portals are the product of a high level spell only specialized Spellcasters can cast. Because this spell was really draining no portal can be opened for more than 20 minutes. It also takes two connected catalysts to open a portal. These catalysts are big arc shaped like rocks. No one but the owners of the ¡®Portal Stations¡¯ knew how the connection between the catalysts worked. Ergo no matter who you were, you had to use the portals at the ¡®Portal Stations¡¯ to travel fast from one city to the other.

    Tristan and Co. gave their one way tickets to the man controlling who was going through. They entered the Portal in Obscurati and walked seconds later in Nocturnio out of it.

    Lead by Nana the group of four was headed to the temple affiliated to the Guardian Academy. As they walked out of the Portal Station all of them finally realized they were in another city. Opposite to the Portal Main Station of Obscurati who had been surrounded by old buildings in gothic style, the Portal Main Station of Nocturnio was surrounded by new, futuristic looking buildings.

    After reaching the temple they were led inside the garden of the Temple by a priest. While Dolores, Tristan and Laura stayed behind in the garden, Nana had to go and talk to the priests.

    The female priest who also stayed behind to keep Dolores company, allowed the children to roam freely in the big garden. This meant that Tristan and Laura had time to explore all they wanted. Tristan was very interested in the architecture of this place. Unlike all the gardens he had been to, this one was inside a building made out of glass.

    On the other hand, all what Laura could care about, were the flowers and the insects interacting with them. She pulled Tristan to her and proudly showed him the insects she had found. ¡°You see this thingy here? It is called ¡®Redeyes¡¯¡± She showed Tristan a big beetle. It had two big spots on its back that looked like eyes. ¡°Mommy told me about them. You know they are pretty common. If you ever run into a situation where you don¡¯t have food and need something nutritious, then you can eat them. Just like this,¡± she peeled of the legs of the beetle and ate it in one go. ¡°It¡¯s so crunchy!¡± she said.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Tristan looked shocked at her. He was disgusted. He turned around and tried to forget what Laura had just done. The clueless Laura pulled on Tristan¡¯s jacket. He turned around towards her and she showed him a garish green beetle. ¡°You know if you are hungry, you can eat this one¡± she said smiling.

    This was enough reason for Tristan to run away from the innocent girl. ¡®What the heck was Dolores teaching to this poor soul?¡¯ ¡®Am I really supposed to marry some like that?¡¯ Tristan looked over to Dolores and back to Laura. ¡®Even if she isn¡¯t the smartest one day she will be quite a beauty maybe that will make the marriage work?¡¯ Tristan wondered.

    As Tristan was busy thinking over his future with Laura. Nana entered the garden. She was accompanied by five priests. She called the children back to her. Once she had made sure they were listening she told them what she and the priests had been talking about.

    ¡°To enroll in the Guardian Academy you are required to be able to use your magic. This means you are at least seven years old. You two are just five¡± She pointed at Tristan and Laura who had been listening closely. ¡°Which means your magic is still sealed.¡±

    The magic of demons was sealed during the initiation ceremony once they reached the age of two. The magic stayed sealed till they were considered mature enough not to mess up and kill themselves or others with their magic. If they were mature enough to handle their magic was determined by a test. Only children older than seven were allowed to take the test. And most of the candidates failed the test at that age.

    Tristan and Laura could only take the test because of the pressure Ray had put to the academy, as their main benefactor. ¡°So you two will have to take a test to determine if you are worthy of your magic¡± Nana told the children. Laura looked uneasy. The last three years she had spent most of her time studying with Dolores but she never managed to pass her tests no matter how hard she tried. Tristan on the other hand was excited. Was today finally the day he would be challenged by a test? He looked over his side and saw the dark expression on the girls face. He grabbed her hand, put on his best smile and said ¡°Let¡¯s do this. We are definitely going to ace that test!¡± After hearing Tristan¡¯s words, her expression lightened up.

    Tristan and Laura were led to a big, dark room in the basement of the temple. It was filled with over 100 old tables. The large room was built in a gothic style, unlike the rest of the temple that was built in a modern style. The only sources of light were candles. There was one candle on every table.

    The children were urged to take place. Tristan sat down in front of the table next to Laura.

    The priest that was already in the room when they entered stepped forward. ¡°Welcome dear candidates. Today you are here to break the shackles of the child safety seal. Before we can do that you have to proof you are worthy. Therefore, you will have to take two tests. One is a written exam the other is an oral exam.¡±

    He pointed at the paper sheets on the tables the children were sitting. ¡°You will have two hours to solve the written part. Afterwards you will be lead into separate rooms and you will take the oral exams. If there are no questions you may start.¡± Tristan nodded.

    Tristan read through the questions. He expected the exam to be challenging unfortunately for him it wasn¡¯t. The exam was sectioned in four parts.

    The first part was made up of questions to check the general knowledge of the children. There were questions like: ¡®What is a passive?¡¯ ¡®Why are catalysts important?¡¯ ¡®How many habitants live in our realm?¡¯ etc.

    The second part of the exam consisted in questions about the dangers in magic and how to avoid them. There were questions like: ¡®When shouldn¡¯t you use magic?¡¯ ¡®Why shouldn¡¯t you use your magic on friends?¡¯ ¡®What is a magical backslash?¡¯ etc.

    The third part of the exam was just a logic test. It consisted of questions like: ¡®Continue this numerical sequence!¡¯ ¡®Point out the difference between the images!¡¯ ¡®How many triangles can you count in this image?¡¯ etc.

    The last part was full of religious questions like: ¡®Who is our main god?¡¯ ¡®Why is it important to visit the temple regularly?¡¯ and so on.

    To Tristan this kind of questions and problems were a child¡¯s play. To be able to use his passive ability ¡®Checkmate¡¯ to its fullest one day, Tristan¡¯s body had started developing in a different speed of others. Especially his brain had developed really fast. So fast he could already be counted as one of the smartest beings in the realm by the age of five!

    After thirty minutes Tristan had already finished his test. He handed over the test to the priest, who recovered the test with a smug smile. The priest thought Tristan had already given up. Nevertheless, he asked another priest to take Tristan to the oral examination.

    As Tristan walked past Laura he couldn¡¯t help but notice how bad she was doing. She was sweating and out of breath. ¡®Is this test really that difficult?¡¯ he asked himself. He came to the conclusion that the test would have been really difficult for normal children under ten.

    And he was right. The fail rate for seven years old that tried to pass the test was over 90%. Even children at the age of ten had still a fail rate of 45%! Children could take the test every year after reaching their seventh year. If they failed three times, their powers would be sealed for good. This was made so no psycho could harm people.

    The oral exam was a test of concentration and will. Tristan sat in front of two chocolate bars. He was asked to eat one right away. However, he wasn¡¯t allowed to eat the other bar. After Tristan was done eating the first bar the priest left the room. Before he told Tristan, he would give him two bars if the chocolate was still there when he was back.

    The room was empty besides the table with the chocolate bar and the chair Tristan was sitting on. So there was nothing to do in the room except to look at the chocolate.

    The priest returned to the room after 40 minutes. He saw the chocolate bar on the table and smiled. He gave Tristan the two bars as a promised and told him he had passed the test.

    During the 40 minutes the other priests had already checked Tristan¡¯s written exam. And to the shock of the chekcing priest, Tristan had aced the written test. No one had ever aced the test. Tristan had even pointed out typos.

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    After waiting for Laura both of the children were led to the ceremony room of the temple. Laura had barely managed to pass the test. They had to stand inside two separated magic circles and eat some medicine. Then priests started chanting and the circles started glowing.

    After a few seconds Laura¡¯s body was full of shining symbols. Those symbols started wandering towards her feet to the ground. One minute later the symbols were out of her body, leaving Laura behind a strong headache and the urge to vomit. This was normal when the seals were released.

    The same thing started to happen to Tristan, but much slower. However, as the last symbol left his body, Tristan fell down. He started holding his head, crying and twitching around. Soon after he lost consciousness and foam started to come out of his mouth.

 Awakening

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (15.7.9973 AS)

    After opening his eyes Tristan realized he wasn¡¯t in the temple anymore. He could barely move his body out of pain. The pain was too much for him. Tristan felt like his body was shredded in thousand pieces.

    A few minutes passed before the pain in his body was almost gone and Tristan was able to recover his senses. He looked up and saw two big mountains covered in blue silk. Soon he realized his head was resting on the lap of a woman. A woman he had never met. The woman seemed to have noticed that Tristan was awake now. Her beautiful face appeared behind her majestic bosom.

    ¡°Nice, you have awoken, boy¡± said the woman with a seductive voice. She noticed how the boy became redder and redder. ¡®Do my powers even work on children? Interesting. How can I use this in the future?¡¯ she wondered smiling mischievously. The boy sat up and tried to put as much distance as possible between him and the unknown beauty.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to enjoy my lap pillow?¡± she asked in a teasing manner. ¡°Most of the men in this universe would kill to have an opportunity like this. On the other hand, you are still a kid and won¡¯t probably know what opportunity you¡¯re missing out by acting so spoiled¡± She mocked the boy who was clearly flustered. So flustered she couldn¡¯t help but to tease the boy a little more. ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret it? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bite unless you are into it!¡± she winked with her right eye.

    ¡°Who¡­. Who are you?¡± Tristan asked trembling. ¡°You are such a spoilsport!¡± the mysterious woman answered with a disappointed tone. ¡°Anyways, sorry for having to summon you here in such a manner, but you know, I wouldn¡¯t be able to talk to you without being monitored using other ways of communication.¡± She apologized.

    ¡°Oh, where are my manners! My name is Bella and I¡¯m the goddess of beauty and desire, Queen of the realm of gods and an unforgiving bitch. At least that¡¯s how most of the people around the universe know me¡± She claimed proudly.

    ¡°I know you may have many questions right now. Like ¡®What does that beautiful and gracious goddess want from this unworthy me? And more blablabla¡¯¡± she rolled her eyes. ¡°But you know we don¡¯t have much time. So just I will speak and you will listen carefully.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by saying sorry. I¡¯m sorry about having caused you and your family so much sorrow by bestowing you these abilities and that prophecy. I also wanted to tell you don¡¯t hate your parents I¡¯m sure they love you a lot and everything they did so far to you is for your sake. And don¡¯t try to question it. I¡¯m a goddess. I¡¯m all-knowing. But it wouldn¡¯t be bad if you let them think you hate them this might become handy to you in the future.¡± She said while bowing her head to the confused boy.

    ¡°You see I¡¯m the one to blame for everything bad that happened to you since the day of your birthday. And I¡¯m gonna be honest with you. The path I¡¯ve chosen for you is a rocky one and full of suffering and sorrow. So give always your best and think that in the end everything will work out, somehow. So if you want to blame someone, blame me. I¡¯m willing to take full responsibility.¡± She said in an earnest voice, looking up to the puzzled Tristan.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°You see I was the one who gave you, your abilities. Your ¡®useless¡¯ passive and your ¡®weak¡¯ active were bestowed to you by none other than me. And don¡¯t think it is because I hate you. No, it is because I have trust in your abilities, in your spiritual and mental strength. I know you won¡¯t break easily no matter what happens to you.¡± She gave Tristan a soothing smile.

    ¡°I know the powers I gave you don¡¯t sound as flashy as the ones other people in your world have. But if you train your abilities, they can make you into the strongest being in your world. I won¡¯t reveal everything to you because that wouldn¡¯t be fun, right? So I will give you just some hints on how to use your abilities.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with your active. You know, many people think you can just summon things through your gates. But I¡¯m sure you are smart enough to figure out some other ways to use your gates. ¡®Telekinesis¡¯ and ¡®Resonance¡¯ are spells you should learn since they harmonize so well with it.¡±

    ¡°Now let¡¯s continue with your passive. You should know that skill is so much more than just knowledge. Let¡¯s say that knowledge is just a side product of your passive. When you wake up you will realize that the way how you perceive the world has changed completely. Thanks to this passive you will know how the world around you works and you will also know how to make the world around you stop working.¡±

    ¡°Since this passive enhances your senses you will have to promise me one thing. Always listen to your animal drives. If they tell you to kill, you kill. If they tell you to love, you love. If you don¡¯t listen to your gut feelings horrible things might happen to you. It is really important for you to understand that.¡± Bella waited for Tristan to nod.

    She then continued ¡°I also have a present for you: You aren¡¯t bound to fate! This means you can choose whatever path you like to take; Fate won¡¯t interfere with your choices. Fate won¡¯t notice you no matter what you do! But that also means fate won¡¯t protect you. If you choose poorly you might end up dead.¡± Bella paused.

    ¡°So why have I chosen you? And why am I telling you all this? Well, as I already mentioned earlier, I have faith in your abilities and your mental fortitude. So I¡¯m sure you can become strong enough to defy ¡®Fate¡¯ and save your world from the gruesome things that are to come, if you don¡¯t do so.¡±

    ¡°And to the second question¡­. Well¡­ I thought it would have been way more fun to let you figure out everything by yourself, but my dear husband had another opinion.¡± She pointed towards a well build youth in the corner of the room. Aetas waved and smiled. ¡°So I had no other choice but to tell you everything¡± Bella pouted.

    She hugged Tristan who didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°We will meet again someday in the future¡± Bella whispered and gave Tristan a kiss on his forehead.

    Tristan started floating. Just as he was about to hit the ceiling everything went black in front of his eyes. He had lost consciousness again.

    Nocturnio (21.7.9973 AS)

    Tristan opened his eyes. There was no pain. He realized he was back to his world. One week had passed since he collapsed after the sealing was undone. Nana was holding his hand tightly. ¡°Welcome back. I was so worried,¡± she said in a tired voice. She let go of his hand and went out to look for a doctor.

    Tristan was lying on one of the beds in the temple. In the same room here were many other beds like the one he was lying in. They were all empty.

    Temples were used similar to hospitals by poor people. So every priest was able to perform healing rituals and to make medicine.

    As Tristan sat up, he started to notice some strange red spots on everything he saw. He suddenly knew how all the things in the room were created and how they worked. He also knew that if he were to press the spots with enough energy the things would break. ¡°¡­ you will know how the world around you works and you will also know how to make the world stop working¡­¡± He repeated Bella¡¯s words, realizing that the weird dream he just had had, hadn¡¯t been just a dream.

 Abilities

    Nocturnio (21.7.9973 AS)

    After waking up Tristan was checked up by a healer. The healer decided to keep him one more night in the temple. That night Tristan spent the whole time thinking about the weird dream he had.

    ¡®You aren¡¯t bound to fate! This means you can choose whatever path you like to take; Fate won¡¯t interfere with your choices.¡¯ These were Bella¡¯s words. But what could they mean? Tristan did not get it. How wasn¡¯t he bound by fate if his fate was to fight whatever evil Bella had mentioned? And didn¡¯t she give him the fate of living as a failure of a ¡®demon¡¯?¡¯ just thinking about this paradox made Tristan¡¯s head ache.

    He decided to not pursue the topic any further. He had a feeling that it would be revealed one day to him if he didn¡¯t force it. And he had promised to always listen to his hunches because they were supposed to never be wrong. ¡®And what about that? Am I able to see in the future?¡¯ He had so many questions right now, but there was no one to answer them.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh¡± Tristan screamed into the pillow so no one would hear. ¡°Bella! You! You sure know how to mess up with people¡¯s minds. Damn you! You just wait! Someday we will meet again and you will tell me everything! Yeah, I will make you tell me everything! Ahahahhahah¡± Tristan was so frustrated he started talking to himself. If someone were to hear him they would surely think he had gone mad.

    To the question if he could trust Bella¡¯s words, Tristan had a simple answer: Yes. He had the feeling he could trust her. She hinted how his passive was supposed to work; Ever since he had woken up, he could tell how things on his surroundings were created or how they worked just by seeing them. There were also those weird spots. He decided to call those spots ¡®destruction points¡¯ because all they did was to show him how to destroy.

    Tristan knew from get go, how terrifying this ability was. He could not only see those spots on non living things, he could also see them on living things! He had seen them on the healer who had checked his condition and on Nana. Tristan didn¡¯t have to think much about to realize that those were their vitals and that destroying a human means killing them. He promised himself to never use this power on a fellow demon.

    Not only could he see how things worked, but he could analyze them just by looking at them. He was now looking at the blue light next to his bed. If people looked at it most them would see the ¡®light crystal¡¯ and the glass box it was placed in to maximize its radiation. But Tristan could see more. He saw the ¡®spell matrix¡¯ inside the crystal. Not only that, but he could tell there was something wrong with the spell matrix inside the crystal. He didn¡¯t know why, but it was just a feeling, he had.

    He took the crystal out of the box. He concentrated his mana and started to model the spell matrix to a form he was happy with. His feeling told him ¡®This is how this spell matrix is supposed to look like¡¯. He was right. The crystal was now radiating ten times stronger it had radiated before. He put it back into its box and started to smile.

    ¡®So that is how my passive works! What a strange ability. This passive actually consists of three different abilities!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m able to see the ¡®essence¡¯ of everything! I¡¯m able to act according to what I am seeing, that¡¯s thanks to those hunches. They tell me what to do to reach my goal. And lastly, my mind is able to process information faster than others and I¡¯m also able to remember every detail of said information.¡¯

    ¡®The most terrifying thing about this ability though, is I¡¯m able to use all of the three abilities separately. Those hunches alone or the ability to see the essence of things could be standalone S-class active abilities, but they are just my passive!¡¯ Tristan had a creepy smile on his face.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡®So, what about my active?¡¯ he asked himself. He started to concentrate. Tristan tried to summon a weapon, but nothing happened. It seemed his active was way harder to activate that he thought. He tried again. Again. And again. But there was no sign of something happening.

    ¡®What¡¯s with this? Why am I not able to use this ability? Wait! I don¡¯t even know what this ability does. All I know is: It is a version of ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯. As far as I know R¨¹sten is an ability to summon weapons from another dimension. So I should be able to summon a weapon, right? But what if there is no weapon to be summoned?¡¯

    Suddenly, Tristan recalled Bella¡¯s words. ¡®That woman she always talked about my ability as if it was an actual gate not just the name of my ability. Does that mean that my ability is actually the power to open gates to other dimensions?!¡¯

    Tristan closed his eyes. He concentrated on opening a gate. He felt a strange sensation around him so he reopened his eyes. He realized he wasn¡¯t in the temple anymore. He was in a strange black room. ¡°Where am I?¡¯ he asked. The sound of his voice echoed through the room over and over again to the point it made Tristan¡¯s head ache.

    ¡®What is this place? And why does the sound of my voice keep echoing?¡¯ Tristan looked around. He stood up and started to walk. He gave up on exploring the room further because every step was followed by an endless stream of echoes. They started to overlap. And the pressure Tristan felt in the room started to increase. He felt like every part of his body was trembling thanks to the echoes. He wasn¡¯t even able to think straight.

    Tristan closed his eyes. Deep down, a voice told him to calm down and to just think of silence. From one moment to the other the echoes disappeared. A creepy silence took over the room. Tristan who was kneeling with his eyes closed and his hands on his ears started to laugh madly. There was no sound anymore. ¡°Terrifying, truly terrifying!¡± there was no echo anymore. It seemed like he had full control over this dimension.

    ¡®That¡¯s why she wanted me to learn ¡®Resonance¡¯ spells. This room can create a ¡®Resonance disaster¡¯ so strong that it can destroy everything inside of it. Magnificent, but really scary. I hope I won¡¯t have to imprison someone here one day. Now let¡¯s get out of here and get back home.¡¯ Tristan closed his eyes again.

    When he reopened them he found himself on a balcony. ¡®Great! Where am I now?!¡¯ Tristan looked around and realized he was in the Schatten¡¯s castle. ¡®Funny, really funny! I think about going home and end up here? In this rotten place that has rejected me? This is just too good!¡¯

    He heard someone opening the window under the balcony he was standing on. ¡°What are you doing? Did you spot an intruder? ¡± Ray¡¯s asked, worried. ¡°No, I felt my little boy¡± Lamias sad voice answered. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The boy is long gone. He probably won¡¯t be coming back and if he does come back to this city he won¡¯t come to see us.¡± Ray said with a sign of resignation. ¡°You know as well as I, my sensory skills have never failed me. If I say the boy is here, then he is here!¡± Lamia retorted.

    ¡°Tristan if you are here, please show yourself! Mommy isn¡¯t mad at you¡­ I will always love you¡­ and¡­ I¡¯m so sorry I¡¯m too weak to protect you¡­ I¡¯m sorry I had to send you away... I¡¯m sorry for all the bad things you had to go through because I¡¯m a failure as a mom- ¡± Tristan closed his eyes again. He couldn¡¯t stand that woman talk as if she cared about him. He just couldn¡¯t bear Lamia¡¯s voice full of remorse and sorrow.

    When he reopened his teary eyes, he found himself back in a black room. ¡®Why do I care about them¡¯ Why am I happy she didn¡¯t detest me? Why am I so happy to know Bella¡¯s words about that whore were true? Why do I care about that woman so much?¡¯ Tristan started to cry. He didn¡¯t even know if he was crying out of happiness or sadness. But he continued crying for over an hour.

    After he had gotten the grip back on his emotions Tristan started to explore this room. He had a hunch that this room wasn¡¯t the same he had been on earlier this day. He decided to explore the room. The room was painted in black and felt like an endless tunnel. But to Tristan¡¯s surprise the room felt like home. Here he felt safe. He felt like this was the place he belonged to. This was strange since he had never ever been in this room before. So why did this room feel so familiar? Tristan had a feeling that one day he would know the answer, but that day wasn¡¯t today.

    His active ability was actually quite strong. Not only could he open gates to other dimensions, but he could also enter those dimensions and those dimensions would listen to him. He could even use his gates to teleport! ¡®How broken are these abilities? It kinda feels like I¡¯m cheating¡¯ Tristan thought. But something inside of him told him not to show off. It told him to hide his true abilities as much as possible.

    He closed his eyes again and thought of his bed in the temple. He reopened his eyes and found himself in the place he had been sitting before he had opened the first gate.

 Frost Beast

    Nocturnio (24.7.9973 AS)

    Two days had passed since Tristan was allowed to leave the temple. Although he felt healthy, the healer had ordered him to stay at home for the rest of the week. For Tristan it meant he would only have one week left to explore Nocturnio, till the new school term started. Tristan was happy about the unexpected development. Now he could stay at home and had a week time to think out how to handle his overpowered abilities.

    Tristan was sitting on his bed in the apartment he and Nana would be staying for the next few years. It was nothing special. The flat was located on the third floor of a sky creeper close to the academy¡¯s dorms. From the outside, the sky creeper looked like an oversized baseball bat made out of green glass. Strangely enough, it fitted quite well in the skyline of Nocturnio because there were so many strange looking buildings in the city.

    The apartment consisted out of two big bedrooms and one small bedroom. They had decided to convert the small bedroom into an office for Tristan to study once the school started. There was also a small kitchen and a big living room apart of the two toilets in the apartment.

    The furniture was nothing special. They had everything they needed nothing less, nothing more. And the appearance of the furniture was rather blunt. Also, Nana and Tristan had decided not to decorate the room. So no one would even dare to think Tristan belonged to one of the three clans since the three clans liked it to live pretentiously.

    Dolores and Laura had taken the flat right next doors to Tristan¡¯s new home. It was divided the same way Tristan¡¯s and Nana¡¯s flat was divided. It also had the same boring furniture. Dolores and Laura had decided to decorate their flat with many flowers and plants, pink curtains and some clothes here and there. Therefore, their room looked a little more girly.

    Tristan looked around in his room. ¡®So this is the place I will be spending most of my life in? It is quite different from the castle I have lived in, since my birth.¡¯ Tristan remembered Lamia¡¯s words from the night at the temple. ¡®And who says I can¡¯t return to that place?¡¯ Tristan smiled sadly.

    ¡®Anyways, something tells me not to show off my powers in the near future. But if I don¡¯t use them, how am I supposed to get stronger? As far as I know those abilities are like muscles and mana circuits they develop and become stronger depending on how often and how much one trains them. Tristan closed his eyes to concentrate better.

    ¡®There we go again with those paradoxes! Chose your own fate, my ass! Damn you Bella! I know you have already planned my whole life and nothing that happens to me will be by pure coincidence.¡¯ Tristan was frustrated; he just couldn¡¯t think of an answer.

    Suddenly his face lightened up. ¡®If I can¡¯t show my full potential at school, I can¡¯t use the school facilities to level up my powers except my mana pool and knowledge. Therefore, all I need to do is to find a place where I can train without anyone noticing. And I already know a place no one but me has access to.¡¯

    The night two days ago Tristan had used his active ability ¡®Gates¡¯ for the first time and was transported into two different rooms that only obeyed him. Since that night he had already somewhat mastered the ability; apart from the two rooms he had found that night he was sure there was one other room. In contrast to the other two rooms this room was much clearer and smaller.

    ¡®I have no clue how to use the ¡®resonance room¡¯ and I don¡¯t want to go there anymore, it is so creepy and scary. But I already know how to use the other two rooms. The large room that feels like home will be used as a secret base. Yes, a place only I have access to and where I can train my abilities without anyone noticing. Yeah, that solves that problem! The ¡®light room¡¯ will be used as storage. Yeah, I will fill that room with weaponry so people think that my active ability is ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯.¡¯ Tristan smiled proud. He had solved his problem quite easily.

    ¡®That just leaves one problem; where do I get the money to buy trainings equipment and weapons? I guess I will have to visit the library as soon as I¡¯m allowed, maybe I will get there a good idea.¡¯

    Nocturnio (28.7.9973 AS)

    The rest of the week had passed in a flash. Tristan had spent most of his time reading books and thinking of ways on how to make money. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t come up with an idea how a five year old could make a lot of money fast.

    ¡°Dolores Laura and I are planning on going to the zoo this afternoon would you also like to come with us?¡± Nana asked Tristan who was eating his toast as part of his breakfast. ¡°I don¡¯t mind going. I read there are many special magical beasts here in the south, so it should be fun.¡± Tristan answered feigning anticipation. In reality he couldn''t care less about going to the zoo, but he knew Nana was trying her best to give him a happy childhood.

    ¡°But I would also like to visit the library in the morning. I have already read through all my books and I would get bored without new ones.¡± Tristan smiled innocently at Nana. ¡°If you know where the library is.¡± Nana said. ¡°Of course!¡± Tristan replied happily. Nana stroke Tristan¡¯s hair. ¡°of course you do, my little genius.¡±

    -----------------------------------------

    The library wasn¡¯t far from their apartment since the library was also located near the academy. Standing in front of the library Tristan couldn¡¯t help but think ¡®The building looks so out of place¡¯. Nocturnio was a modern city with many skyscreepers made out of different colors of glass. The entrance of the library on the other hand was in gothic style. This style of building was the typical demonic architecture during the time before the continental separation.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Tristan entered the library and was speechless. He was standing on a platform and looked down just to see endless rows of books. The library didn¡¯t look tall from the outside, but from the inside it was clear. This library had more floors than the tallest sky creeper in the city. It just didn¡¯t stand out since the floors were dug into the soil.

    Tristan and Nana went to register. The silver haired woman looked at and suggested him to go to the first floor to find fairy tales and children¡¯s books. Tristan turned the suggestion down and asked where he could find fictions. The librarian didn¡¯t look happy, but succumbed because Nana insisted that Tristan knew what he was doing and told her to start liking the idea of this kid running around in the floors with fictions for mature audience. The librarian led them to the fourth floor and showed them the fiction section.

    Tristan went through the books and found his favorite book. It was a book about an orphan who had found a treasure. A treasure so big he couldn¡¯t let anyone know it was in his position. So he created a phantom and a fake enterprise to wash his money. At the end he was found out because he had spent the money left and right without thinking of consequences. So he was sentenced to death by the king himself, who was one of the false friends the main character had made, while he had money.

    ¡®Good book¡¯ Tristan thought. ¡®If only you were smarter my friend!¡¯ Tristan was about to put the book back where he had found it. ¡®Wait! I¡¯m smarter than him. I would never do the same stupid things he did! I don¡¯t have a treasure though...¡¯ Tristan remembered how he had fixed the light crystal in the temple and later on also in his room. ¡®¡­ Well, I might not have a treasure, but I have knowledge no one here seems to have!¡¯ Tristan had a creepy smile on his face till Nana smacked him one. ¡°Stop smiling like that boy or else you will never find a woman!¡±

    ----------------------------------------------

    In the afternoon, Tristan and Nana visited the zoo with Laura and Dolores. Tristan was so happy he had found the solution to his problem; he didn¡¯t care to be dragged around by Laura. Because the two of them were supposed to be geniuses Dolores and Nana decided to let them do as they pleased. Tristan could understand why someone would have trust in his judgment, but he couldn¡¯t understand how someone could have trust in the judgment of this good for nothing insect eater called Laura. He decided to go with the flow of things though, and to enjoy himself as much as he could.

    Soon after he was the one dragging Laura around. With Laura as the boss they had checked up every cute animal there was in the zoo. From the majestic Hippogriffs over to the Unicorns to the Phoenix they had visited all enclosures. The first one they visited with Tristan was a Wyrm. It was sealed behind a thick glass layered with magic seals. Then they went to see a Hydra. And finally they went to the enclosure of the frost beast.

    It wasn¡¯t sealed away like the other beasts they had visited today. Frost beasts looked like giant white gorillas. Frost beasts were so strong ten normal demons wouldn''t be able to keep it at bay but they lacked mobility. So it was impossible for them to reach out of the fences for their enclosure.

    ¡°So cool, do you see those giant arms? If they get you like this¡± Tristan grabbed Laura by her shoulder ¡°you won¡¯t be able to escape¡± he whispered. ¡°kyaaaaaa¡± Laura cried and jumped out of reflex so strong backwards, she was now balancing on the fence. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Tristan screamed.

    Before Tristan could do anything else to help her, she had already fallen into the enclosure. ¡°kyaaaaa, Help someone! Help!¡± she screamed. Tristan looked dumbfounded. What was he supposed to do? He couldn¡¯t go in to help her, could he? ¡°Mommy! Please!¡± he could hear Laura¡¯s cries. ¡°Shut up! Or you will lure it to us¡± Tristan shouted and jumped into the enclosure.

    It was really cold inside the enclosure. The zoo had recreated the habitat of frost beasts; The glaciers of Ater, a mountain chain close to the city of Nocturnio. Tristan picked up Laura, who was crying like a baby. ¡°shhhhh, everything will be fine,¡± he tried in vain to calm her down.

    Tristan could hear someone with big steps coming closer. He tried to figure out how he could survive this situation without having to use his active in front of her. He knew if he saved her, she would start talking about his abilities to others and that was something he wanted to avoid. He thought of letting her here to die, but he just couldn¡¯t. ¡®She will be useful one day¡¯ a voice said in his subconscious.

    He saw the beast swinging one of his arms at him and Laura. Tristan jumped to the side, Laura in his arms. He put her down ¡°Try to get up the fence,¡± he whispered to her. Tristan ran towards the beast avoided its punch again and tried to lure it away from the confused and crying Laura.

    ¡®This is bad. I can¡¯t do anything here, but waste its time.¡¯ Tristan avoided another punch by jumping upwards. He tried to go into the offensive by kicking the beast with all his might on the face, but nothing happened, except that the beast got angrier. ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough, it seems¡± Tristan smiled resigning to his fate.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing there!¡± he heard a boy scream. ¡°Please help her!¡± Tristan shouted and pointed at Laura. The boy who looked about ten didn¡¯t hesitate to jump into the enclosure. He took Laura on a princess carry and jumped out with her. ¡°Are you ok?¡± He asked her with a smile. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± he whispered in her ears while hugging her.

    Meanwhile Tristan was still facing the frost beast. He avoided one punch after the other. The punches were slow but heavy. Tristan knew one hit and it was game over. Tristan looked over the body of the beast. He was searching for the ¡®destruction points¡¯. He knew this was his only chance. Another punch came towards him. Tristan waited till the last moment to sidestep the punch. He was now behind the beast. Tristan poured all his mana on his left hand and punched the beast on its shoulder blade. The beast roared and fell unconscious. This was enough for Tristan to jump up the fence to safety.

    He saw the boy still hugging Laura. ¡°I think you can let her go now, right?¡± Tristan asked. ¡°I wish I could¡± the boy answered. ¡°She is clinging to me like there is no tomorrow.¡± He added. ¡°That is Laura and I¡¯m Tristan. Thanks for saving her.¡± ¨C ¡°I¡¯m Ernesti, nice to meet you¡± the boy introduced himself.

    Tristan looked around and saw the zookeeper running towards the enclosure followed by Nana and Dolores, who had come to see what this commotion was about. ¡°I guess my freedom is over¡± Tristan looked sad. ¡°I hope we meet again one day Ernesti.¡± Tristan said just before Nana grabbed him on his shoulders and roared ¡°What is the meaning of this?!¡±

 The Guardian Academy

    Nocturnio (6.8.9973 AS)

    Tristan had been grounded by Nana for the rest of the week, which meant he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the house till school started. Tristan spent most of his time trying to figure out what kind of invention would bring him the most money and how to start up an enterprise. Although he knew how lucky he was for having survived the encounter with the Frost beast, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed about Nana¡¯s harsh punishment. Because this meant he would have to wait till school started to go to the library to search for ideas.

    ¡°Whatever happens today, please promise me you will look after Laura.¡± Nana said to Tristan, who was eating his cereals for breakfast. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in the zoo, but I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t mean it.¡±- ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t! I even jumped inside to save that spoiled brat!¡± Tristan looked at Nana¡¯s displeased expression ¡°I¡­ I mean well behaved and lovely child¡±- ¡°And what about the promise?¡± ¨C¡°Fine, I will look after her, but don¡¯t expect me to jump into a dragon¡¯s cage just because she happens to land in one!¡± ¨C ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Nana said and stroke Tristan¡¯s hair.

    -----------------------------------------

    Laura and Tristan were sitting in the center of the large assembly hall of the Guardian Academy. They had arrived at the academy a little bit earlier so they had the privilege to choose their seats. Dolores and Nana had also come to the academy. The two weren¡¯t allowed to sit with the children though. They had to take place on the second floor of the assembly hall.

    Tristan hadn¡¯t spoken to Laura since the incident at the zoo and it seemed she had no intention of changing that today. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sorry about what happened the other day,¡± Tristan said. ¡°Hmpf, I¡¯m not speaking with you! I¡¯m ignoring you!¡± Laura said she poked her tongue out at Tristan, who could only sigh at her childish behavior. ¡°If you¡¯re ignoring me why did you tell me that you¡¯re ignoring me?¡± Laura had turned red like a tomato. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m not speaking with you, you¡­ you big ¡®Blackhornbeetle¡¯!¡± The Blackhornbeetle was the ugliest beetle Laura knew and it also tasted really bad. ¡®What¡¯s up with this girl and beetles?¡¯ Tristan thought giving up to interact with the girl.

    As the time for the opening ceremony for the first years grew closer, more and more people started to enter the assembly hall of the Guardian Academy. Most of the children entering the hall were around ten to twelve years old. But all of them had something in common: Anxiety.

    ¡°Are those two seats free?¡± a voice asked. As he was about to say yes, Tristan realized, who was standing in front of him. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Tristan smiled at the boy. ¡°Hey, Laura look who is here!¡±- ¡°I told you I¡¯m-¡± Laura, who was about to be rude towards Tristan became silent and started to blush. ¡°I¡­ Erm¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Erm¡­ I mean¡­ Thank you! Thank you for helping me out at the zoo!¡± Laura was more than just embarrassed. This was the boy who had saved her at the zoo. Back then she had acted like a spoiled brat. In her despair she had clung on to the boy standing there. Moreover, she didn¡¯t even thank her benefactor!

    Ernesti was accompanied by a girl not older than 7. The similarity between the two was obvious. ¡°Is that your sister?¡± Tristan asked. ¡°Oh, pardon me! Yeah, you could say so¡­ I guess we should introduce ourselves. I¡¯m Ernesti Tod and this is girl here is my half-sister Abigail Letum.¡± Ernesti bowed his head to introduce himself and Abigail winked. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure. The cry baby here,¡± he pointed at Laura ¡°Is Laura Verheerung and-¡± Laura stabbed one of her fingers into Tristan¡¯s ribs. Tristan twitched a little but played the pain no heed and continued as if nothing had happened. ¡°And I¡¯m Tristan Halblicht.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Ernesti took the seat next to Tristan, his sister took the seat next to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here and now that I know you are a Tod even more so.¡± Tristan said bluntly. ¡°Well, yeah no one would expect a son bearing the name of one of the three clans to enroll to this school¡­. But you see; I¡¯m not from the main family. My dad is the younger brother of the clan head. Therefore, he is allowed to use the name Tod.¡± Ernesti stopped his explanation thinking if he should go further to detail.

    He decided to carry on, because he was sure this was information anyone could get if they looked it up in a book. ¡°Also, historically, the Tod clan has been the ones maintaining the closest relationships with the Humans. So it is obvious that most of the people in our clan have to go through military training which includes enrolling into the Guardian Academy.¡±

    That was right. The Guardian Academy was an elite military academy. Its main goal was to ensure there were always enough elite fighters to defend the gates to the other realm and to ensure the safety of the facilities in Terra. To be precise the Guardian Academy¡¯s goal was to defend the good relationship with the Humans that were threatened by the Seraphs.

    Although, the Guardian Academy was a military organization, no child was being forced to learn how to fight. The academy was divided into two main branches. One was the military branch; the other was the political branch. Children in the military branch obviously would become soldiers in the future and were trained to fight. Children in the political branch would learn negotiation techniques and how to trade with Humans.

    Children could decide which branch they joined after successfully advancing to their fourth year in the academy. One was for sure though, all of them would have to spend at least one year in the human continent: Terra.

    The Guardian Academy was the only school in all of Umbra that allowed Demi-Humans to enroll. There was a large amount of Elders visiting this school.

    One of the reasons why they would allow Elders to enroll in this school was because Humans considered Elders as their elite. No Human would go against the words of an Elder. This meant if the Elders were on the side of the Demons, the Demons could get better deals during negotiations.

    For that reason affairs with Humans were encouraged by the academy. Obviously only students old enough could take part in seminars like ¡®How to seduce Humans?¡¯ Because of this and the high amount of Elders visiting the Guardian Academy, there was no discrimination towards them in Nocturnio.

    The other was to stay close to their offspring. Many Demons that had children with Human¡¯s didn¡¯t want their children to grow up with the humans. One, because they would be too far away for them to see on a regular basis, second, because their offspring would be easy targets for the Seraphs if they stayed in Terra (the human continent).

    Ernesti gestured at his sister and said ¡°I¡¯m also starting the academy so late because I want to look after my kid sister. You know she is a genius. She is only six and she has already passed that test!¡± Ernesti said proudly. ¡°It took me two years to pass it¡± He stated a bit ashamed. ¡°How old are you guys by the way? You look rather young.¡± Tristan looked apologetic at Ernesti and replied. ¡°Five.¡± ¡°If they allowed me to take that test at that age, I would have passed it one year ago!¡± Abigail who had been listening till now butted in.

    She looked like she wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the voice of the principal. ¡°Attention everyone, I know you are all busy forging new friendships, but this old man has some few words to say¡­¡± While they had been talking, they didn¡¯t realize that the hall was already filled with first years and that it was already the time to start with the entrance ceremony. All students looked towards the stage and started to listen to what the principal had to say.

 First Day at School

    Nocturnio (6.8.9973 AS)

    After the principal¡¯s speech about how knowledge being power and that power is needed to protect the ones one loves, the children were separated into classes.

    A teacher would walk up to the podium and name students from their list. Once all the named students were gathered on the stage they would leave the assembly hall with the teacher and go to their respective classroom.

    The most important criteria for the teacher while forming the classes had been the age of the children. The reason was because many of the children coming to the Guardian Academy were homeschooled till they managed to pass the test to unseal their magic. This homeschooling included not only book knowledge but also physical education. Therefore, the older students would have a more developed body which meant an advantage over the young geniuses who had passed because of their talent and not just because of their education. Also, older students often didn¡¯t accept that the younger students were on the same mental level as them and would bully them using their superior physique.

    Six classes had already been formed. The ten years old Ernesti had been already been called to join class four. Tristan looked around and realized there were himself included only seven students left in the assembly hall. He saw a young woman walking up to the stage and taking out a list. The woman started reading the names on the list. Tristan was the last one to go on the stage.

    On the stage Tristan was reunited with Laura and Abigail. Tristan searched through the second floor of the assembly hall. He finally spotted Dolores and Nana who were waving at them. He told Laura to wave back at them.

    ¡°Class seven is complete sir!¡± said the teacher towards the principal. She bowed a little towards him and started walking towards the exit of the assembly hall. ¡°I¡¯ll lead them to their new classroom. Follow me!¡± She said almost screaming towards the children with a very happy smile.

    Tristan and his new classmates followed the blonde woman, who was wearing a greenish, blue suit. As they followed her through the corridors to their classroom the woman began talking like a machine gun. ¡°I hope you are all enjoying your first day here at the academy?!¡± she asked with an euphoric voice.

    ¡°You know this is an elite school, right? There is no better place for you to learn everything you¡¯ll gonna need in life than here, right?! There is also no safer spot on the continent than the Guardian Academy! You see, those thick walls aren¡¯t just for show. Even if Lunae were to send their strongest army, they wouldn¡¯t be able to leave this fortress.¡± ¡®Doesn¡¯t she mean, take this fortress?¡¯ Tristan wondered, but the woman continued talking nonstop, so he couldn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Yes! The fortress that is this school is impenetrable! Of course we have to make sure you turn out to be great students, who can help to defend this fortress if something were to happen!¡± She saw the fear in the face of Abigail, Laura and the other two girls walking beside them. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s probably never gonna happen! I mean it¡¯s been almost ten millennia since the ¡®Great War¡¯ and those birds aren¡¯t stupid enough to attack us mighty demons!¡± she added quickly and tried to change the topic .

    ¡°You are all just too cute! You know, you guys are the first class I¡¯m the homeroom teacher for! I was really worried when they said I had to look after a first year class. Who would have guessed they would give me the genius¡¯ class! I guess I must be blessed by Fors! For a newbie like me to be in charge of the best class, that¡¯s unheard of!¡± The blonde gave a radiant smile.

    Much to Tristan¡¯s relief they had reached their destination. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle one more minute of her endless cackle!¡¯ Tristan thought. They entered the small classroom. Tristan claimed a seat on the second row in between Laura¡¯s and Abigail¡¯s seats. Because they were a small class there were only two rows with seats. The first row had been taken by the four other children so Laura, Abigail and Tristan didn¡¯t have much of a chance of sitting in the back row.

    ¡°Well, well. Has everybody managed to get a seat? ¡­ So let¡¯s start, yay!¡± The young blonde said enthusiastically. ¡°So let¡¯s start with introductions! I¡¯m Lina Doctri. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next three school years. As you probably noticed I¡¯m fairly new at this profession¡­ Before deciding to become a teacher, I served for four years in a base in Terra as a vice-captain.¡± She said and pointed at the black-haired girl sitting in the first row. ¡°Now you please introduce yourself to us!¡±

    The black-haired girl stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Annemarie Explo, but you all can call me Ann. I¡¯m seven years and thirty one days old.¡± Annemarie looked around very proud. ¡°The Explo family is a side family of the Zerst?rung clan. Therefore, I was blessed with ¡®Chaos Magic¡¯ as passive. My active on is ¡®Explosion¡¯¡± she sat down signalizing she was done with her introduction.

    The glasses wearing girl next to Ann stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Seria Lucifer, I guess you can all call me Seria, I¡¯m seven years and twenty five days old.¡± She grinned at Ann. ¡°Since I belong to the Lucifer family, a side family of the Schatten clan, I inherited ¡®Shadows Magic¡¯ as passive. My active is ¡®Telekinesis¡¯.¡± She sat down.

    The boy next to Seria stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Richard Lucifer. I¡¯m the twin brother of Seria. My passive is also ¡®Shadows Magic¡¯ and my active is called ¡®Absolute Zero¡¯. He sat down, giving the blonde boy next to him the chance to introduce himself.

    ¡°Erm¡­- I- I¡¯m Leo Luci. I¡¯m seven years and forty days old. My family is a side family of the Lucifer family, so¡­ we kinda also belong to the Schatten clan... I- I was also blessed with ¡®Shadows Magic¡¯ as a passive and my active is ¡®Heal¡¯. The boy sat down.

    After Leo¡¯s introduction Tristan looked a little sad. Even someone out of the side family of a side family had inherited ¡®Shadows Magic¡¯ as a passive, but he hadn¡¯t. Just because of Bella. She had decided how his life would play out before it had even started.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Abigail stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Abigail Letum. I¡¯m six years and twenty one days old. Since I¡¯m a year younger than most of you here, please take care of me¡± she proclaimed proudly. ¡®Why are they so proud of their age?¡¯ Tristan thought after having noticed the other had been having a competition on who was younger. The girls and boys from the front row looked shocked all of them had the same question on their minds ¡®How could someone so young pass that test?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m an Elder¡± Abigail continued. ¡°So I only have ¡®Archive¡¯ as my active.¡± She finished and sat down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, how could an Elder younger than I have passed that test?¡± Richard interrupted. ¡°You know, that test, is a test of you mind. Moreover, people with ¡®Archive¡¯ as active ability have to have a really strong mind, not to go mad with all that information they have to store in their brains. And also what about if she is an Elder or not? In front of Fors we are all mortals!¡± Miss Doctri said with a strong voice. She pointed at Tristan ¡°You there, continue!¡±

    ¡°Erm,¡­ ok.¡± Tristan started, still sitting on his chair. ¡°I¡¯m Tristan Halblicht. I¡¯m five years and twenty two days old.¡± Everyone but Laura was shocked. Even though Abigail had already heard Tristan was five years old, she thought Tristan was just about to turn six. She had never expected him to be that young. Richard was about to say something, but Seria stopped him. Tristan continued. ¡°My active is ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯ and my passive is ¡®All Knowing¡¯. Tristan lied, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. He had already decided to hide his real powers. ¡°No real passive and a crappy active, pathetic¡± Ann whispered, Richard and Seria could barely suppress their laughs.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m Laura Verheerung! Nice to meet you all! I hope we can be all friends with each other! I¡¯m also five years old, but I¡¯m seventeen days older than Trist here¡± she pointed at Tristan. ¡°My passive is ¡®Chaos magic¡¯ and my active is ¡®Gravity Smash¡¯¡± Laura smiled and sat down again. Ann inspected Laura mumbled ¡°Never heard of the Verheerung family¡± and looked back towards Miss Doctri.

    ¡°Very nice, nice to meet you all, once again! I really hope you all can get along with each other, since you will be spending the next six years in this very same class!¡±- ¡°Excuse me¡± Tristan said. ¡°I thought we would be only spending three years in this class.¡±-¡°Well, yes and no. You know, a school years is equivalent to two normal years! So if we say you will be spending three school years in this class, in reality you will be spending six years in this class.¡± Miss Doctri smiled. ¡®How come no one ever told me this?¡¯ Tristan thought.

    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know how the school system works yet. So let me explain!¡± Miss Doctri said overjoyed. She clapped with her hands a mountain of papers appeared in front of her. She pointed at it with a big smile. ¡°This is your curriculum till your fourth year.¡±

    She clapped again and two piles of papers appeared. ¡°If you decide to go to the military branch, this will be your curriculum¡± she pointed at the small pile of papers. ¡°If you decide to go to the political branch, you¡¯ll have to learn all this¡± she pointed at the large pile. ¡°But don¡¯t get fooled! In both courses you¡¯ll have to invest a lot of time studying to pass. It is just that the things taught in the political branch are more on a theoretical basis while the things you learn at the military branch are more practical. Also both courses last for four school years, which are eight normal years.¡±

    She clapped again and three sheets appeared. ¡°Depending on what you decide on studying in our university you will have different things to learn, these papers here contain the amount of courses you can choose from in at our university. If you decide for one of those subjects you¡¯ll have to spend three school years at the university till you receive your degrees. Most people take four to five school years, though to get their degrees.¡± She looked like she realized she shouldn¡¯t have said that. ¡°Anyways, right now you don¡¯t have to worry about it! You still have so much time to consider things and you never know what will happen in the future.¡± She waved with her hands and mountains of papers disappeared.

    ¡®Interesting, so I will be twenty five when I¡¯m out of the university¡­¡¯ Tristan thought.

    --------------------------

    Ernesti was eating with his classmates in the canteen. Like the other classes his class had decided to eat together to get to know each other better. Class four wasn¡¯t an exception. All classes had the same plan. All classes but class seven.

    Ernesti saw Abigail sitting with Laura and Tristan. Ernesti was relieved when he saw her interacting with other people. He knew how haughty his little sister could be, despite the fact she was an Elder and younger than most of the students. Therefore, he had expected her to be all alone during lunch time.

    When Ernesti had seen Tristan and Laura this morning he came up with a plan to ensure her sister wouldn¡¯t become a loner for the next years. He knew they were almost as young as her, so he had introduced them to each other. His father had told him the teachers would build the classes only paying attention to the age of the students. His father had done this to convince him to enroll the school last year already and not to wait for his sister, but he couldn¡¯t convince Ernesti. This morning Ernesti had pretty much ensured that his sister would have a social life at school.

    This week only first years were around on campus, so they had the spacious canteen for themselves. Ernesti had soon noticed that the only class that wasn¡¯t eating as a class was class seven. ¡®Is it because Abbigail?¡¯ he asked himself. From where he was sitting he could see how the other four students of class seven had been staring at the trio.

    When everybody in his class was done with their meal, they all decided to return to their classroom. Ernesti did split up from them for a while and went to Abigail to check if everything was ok. ¡°And? How was your day so far?¡± he asked while talking towards the trio. Tristan looked up and answered ¡°Nothing special¡±- ¡°Yeah, nothing special we just did the introductions and chose a class representative, what about you big bro?¡± Abigail answered. ¡°Same for us thus far¡± Ernsti said. ¡°Well, if everything is ok, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± Ernesti turned around and hurried back to his class.

    ------------------------------------------

    In the afternoon Ms. Doctri had repeated with them some questions of the test they had taken in the temple. She made sure to underline that magic isn¡¯t to hurt fellow Demons but to defend against the Seraphs. She also made sure to let them know that magic didn¡¯t make them all mighty. She had finished her lecture about the meaning of magic with the words ¡°In the end we are all mortals.¡±

    Now Tristan was walking home with Laura. All awkwardness from the incident at the zoo had disappeared over the day. Now they were able to hold a proper conversation again with each other. ¡°What do you think about the people in our class?¡± Laura asked Tristan. ¡°Dunno, the only one I could talk with was Abigail. I think she is a kind girl, but a little bit arrogant.¡± Tristan replied. He hadn¡¯t paid much attention to his classmates, he had been busy thinking how to make the big money so he could start training seriously.

    ¡°I also think Abigail is a nice girl. But you know the others don¡¯t seem to be nice. During lunch, they were staring at you and Abigail. I especially dislike that Explo girl. The way she looked at me during the introductions was very creepy. She also mumbled something back then, so I¡¯m positive she is a no good person.¡± Laura explained. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to pay so much attention to her surroundings¡¯ Tristan thought. He smiled at her ¡°Don¡¯t worry if they want to hurt you or Abigail I will throw them into a cage with a Frost beast.¡±-¡°Hey! That¡¯s not funny!¡± Laura responded and chased after Tristan who tried to run away from her.

 Catalysts

    Nocturnio (10.9.9973 AS)

    ¡°Does someone know what ¡®Magic Catalysts¡¯ are and how they work?¡± the teacher asked towards her class. It seemed like just someone knew the answer. The girl in the second row was frantically waving her hands, so the teacher would ask her to answer the question. Miss Doctri looked bored. ¡°As usual, only Abigail knows the answer. Come on guys! Does someone else want to give it a try?¡± None of the students reacted to her pleas. ¡°Fine, Abigail please enlighten us,¡± she said, waving her hand at Abigail.

    The school term had started a little more than one month ago. During this period only Abigail had always enthusiastically answered the questions from Miss Doctri. The rest of the students didn¡¯t seem to know the answers or just didn¡¯t want to answer. Like a certain five years old boy, whose only concern right now was to make as much money as fast as possible.

    Abigail stood up gave a superior smile towards Tristan and started talking. ¡°Magic Catalysts are supporting elements that help us casting spells. There are three types of catalysts. ¡®Gemstones¡¯, ¡®Magic Circles¡¯ and ¡®Chants¡¯. If it weren¡¯t for the proficiency the three ¡®Catalysts¡¯ would be equal. You see, as a demon you can only be truly proficient with one of the three ¡®Catalysts¡¯, because the catalysts harmonize with one¡¯s passives.

    The reason behind it, is unknown, but Demons with ¡®Death Magic¡¯ harmonize the best with ¡®Chants¡¯, Demons with ¡®Shadows Magic¡¯ harmonize with ¡®Gemstones¡¯ as ¡®Catalysts¡¯ and finally ¡®Chaos Magic¡¯ does harmonize the best with ¡®Magic Circles¡¯. Therefore, all three Clans ¡®Tod¡¯, ¡®Schatten¡¯ and ¡®Zerst?rung¡¯ have the broadest knowledge about their specific ¡®Catalysts¡¯.

    ¡®Catalysts¡¯ filter out unwanted elements from your mana, often those elements hinder you in casting spells out side of your passive¡¯s spectrum.¡± Abigail went quiet signalizing she was done with her explanation and sat down.

    ¡°As always, great job, Abigail.¡± Miss Doctri said. Abigail had a bright smile on her face as she always did when she was being praised. In her moment of glory Abigail didn¡¯t notice the people in the first row glaring at her. ¡°But what about ¡®Elixirs¡¯? Aren¡¯t those Catalysts as well? Miss Doctri asked the class.

    As Abigail was about to stand up again and give the answer, Miss Doctri called the name of the boy Abigail hated the most, because no matter what she did to show him her superiority, he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by it. ¡°Say Tristan, are the trees outside more interesting than my magical theory class? Or can you give us an answer to my question?¡±

    Tristan sighed, looked towards Miss Doctri and started his explanation. ¡°¡¯Elixirs¡¯ don¡¯t count as ¡®Catalysts¡¯ because ¡®Elixirs¡¯ store the mana you have poured into them during their creation. ¡®Catalysts¡¯ don¡¯t save anything they are just plain mana filters. This means when you are out of mana a ¡®Catalyst¡¯ is useless, but an ¡®Elixir¡¯ is still useful. The only down to the ¡®Elixirs¡¯ is that they are difficult, pricy and draining to create.¡± Tristan continued in his thoughts ¡®And to answer your last questions, yes, the trees outside are way more interesting than this theory class.¡¯

    ¡°See you all can do it if you just try! Very well done Tristan!¡± Miss Doctri said without realizing who the four people in the first row were glaring at Tristan and Abigail. ¡®And she still has no clue why Laura and I don¡¯t want to participate in her class?¡¯ Tristan smiled at the four students in front of him.

    Miss Doctri clapped with her hands. ¡°That concludes the theoretical part of today¡¯s lesson. Now let¡¯s move to the practical part. Follow me!¡± Miss Doctri pointed towards the door and started heading towards the trainings field. ¡°Finally!¡± Laura said with a wide smile on her face.

    ¡°Every single one of these books here contains ¡®Demon Level¡¯ spells.¡± Miss Doctri said while pointing at the shelves full of books on the sides of the trainings field. ¡°You have time till lunch break to find a book with spells you want to learn from. By the way, you aren¡¯t allowed to pick spells that harmonize with your passives.¡± When she was done speaking all the children started to run towards the shelves. ¡°Abigail and Tristan, can you both come here for a bit?¡± Miss Doctri walked towards the door of the training room followed by the two.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Once they were outside of the trainings room Miss Doctri started ¡°As you said earlier the reason why we Demons can only specialize with one ¡®Catalyst¡¯ is because our passives, but Elders are different in that regard. Elders don¡¯t have a passive, which means no restrictions in choosing a passive. There are even Elders that are proficient with more than one type of ¡®Catalysts¡¯. I personally would try to master one type first before going to the next type, but it is up to you.¡±

    She looked towards Tristan. ¡°I know, you aren¡¯t an Elder, but you are a special case since you don¡¯t have a magic type as a passive. Therefore, we will treat you as an Elder in that regard.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t have to rub it in, you know¡­¡¯ Tristan thought hearing his teacher¡¯s voice. ¡°As I always say try to take things head on. If you do so you might end up changing your fate.¡± She smiled at Tristan trying to cheer him up. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go back in and choose a book with spells with the ¡®Catalyst¡¯ you want to learn for now!¡± She clapped on her hands like she always did when she wanted the children to do what she had told them.

    --------------------------------

    ¡°Finally!¡± Laura said, waving her fork around. ¡°We finally are going to learn spells! I thought we would be doing mana concentration exercises for the whole first year!¡± The past month they had been busy learning how to control the mana flow in one¡¯s body. All they had done during the practical magic lessons had been meditating. Obviously the students disliked the idea of sitting still for ours, so they had were dying to learn real spells.

    ¡°I know right!¡± Abigail answered happily. It was lunch break and the trio was having lunch as they had been doing since the first school day. ¡°I¡¯m also really excited, but Laura, darling would you mind eating a little more like a civilized being instead of a wild beast?¡± Tristan added with a disgusted voice looking towards Laura, who was busy stuffing pasta into her mouth. Laura swallowed the pasta and blushed. ¡°Shut up! I need the energy for today¡¯s lesson! Anyways, what did that woman want from you this morning?¡±Tristan, who had recently discovered how fun it was to tease Laura, replied her question.

    ¡°You know, the others made jokes on how you two are treated in a special way, when you were gone. You should try and avoid that kind of situations¡± Laura said with a serious voice. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Tristan said while looking at Abigail. ¡°And you! Try not to stand out so much in class. Even if you know the answer sometimes it is ok not give an answer. I have a really bad feeling about those four.¡±

    ¡°You are just jelly because I¡¯m being praised more by the teacher than you.¡± Abigail answered without giving Tristan¡¯s warning a second thought. ¡®How can be someone so smart, but so stupid at the same time!¡¯ Tristan thought ¡°Yeah, you totally got me, I¡¯m so jealous.¡± He added with a sarcastic tone. ¡°See, you can¡¯t hide anything from me!¡± Abigail proclaimed with a wide smile.

    ---------

    After the lunch break the children assembled in the training room. Each of them had already chosen their spells and the catalysts they wanted to specialize in. Four students had chosen to start with ¡®Gemstones¡¯ two with ¡®Magic Circles¡¯ and one with ¡®Chants¡¯.

    The only one learning the use of ¡®Chants¡¯, was Abigail because she belonged to the ¡®Tod¡¯ clan. The main reason why she decided on learning ¡®Chants¡¯ was because she didn¡¯t want to feel as an outcast in her own family.

    Although, Tristan didn¡¯t like the idea of being a ¡®Schatten¡¯ he still learned the use of ¡®Gemstones¡¯. The ¡®Catalyst¡¯ his clan specialized in. Even if the chances were slim, he still hoped one day to be able to return to his family. Those feelings had grown larger, since he had heard Lamia¡¯s words.

    The others had chosen their ¡®Catalysts¡¯ according their ¡®passives¡¯. Laura and Annemarie had gone with ¡®Magic Circles¡¯ and the Lucifer twins and Leo had also gone with ¡®Gemstones¡¯.

    ¡°Has every one chosen for a book with spells to learn from?¡± Miss Doctri asked every student nodded. ¡°That¡¯s awesome. In five months you will have a test about the contents of the book you¡¯ve chosen. The test will not only be practical but also theoretical, so please use the time you are given to practice as hard as you can.¡± She clapped with her hand. ¡°Well then don¡¯t waste your time! If you have any questions you can come to me.¡± She summoned a novel and a chair, sat down and started to read. While the students started to work through their books.

    Although, Bella had told Tristan to learn ¡®Telekinetic Magic¡¯ and ¡®Resonance Magic¡¯, he had decided to learn ¡®Illusion Magic¡¯. Right now he was more in need of a deceiving spell, then spells that would increase his fire power. He had concluded, he needed the ¡®Illusion Magic¡¯ to start his own business and make money and to be able to sneak out of the house during the nights, to train himself in his one of his dimensions. He had already tried a few times to sneak out at nights, but Nana had always asked questions on the next morning.

 Idea?!

    Obscurati (7.10.9973 AS)

    It was Sunday evening; Lamia was sitting in the balcony in front of her bedroom. For a whole month by now she had been coming here every evening to talk to a picture of her beloved son. She did so, because she knew he was listening. As the head of the ¡®Schatten¡¯ clan her magical skill was close to peerless in Umbra. She was very good at detecting mana, so she knew exactly who was close by and who wasn¡¯t. There was no way she wouldn¡¯t recognize the mana of her little baby, when he was close by.

    Tristan hid himself in one of the balconies one floor over Lamia¡¯s bedroom. He used the ¡®Illusion Magic¡¯ he had learned in the school to become invisible. This magic was very weak, but no person would notice him unless they were searching for him with sensory type of magic. Although, Lamia could have discovered his hideout without much effort she decided not to, because she knew ¡®they¡¯ would get mad if the discovered her little boy was here. And maybe this time she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them from doing horrible things to her baby.

    Instead of searching for her child, she would often just sit there and talk to him, when she discovered his presence. She would tell him how much she missed him and how sorry she was about their situation. She would tell him how much she loved him and sometimes even sing lullabies to him, like she was doing right now. Tristan was listening with tears in his eyes as far as he could remember this was the closest he had been to his mother all his life.

    Lamia was interrupted by Ray. ¡°What are you doing? I know you miss him. I too miss him, but we can¡¯t change the fact he isn¡¯t here anymore. We can¡¯t change the fact we probably will never see him again!¡± ¨C¡°Don¡¯t say such ridiculous things he is here right now. I know he is here and I know he can hear every single word I say.¡±-¡°Please stop it already; your senses are clouded because of your feelings towards the boy. You want him to be here, I understand that. I want him to be here too, but he won¡¯t come back and if he does, he will hate us, especially me, because I sent him to that military academy.¡±

    Ray sighed exhausted. ¡°You don¡¯t know how much I am willing pay to have him back with us. To be a happy family, just the four of us, but even if we run away ¡®they¡¯ will find us and what then? Will we let them hunt them down because of our selfishness?¡±- ¡°You don¡¯t understand. He is here. I know he is listening.¡± Lamia replied with tears in her eyes.

    Ray hugged her ¡°No, he isn¡¯t and even if he was. As the head of one of the ruling clans you can¡¯t show weakness to the outside world. You can¡¯t afford people to spread rumors about you¡¯re going mad because you lost your child!¡± To keep appearances the Schatten clan had told the world their youngest heir had died in a tragic accident one week before his fifth birthday.

    ¡°Boy, if you really are listening, please understand I can¡¯t allow her to come here to talk to you so often anymore. Sooner or later ¡®they¡¯ will get suspicious and then its game over for you and us. So please don¡¯t hate her for not taking care of you. If you want someone to blame, blame me. Blame me for my weakness. Blame me for not being able to protect my fami-¡± ¨C ¡°He is gone¡± Lamia whispered. ¡°So, this was the last time?¡± Lamia whispered while hiding her crying face in Ray¡¯s chest.

    Tristan¡¯s Secret Base (7.10.9973 AS)

    Tristan wiped the tears from his face. ¡®How stupid, how come I always end up wasting my time visiting that woman? I should try getting stronger and stronger.¡¯ Tristan walked towards the old table, he had found a few weeks ago walking aimlessly through the streets of Nocturnio. He really enjoyed walking through the city at night, it helped him relax and forget the world around him.

    ¡®Who are ¡®they¡¯ anyways? I have no clue, but they must be pretty strong. Scaring the strongest female Demon isn¡¯t a deed anybody can pull off. Are ¡®they¡¯ perhaps the ones Bella wants me do defeat? ... I don¡¯t think so, but still every time I think about them, I get the feeling ¡®they¡¯ are someone I¡¯ll have to face one day.¡¯ Tristan opened a gate to his bedroom to check if the decoy was still fine.

    He just had started to learn ¡®Illusion Magic¡¯ a few weeks ago, but he had already mastered every single spell from the book he was learning from. There were quite a few useful spells in the book, like the spell ¡®Clone¡¯. It allowed him to create a projection of himself. He used that projection of himself to make Nana believe he was still at home in his room. It was perfect for his purpose of sneaking out of the house during the night to train or to come up with ideas on how to make money.

    Amongst others, the book also contained the spell ¡®Invisibility¡¯. He used that spell to move through the streets of the city without being found out. People would be suspicious if they saw a child walking alone at night. He had also used that spell every time he had visited his old home. The spell wasn¡¯t really strong and anyone with a little magic knowledge could dispel it if they knew what they were looking for. But it fulfilled its purpose.

    ¡®If I really want to face ¡®them¡¯ I will have to grow stronger than anyone. I¡¯ll have to become the strongest Demon in the world. Then, yeah, maybe then I¡¯ll be able to go back home!¡¯ Tristan smiled with determination. ¡®But to get stronger, I¡¯ll need more items then just this old table.¡¯ Tristan tabbed on the old wooden table.

    From Ray¡¯s last words, Tristan knew today was the last day his mom would be waiting for him on her balcony. He knew even if he went visiting her, she wouldn¡¯t be there waiting. But he didn¡¯t want to let go yet. He still wanted to feel the warmth he felt while listening to her lullabies. This feeling of not wanting to let go yet, had brought him an idea.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    In this world, there was no way of instant communication for civilians. The only way of communicating with someone far away was through the spell ¡®Message¡¯. The problem with said spell was the message would arrive delayed. Therefore, it felt more like writing letters to someone than actually talking to them.

    The military used a specialized item, for instant communication between the units. The only problem with said item was the range: It had only a one kilometer range. So they could just use those items to communicate during the missions they knew, the units would stay together. To better their situation the military had already spent millions in the research of wide range instant communication devices, but there were no signs of success.

    This was Tristan¡¯s new goal. He wanted to create a wide range instant communication device. If he succeeded in doing so, he would become richer than anyone else in this world. He knew not only the military, but also civilians would go crazy for his devices. The only problem with his idea: He had no idea how communication magic worked.

    Tristan opened a gate into the sixth floor of the library. In the past month he had not only spent a lot of time in the library during night, but also during the day. He already knew where to find the books he was looking for. The sixth floor was all about basic knowledge in different scientific areas. He looked through the shelves and finally found what he was looking for. He leafed through the book he had found and close it again. Thanks to his passive, that¡¯s all he needed to, to know the contents of the book. He repeated this procedure with twenty other books.

    As he got the feeling of being proficient enough with the basics, Tristan opened another gate. He went to the eight floor of the library. There he searched for books about communication magic and again, he leafed through them. After half an hour he had gone through all the books about communication magic in the library.

    ¡®Well, there is really not much information about communication magic in this library. Considering this is one of the largest libraries in the realm¡­ It either means no one even thought of researching this topic or the military doesn¡¯t want to the public to know about it¡­ The books mentioned the military were the ones the most interested in instant communication spells and items. They even managed to create those items with an extremely low range.¡¯

    ¡®Maybe I should pay one of their bases a visit. But which base, am I supposed to visit? In Nocturnio alone, there are over 2000 military facilities! I can¡¯t possibly visit all of them! I should start where the possibilities of finding clues are higher. Sooo, where do I start?¡¯ Tristan opened a gate to the tenth floor. The tenth floor of the library was all about cartography and maps. He searched through the shelves and found a map that showed all known military facilities in the city.

    Tristan sighed. ¡®As I thought, there are too many!¡¯ As he looked through the map suddenly started smiling. ¡®God, I¡¯m stupid! Why didn¡¯t I realize this sooner? If there is one military facility that bunkers knowledge, then it¡¯s the Guardian Academy! I¡¯m sure they use the University for Military Research, I bet the ones that discovered that shore range item were the researchers at the University of the Guardian Academy! It¡¯s decided, I will start searching for clues at Guardian Academy.¡¯

    Tristan activated the spell ¡®Invisibility¡¯ and opened a gate to the library of the Guardian Academy. The library of the Guardian Academy was divided into four levels. The first level was knowledge everyone could access even the primary school students. The second level¡¯s was knowledge only available for students from high school onwards. The third floor contained books and items only university students and their teachers could access. And then there was the fourth floor. This floor was reserved for teachers and researchers only.

    Tristan had opened the gate directly to the fourth level. He looked around in the unfamiliar room. He went through the shelves. After half an hour he finally managed to find documents related to communication items. He leafed through the contents. What he found was not really promising. The researchers dropped the project of making long range communication items because they couldn¡¯t get any results after five years of research!

    ¡®Am I really going for this? With my abilities, I might have an edge, but I don¡¯t have any resources.¡¯ He looked again through the documents and opened a gate again. The gate led directly to the magic treasury of the Guardian Academy. He looked for the shelf on the tenth row. ¡®Lucky me! The military sure likes to keep things orderly! They even numbered all items so even a five year old could find them!¡¯ Tristan took a casket from the shelf and opened it.

    The casket was full of small silver colored crystals. ¡®Bingo! I guess this is my night!¡¯ Tristan took one of them out and stowed it in his pocket. He closed the casket and put it back to its place on the shelf. He opened a gate and made once again sure his invisibility spell was still active before going through the gate.

    As he returned to his dimension, Tristan took the crystal out of his pocket and started looking at it. He activated it. He expected the magic circle hidden inside the item to be a mess, like it usually was with the items he came in touch with. To his surprise, the magic circle inside of the item was perfect. He couldn¡¯t find anything he to improve on. This was the first time he had ever seen a perfect magic circle embedded inan item before he was done with it.

    ¡®Amazing! That¡¯s the military for you! They sure know what they are doing¡­ Am I really going for this? If they have people capable of creating this kind of item, it¡¯s gonna be impossible for a greenhorn like me! All I¡¯ve been doing till now, was remodeling existing magic circles thanks to my passive, but now I¡¯ll have to create a new magic circle out of nowhere!¡¯ I can¡¯t do that! I don¡¯t know how to create magic circles, let alone embed them in items! But this feeling I have. It tells me I will succeed eventually, I just have to try.¡¯

    Tristan knew he could trust in his premonitions, but he still couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. He knew the task ahead of him was a ridiculous one. And did he really want to spend his precious time in creating one item?

    ¡®I just can¡¯t ignore this feeling! I even promised that woman to always listen to it!¡¯ This innocent idea he had come up with had started giving him a headache. ¡°AAAAAAAAHHHHH! Fine I¡¯ll do it!¡± Tristan cried out, letting out all of his frustration.

    -----------------

    The sand from the magical hourglass on the table had run out. It turned itself automatically around and the numbers it was displaying changed from one to two o¡¯clock in the morning. Tristan, who had watched the whole procedure and decided it was time to go to bed. No matter how developed his mind was, his body was still the body of five years old. He couldn¡¯t go without sleep at all and the next day was a school day.

 Armory

    Nocturnio (11.10.9973 AS)

    Tristan was sitting on a bench next to the entrance to the Guardian academy. Every Thursday afternoon Tristan¡¯s class would have P.E. As usual Tristan was waiting for Laura, who had a little bit longer to change clothes. Tristan had promised Nana to take good care of Laura, therefore he would always walk home with her.

    Unlike the other Thursdays Tristan wasn¡¯t alone on the bench. He was sitting there with Ernesti. Every Thursday Ernesti¡¯s class would have the afternoon free. Today, he had stayed after longer in the school to practice the use of his catalyst with some friends. They had finished one hour ago, but Ernesti had decided to wait for his beloved sister.

    ¡°Say, how is Abigail doing in class?¡± Ernesti asked. ¡°She is doing fine; she doesn¡¯t seem to have any trouble in following the classes.¡±- ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡­ I know she is smart enough to keep up with her studies, but¡­ Well, you know, to be honest¡­ Sometimes her personality can be perceived as annoying¡­¡± Tristan knew just too well, what Ernesti was trying to say. In the two months he had known her there were too many moments he had to suppress the urge strangle her.

    ¡°I kinda get what you mean. She is doing fine with Laura. They both seem to get along quite well.¡± ¨C ¡°What about the other students?¡± Tristan smiled bitterly towards Ernesti¡¯s question. ¡°Before I answer that, you should know our class isn¡¯t like the other classes. Our class consists out of people who have always been considered and treated as geniuses by others, so most of our classmates have a lot of pride.¡± Ernesti nodded, hearing Tristan¡¯s explanation. He himself had called and treated Abigail as a genius before.

    ¡°And what happens when someone that has been considered his whole life a genius finds someone younger and smarter than them?¡± Tristan asked and answered the question before Ernesti could give an answer. ¡°They get jealous and start avoiding or even bullying.¡± - ¡°Does that mean, people in your class are bullying my Abigail?¡± Ernesti asked outraged while jumping up, glaring towards Tristan.

    ¡°Calm down! I didn¡¯t say they were bullying her! At least not for now. Since Laura and I are always around Abigail, they¡¯re too afraid of doing something against her or us. The problem is: the more jealous and annoyed they get, the bigger the possibility they stop hesitating and go for something really stupid. Laura understands it pretty well and we already tried to talk to Abigail about it, but she didn¡¯t want to listen. Maybe you can convince her, to try not to stand out much in class, to give the others time to forget their jealousy.¡±

    Ernesti sat down again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if I scared you, it is just¡­ She is special¡­ She is an Elder¡­ And you know, no matter how hard the government tries to glorify the idea of having offspring with Humans, Elders are still looked down upon in our society. I had to witness too many times, how people treated her differently after realizing she is an Elder. Therefore, I¡¯m really grateful to you and Laura for treating her like a one of us and for being friends with her.¡±

    Tristan smiled wryly, thinking about it, he had never thought of Abigail as a friend. ¡®Maybe she really is a friend. Talking to her isn¡¯t as annoying as talking to other people so it probably is safe to consider her as my friend. Same goes for Laura and Ernesti, I guess¡­¡¯ Till now the only person he had considered as a friend was Nana, the woman who had been taking care of him since his birth. ¡°Yeah, I will give my best and I¡¯ll try being a good friend to her,¡± he replied to Ernesti.

    Both of them continued chatting till they saw Abigail and Laura approaching. Both stood up and walked towards them. ¡°Took you long enough¡± Tristan said towards Laura with a teasing voice. ¡°Shut it! Girls are allowed to take longer.¡±- ¡°That is only if they look good after taking so long.¡± Tristan looked at Laura making a grimace. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t say that about you.¡± Laura turned red not knowing what to say. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt this cheap comedy act, but Abigail and I would like to head back home. Ernesti said, moving towards the school gate. ¡°See you!¡± Abigail hugged Laura and sprinted back to Ernesti to catch up with him.

    ¡°Do you have to always embarrass me in front of Ernesti?¡± Laura asked Tristan with a moody voice. ¡°I don¡¯t get what you mean. You do a fine job in it, just by being yourself.¡± Tristan smiled at her. She hit him on his arm and ran away. ¡°Hey, wait, don¡¯t leave me behind, I even waited for you!¡± Tristan started chasing her.

    ------

    ¡°So are you looking forward to tomorrow?¡±- ¡°Is something special happening tomorrow?¡± ¨C¡°Yeah, in practical magic class we finally get to fool around with our actives!¡± - ¡°Wait, that¡¯s already tomorrow?! I thought we would be playing with the catalyst this whole semester.¡± ¨C ¡°Do you even read the memos we get every Monday morning?¡±

    Every Monday morning Miss Doctri would hand them a memo containing the week¡¯s timetable, so that the students could come to school prepared. Usually Tristan would prepare himself very well for the practical magical classes to better hide his true powers, but this week he had other things on his mind.

    Tristan had spent the whole week trying to learn how to create magic circles. Even though, he had a cheat in his passive there weren¡¯t any results. He spent night after night without sleep. All he thought of were magic circles. Every free minute he had, he spent in learning more about magic circles. But every time he tried creating a simple magic circle, it just didn¡¯t work. All this led to him getting really frustrated because this was the very first time in his life, things didn¡¯t go the way he wanted them to. This made him excited and desperate at the same time. Feelings he had never before felt in such intensity. Therefore, he had lost interest in anything besides magic circles.

    At that moment, walking home with Laura, Tristan finally realized how fixated he had been in magic circles. He had almost got his true powers found out! ¡®Right now I don¡¯t have a single weapon in my armory, except for that kitchen knife I stole from Nana! What am I supposed to do for tomorrow¡¯s practical class? I don¡¯t want to steal, that¡¯s why I started this project in making money, but it seems tonight I will have to do go on a little raid¡¯

    ¡°Tristan are you ok?¡± Laura pulled on his right arm. ¡°What? Oh, yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± Tristan smiled at her. ¡°Anyways, see you tomorrow. It looks like I¡¯m going shopping with Mom.¡± Laura said, pointing out towards Dolores, who was coming out of their apartment building. ¡°Yeah, see you tomorrow¡± Tristan said absent minded waving at her who ran towards her mother.

    Coming home, Tristan was greeted by Nana. She asked him about how his day was, like she usually would do. He answered like he always did. ¡°Tiring, but fun, I guess.¡± Although, his response wasn¡¯t really friendly, Tristan felt really happy when Nana would ask him this question. He often wondered if this is how Lamia would have treated him if it wasn¡¯t for ¡®them¡¯. Nana would then ask him to go and take a shower before they had dinner together. They had dinner really early because Tristan often mentioned how tired he was.

    After diner Tristan went to his room and activated his ¡®illusion magic¡¯. He made a clone of himself, who was sleeping on his bed and opened a gate to his ¡®armory¡¯. Tristan was standing in a wide, empty room. Except for him and an old kitchen knife there was nothing in the room. ¡®I don¡¯t have much time and I don¡¯t like the idea of stealing, so let¡¯s see how much stuff I can grab tonight.¡¯

    Tristan activated his ¡®Invisibility Spell¡¯ and opened a gate to the nearest smithy. He was standing in front of a shop window displaying the finest magical weapons the store had to offer. Tristan eyes were glued on a two handed sword named ¡®Shattenklinge¡¯.

    The ¡®Shattenklinge¡¯ was the perfect sword for any member of the ¡®Schatten¡¯ clan. The blade was made out of a black metal alloy that allowed the swordsman to channel its ¡®Shadows Magic¡¯ through the sword. Making it not only able to slice everything close range, but also everything on a distance of fifty meters. Its handle was made out of gemstone, the catalyst that allowed members of the ¡®Schatten¡¯ clan to use magic outside their passive¡¯s range.

    Tristan had never seen such an amazing sword. ¡®Once I¡¯ve eraned enough money I¡¯ll get that sword!¡¯ Tristan swore to himself. The lights inside of the shop were still burning and there were still costumers inside the shop. So Tristan decided to take a look of the shop from behind maybe he would find something useful in the trash of the shop.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    While walking around the shop he suddenly felt like hundreds of needles stabbing his back. What caused him to drop his ¡®Invisibility Magic¡¯. Panicking, he opened a gate in disappeared into thin air. Fortunately, no one was around to see the scene.

    Tristan was inside his secret base. He was screaming in pain. Tears ran down his cheeks. He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Was he affected by some kind of curse? Probably not, if this was the case he would have seen it coming thanks to his passive. Was this an evil prank from Bella? Maybe, he didn¡¯t know her too well to deny that option, but he felt this wasn¡¯t the case either. But what could it be?

    Slowly but steady, the pain started to decrease. Three hours had passed before Tristan felt like moving again. The pain was not gone completely, but now it was at least bearable. He stood up and opened a gate to his room. As he had expected, the decoy was gone. He created a new decoy, activated his ¡®invisibility magic¡¯ and once again opened a gate to the smithy.

    He now opened a gate behind the shop. There he found four big, grey waste containers. Tristan walked towards them and opened one of them. The container was full of small metal bars, pieces of wood and small gemstones. ¡®Nothing much I can use, maybe I can find a way to use the gemstones¡­¡¯

    Tristan took the gemstones and sent them through a gate to his secret base. He closed the container and went to look what he could find in the other container. He found the very same picture from the first container he had opened. ¡®Will I really have to steal? I but I really don¡¯t wanna!¡¯ Tristan felt conflicted. He wanted the goods, but he didn¡¯t want to steal. Nana had brought him up well. But now he would be forced to.

    Tristan opened the third container. To his relief this container contained an old rusty Hatchet and an old Morningstar, whose handle was bent beyond repair. He opened the last container. ¡°Jackpot¡± Tristan cried out. In the fourth container there were a rusty ¡®Zweih?nder¡¯, an old bent ¡®Katana¡¯ and a ¡®Dual Broadsword¡¯, whose handle was missing gemstones. Tristan took the weapons and opened a gate to his ¡®armory¡¯.

    -----------

    Like every theoretical class, Miss Doctri would start it with a question. ¡°Can someone tell me what ¡®MR¡¯ stands for?¡± And same as usual the only one waving her hand like crazy, so she would be asked to answer the question was Abigail.

    ¡°Tristan, can you help us?¡± Miss Doctri asked Tristan, who looked more absent-minded than usual. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know the answer¡± Tristan waved with his hand. Tristan had spent the whole night trying to fix the weapons he had found in the containers. Therefore, he didn¡¯t feel like answering the questions of his teacher. There was also the fact his back was still hurting.

    Abigail did put on a superior smile and started waving even more enthusiasm than before, trying to make sure Miss Doctri would ask her the question. Miss Doctri sighed ¡°Very well then, Abigail please enlighten us.¡±

    ¡°¡¯MR¡¯ stands for ¡®Magical Rank¡¯. Every being in our world is labeled with a ¡®Magical Rank¡¯. The ¡®MR¡¯ is bestowed upon us by the military after strict criteria. There are twelve documented ranks, but only ten ranks are achievable by mortals. The weakest rank is ¡®Human¡¯. The magical power one needs to have to achieve that rank is equal to the magical power a normal Human has. This means almost nothing.

    The second lowest rank is ¡®Elder¡¯. As the name suggests the magical power one needs to achieve that rank is the one of an Elder with no magical education at all. They are about five times stronger than an ordinary Human¡±- ¡°So weak¡±, Annemarie added making Seria laugh out loud. Miss Doctri glared at them ¡°Abigail, please continue.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the third lowest rank is ¡®Demon¡¯ the magical power needed to achieve said rank is the one of an ordinary Demon. People labeled as ¡®Demons¡¯ are about ten times stronger than people on the level ¡®Elder¡¯. The spells we are learning right now with the catalysts are on that level. About 70% of the population of Umbra is at that rank.

    The fourth rank is ¡®Dragon¡¯. Everybody who achieved this rank should be able to easily beat a dragon. Which means the ones, who achieved this rank are at least hundred times stronger than the ones of the rank ¡®Demon¡¯.

    The fifth rank is ¡®Super Devil¡¯. To defeat someone of that rank, one would need a thousand people of the level ¡®Dragon¡¯. This is the highest level an Elder can hope to achieve. And also the level most of this school¡¯s graduates in the political course are in.

    The sixth rank is ¡®Demon Lord¡¯. People on this level are about ten thousand times stronger than ¡®Super Devils¡¯. On this level, are all of the Guardian Academy¡¯s students of the military course graduate from. Obviously this is the level of most of the soldiers in Umbra¡¯s military.

    The seventh rank is ¡®Conqueror¡¯. ¡®Conquerors¡¯ are hundred thousand times stronger than ¡®Demon Lords¡¯. There are just six hundred people in Umbra on that level.¡± ¨C ¡°Daddy is on that level right?¡± Richard whispered and Seria nodded proudly.

    The eighth rank is ¡®King¡¯. They are one million times stronger than ¡®Conquerors¡¯. There are just one hundred people in Umbra that reached that level. All of them are high level nobles with special privileges inside their clans¡±-¡°And mommy is one of them¡± Annemarie butted in trying to show off.

    The ninth rank is ¡®Emperor¡¯. They are ten million times stronger than ¡®Kings¡¯. And there are only three people on that level in Umbra. This is the ranking the three current clan heads are in. It is said that the rulers of the seraphs are also on the same level.

    The tenth rank is ¡®Saint¡¯. They are supposed to be a hundred million times stronger than the ¡®Emperors¡¯. Currently there is no one with that rank. It is said there were only two beings ever able to achieve that rank: The emperor of all ¡®Dunkler Schatten¡¯, the one who ruled lonely over ¡®Umbra¡¯ and Queen ¡®Helles Licht¡¯ the ruler of ¡®Lunae¡¯. They ruled over their respective races before the three gods came down in our world.

    Those were the ¡®Magical Ranks¡¯ mortals can achieve. Now let¡¯s move over to the ranks only immortals can achieve. The first one of those is ¡®Reiter¡¯. People on that rank are estimated to be ten times stronger than the ¡®Saints¡¯. They are immortal beings that serve their respective gods.

    The last rank is ¡®God¡¯. They are over a hundred times stronger than ¡®Reiter¡¯. We don¡¯t know much about them, we just know that they slaughtered ¡®Dunkler Schatten¡¯ and ¡®Helles Licht¡¯, because they opposed their cults.¡± Abigail stopped her explanation and looked over to Miss Doctri expecting her praise.

    ¡°Well, done that was a good explanation. You just forgot to mention that each of the mortal ranks is divided into three levels: ¡®Low ¡¯, ¡®Middle¡¯ and ¡®High¡¯. My ¡®MR¡¯ for example, is ¡®High Demon Lord¡¯, our principal¡¯s ¡®MR¡¯ is ¡®Low King¡¯. You see, no one just has the rank of ¡®King¡¯ or ¡®Demon Lord¡¯. So it is safe to say that the strongest being in Umbra right now is: Lamia Schatten, she is the only ¡®High emperor¡¯ of our world.

    ----------

    ¡°You¡­ You! You couldn¡¯t stand losing to me in theoretical class and talked to my big bro didn¡¯t ya!¡± Abigail was pointing her fingers at Tristan, almost screaming at him. It was lunch break and the first time they could talk properly since the morning, because Tristan and Laura had almost arrived late.

    ¡°And what if I did?¡± Tristan wasn¡¯t in the mood for Abigail delusions. ¡°Soon enough, you will realize, I just did that to protect you. So stop being a brat and let me eat my lunch in peace.¡± Laura was shocked, this was the first time Tristan had spoken out his mind to Abigail. ¡°Trist! Stop it! If you continue like this you will achieve the opposite off what you want to¡± ¨C¡°I don¡¯t care anymore, she can believe what she wants.¡± Tristan stood up from the table they had been eating on and headed towards the training room they would have class in this afternoon.

    ¡°What¡¯s with him? Is he really that big of a sore loser?¡± Abigail said with a surprised voice to Laura, who had tried to calm Tristan down. ¡°By Fors, you are just unbelievable,¡± she answered and took a bite of the cutlets on her plate.

    -------

    The practical class started. Tristan hadn¡¯t talked to Abigail or Laura since he had left them at lunch. He felt really bad about it. He really didn¡¯t mean to it. It was just the pain on his back and the sleep deprivation had made him act like a brat. He wanted to apologize to them, but he didn¡¯t know how to go about it.

    Miss Doctri clapped her hands. ¡°Today we will start working with your actives. I¡¯m sure by now you all know how to use it, since it¡¯s really intuitive to use. Therefore, the goal of this class will be the perfection of the use of your actives. Today you will show me your actives, so I can come up with an individual training plan for you. We will start with the youngest!¡± She said while pointing to a spot next to her.

    ¡°Please come here and show the class how your active looks like.¡± Tristan moved slowly towards the point, Miss Doctri had pointed, his back hurting so strong he couldn¡¯t move faster. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Miss Doctri asked, noticing the sweat running down Tristan¡¯s face. ¡°YeAh¡­¡± Tristan said with a creaked voice. ¡°Well then please start!¡± Tristan had to take a deep breath and activated his gate, trying to make it look like a weapon summon. As the handle of the ¡®Zweih?nder¡¯ he had obtained yesterday was starting to appear out of thin air, everything went black in front of Tristan¡¯s eyes. The pain had suddenly grown so strong, that he lost consciousness.

    Everybody looked confused. Did he use too much energy? Laura ran towards Tristan¡¯s collapsed body. Miss Doctri was just staring at the body dumbfounded. It took her several seconds before realizing, what had happened. ¡°What am I supposed to do in such a situation?¡±- ¡°Miss, Miss Doctri!¡± Abigail called towards Miss Doctri, who was still in shock. ¡°We should bring him to the nurses office!¡± ¨C¡°Yeah, you are right.¡± She walked towards Tristan¡¯s body ¡°Class is dismissed. You can all go home now!¡± She said while walking with Tristan on her arms in a princess carry.

 Demonification

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (12.10.9973 AS)

    ¡°Are you sure, it is ok to let the boy be? Won¡¯t we sooner or later run into problems if you don¡¯t guide him properly?¡± Aetas looked puzzled. ¡°You said you would guide her. Why only her? What is she lacking in comparison to him?¡± Bella¡¯s alluring smile, made Aetas heart skip beats. ¡°You see: I assumed you wouldn¡¯t be happy if I took care of a young boy leaving you my old husband here all alone.¡± Bella replied with a teasing tone while petting the blonde head on her lap.

    ¡°I¡¯m not old!¡± Bella said, mimicking Aetas voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know you are the one who is supposed to be the smartest being in the universe! You should know the answer already! I¡¯m the one who is supposed to look sexy and cute by your side.¡± Bella winked at him in such a seductive manner making Aetas mind going almost completely blank. He tried to resist her charms. But he couldn¡¯t.

    Aetas straightened his back. He knew if he gave in to her charms, she would take complete control of their relationship. ¡°Quit, trying to use your powers on me and tell why her and not him?¡± Aetas said with a sharp tone, trying to act as if he was unaffected by her charms. ¡®How cute! He is trying to act tough and pretend he isn¡¯t affected by my charms! That¡¯s... so¡­ so sexy! He just earned himself, something really good. If only this brat wasn¡¯t here.¡¯ Bella licked her red, full lips.

    ¡°Fine, I will tell you why I will have to actively guide her and why there is no need in guiding him. He has his passive. So if he follows his passive, he will be fine. Also, his circumstances are¡­ How should I put them¡­ sad?

    Deep down, he is plagued by doubts. He thinks he is alone. He fears his parents abandoned him because they hate him and not because of ¡®them¡¯. He fears that the person, who looks after him does it only for the money. Therefore, he works hard and is willing to do everything to become the strongest. To be accepted by the ones who rejected him.¡± Bella stopped petting the head on her lap.

    ¡°Meanwhile, she is loved by her family and treated by everybody as a prodigy. Everything she touches is celebrated by the ones she loves. She has never felt loneliness. She never had the need to give her best. Everything she needs is provided to her by her doting parents. She doesn¡¯t even know how the world around her works.

    Of course she has started to turn into a spoiled brat. She has started to take everything for granted. And She doesn¡¯t have a passive hat tells her what to do, therefore she needs guidance. She needs someone to educate her. She needs my guidance. Does that answer your question darling?¡± Aetas nodded.

    Bella had a sadistic smile on her face while pulling on the blonde hair of the girl on her lap. Suddenly, the head jerked around. And two big blue eyes started staring at Bella.

    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Bella suppressed her laughter. Bella had not expected her to ask that question, but rather a ¡®Where am I?¡¯ or a ¡®Who are you?¡¯. Bella gave Aetas an ¡®I told you so¡¯ look. ¡°No, who are you little girl?¡± The girls face turned red from anger as she realized the other party wasn¡¯t taking her seriously. ¡°I¡¯m the ¡®Golden Princess¡¯! Do you what will happen to you, when daddy finds out I¡¯m gone?!¡± The girl shouted.

    ¡°AHAHahahhaha¡± Bella couldn¡¯t suppress her laughter anymore. ¡°Okay, ¡®Golden Princess¡¯ was it? I¡¯m Bella the Queen of all Gods! And you will shut up for now and hear what I have to say!¡± Bella¡¯s tone had changed completely, as she stared at the trembling ¡®Golden Princes¡¯, who had gone completely silent.

    Nocturnio (12.10.9973 AS)

    The caf¨¦ ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ was located two hundred meters from the main entrance of the Guardian Academy. The caf¨¦ was situated in the ground floor of a four story building in gothic style. The Guardian Academy was located in the historic district of Nocturnio. Therefore, all the buildings in the immediate vicinity of the academy were old. And the architecture in this district resembled Obscurati with the many gothic buildings.

    Many students visited the caf¨¦ regularly. Not only because it was close to the academy, but also because its chocolate cake. ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ had opened only a few months ago, but its chocolate cake was already seen as a delicacy by the students and teachers of the academy.

    Four students were sitting in ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ and waiting for their orders to arrive. ¡°You know I can¡¯t believe they actually let us go home early!¡± Seria complained. ¡°Yeah, I was so looking forward to today¡¯s lesson.¡± Richard added. ¡°I know, right? Our teacher is so incompetent. She should have brought that loser to the nurse¡¯s office and should have continued with the practical class.¡± As usual the one with the harshest remarks was Annemarie.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    A young girl, probably a college student from the Academy working as a part timer, brought them their orders. As she was serving them, Leo saw how a teacher from the academy entered the kitchen area. Leo paid it no heed. His full attention was now on the caramel parfait he had ordered. Richard, Seria and Annemarie, had each ordered a cup of black coffee and a piece of the famous chocolate cake.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get why they allowed those two into the academy. Not only are they too young.¡± Annemarie looked around cautiously and lowered her voice, so only people at their table could hear. ¡°They are both ¡®Passiveless¡¯!¡± Leo almost chocked on his parfait. ¡®Passiveless¡¯ was a swear word to address Elders. One could get in a lot of trouble for speaking this word out. ¡°I really don¡¯t get why that guy tries to hide his real heritage!¡± Richard said while Seria nodded.

    The four of them had come up the conclusion Tristan was also an Elder. There was no way a Demon wouldn¡¯t have the passive of one of the three clans. Seria had even gone so far as to ask her father if he ever heard of a Demon with a passive other than the three Dark magic types. Her father had told her that was impossible.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we wouldn¡¯t notice he is one of them. What a loser.¡± Seria continued. ¡°Yeah, but what pisses off the most is: How that incompetent whore treats them like they are something special.¡± ¨C ¡°That is something we can¡¯t change, the school has to look after the ¡®Passiveless¡¯ so they feel more comfortable in our realm, but still¡­¡± Annemarie answered Richard¡¯s hateful comment.

    Leo, who had been enjoying his parfait saw how a silver haired woman hurried out behind the teacher, who had just entered the kitchen area.

    Annemarie sighed. ¡°The most important question is, how were they allowed to enter our school! They are still too young! It is obvious they can¡¯t keep up with us and that things like today might happen. In the end, we are the losers, since we don¡¯t get to use our practice time at school.¡± ¨C¡°You are right! We are the ones to suffer because those babies are in our class!¡± Richard agreed with Annemarie sentiments. ¡°Yeah, people who are that young, should stay at home and not come to school and mess with our practice time!¡± Seria added.

    "I thinkwe should teach them a lesson!¡± Annemarie decided. ¡°Yeah, you are right¡± the twins agreed. Their gazes wandered towards Leo, who didn¡¯t voice his opinion on the matter yet. A few seconds passed before he realized he was being watched by the others. ¡°¡­ Erm¡­ I think so too¡­¡± Leo stuttered only for him to hear.

    ¡°Very well, how should we go about it?¡± Annemarie asked with a vicious smile.

    --------

    Tristan was lying on a bed in the nurse¡¯s office. The healer working school nurse had already examined his body. Miss Doctri and Laura were watching the nurse manufacturing a pill for Tristan. Both of them had an uneasy expression on their faces. ¡°And you really can¡¯t tell us what¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Miss Doctri asked. ¡°I told you already he is fine. I¡¯m sorry Lina, I really can¡¯t tell you more since you aren¡¯t his guardian.¡± The nurse stepped out of the room with test tubes in her hands.

    A few minutes later a silver haired woman entered the room. ¡°Where is he?¡± she asked with a hysterical voice. All she had been told while working at her caf¨¦ was that Tristan had collapsed during class and was now being treated by the school nurse.

    ¡°Nana!¡± Laura called out. ¡°He is here. The nurse said he is fine.¡± Nana walked towards the boy and sat down next to him. ¡°I assume you are his guardian?¡± the nurse asked as she walked into the room with a pill in her hand. Nana nodded.

    The nurse looked towards Tristan and smiled. ¡°He is fine. He is healthy. It¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be fixed with a little bit of sleep and these pills.¡± ¨C ¡°If he is healthy, why has he to take those pills?¡± Nana asked. ¡°Well, you see his body is changing. He is going through his ¡®Demonification¡¯.¡± ¨C¡°How? He is too young to go through his ¡®Demonification¡¯ right now!¡± Miss Doctri who had been listening to Nana¡¯s and the nurse¡¯s conversation butted in.

    She was right. The ¡®Demonification¡¯ was the process young Demons had to go through during puppetry. Better said, when they had reached a certain level of control over their mana. During the ¡®Demonification¡¯ their bodies would grow bat-like wings and tails. Untrained Demons would reach their ¡®Demonification¡¯ at their thirtieth birthday. Since most of the school had mana training in their curriculum, most of the young Demons went through their ¡®Demonifiaction¡¯ between their fourteenth and sixteenth birthdays.

    ¡°I know I have never heard of someone so young going through the ¡®Demonification¡¯. It is no wonder he collapsed. The ¡®Demonification¡¯ is a real painful process and a young, frail body like his probably couldn¡¯t bear it. That is why I have prepared these two pills for him. One is for now to speed up the process. The other is for after the ¡®Demonification¡¯ to hide his wings and tail.¡±

    It is not like Demons hated their Demonic appearances, they simply thought of them as impractical. For their big bat-like wings, they would need to build wider doors and would need more space in general in their homes to walk around without bumping into things. And space was something they did lack. So they couldn¡¯t make their houses just bigger. And their long tails were very sensitive. In fact, so sensitive, they were considered one of the most erogenous zones in the Demon body. Hence it was common in Demon society to hide them with the help of magic.

    ¡°He should stay in bed till the process of the ¡®Demonification¡¯ is over. With the acceleration pill, it shouldn¡¯t take more than two days. This means he should be able to visit the school next Monday as usual.¡± Nana nodded to the words of the nurse.

 Enchantments

    Nocturnio (14.10.9973 AS)

    Tristan was standing in front of his mirror. ¡®It doesn¡¯t look as bad as one might think. I can¡¯t still believe these are parts of my body. They look so foreign on me¡­¡¯ Tristan wagged his tail and clapped with his wings. ¡°Can I fly with them?¡±

    Nana, who was sitting on a chair next to his bed since he had woken up a few minutes ago answered. ¡°Yes you can, but you can still fly while they are hidden in your body.¡± ¨C ¡°How does that work?¡± Nana smiled ¡°I have no idea, but after the ¡®Demonification¡¯ every Demon is able to use the skill ¡®Fly¡¯. That¡¯s why the wings are deemed as unpractical, since you don¡¯t need them to fly.

    ¡°Can I change back to this form after taking this pill?¡± Tristan was hesitating to take the pill that would turn him to his Human appearance. ¡°Yes, after taking the pill you should be able to control your transformations. So you should be pretty much able to use your Demon form at will. Not that one would ever need that form.¡± Nana smiled while blushing a little. The only use for the Demon form she knew off wasn¡¯t something a child should know.

    Tristan felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had never felt so free before. Thus it was obvious he didn¡¯t want to turn back into his Human form. After thinking about it, he came to the conclusion there was no way around it. He would stand out too much if he did stay in this form. ¡®This feeling is also probably because I just haven¡¯t slept so well for months.¡¯ Tristan concluded. Indeed, in the past months, he wasn¡¯t sleeping more than four hours a day. During the process of the ¡®Demonification¡¯ he had slept two days straight.

    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t hungry? I baked a chocolate cake just for you¡± ¨C¡°No thank you, I¡¯m fine.¡± Although the offer sounded tempting, Tristan didn¡¯t feel like eating anything.

    Tristan looked at the pill in his hand. Thanks to his ability, he was able to see the complex magical circle embedded inside the pill. The only time he had seen a more complex magic circle was while examining the direct communication device he had stolen from the military. ¡®That¡¯s how permanent transformation magic looks like.¡¯

    Tristan took the pill and went back to bed. ¡°Good night, sleep well¡± Nana kissed Tristan¡¯s forehead and walked out of his room. Tristan sighed. ¡®Looks like another week passed without me finding a way to embed a magic circle into things.¡¯ He turned around and closed his eyes.

    -------

    Laura and Tristan had come to school like nothing had happened last Friday. Entering the classroom, Tristan felt the hateful gazes of his classmates. Tristan and Laura walked towards their places. ¡°Keep in mind what I told you¡± Annemarie, who had been talking to Abigail, turned around.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Tristan asked his friend. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business¡± Abigail answered moodily. She still hadn¡¯t forgotten, Tristan¡¯s actions last from Friday. ¡°Come on Abby, don¡¯t be like that, we¡¯re all friends aren¡¯t we?¡± Laura butted in with a happy smile. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure of that and my name isn¡¯t Abby!¡± Abigail said getting louder.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Tristan said with an earnest voice, while bowing his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to act behind your back! I also regret all the mean things I said to you! I wasn¡¯t myself last Friday.¡± ¨C¡°Trying to use the ¡®I wasn¡¯t feeling well card¡¯, aren¡¯t we?¡± Abigail acted like she had seen Tristan¡¯s words coming. ¡°No, I really am sorry for my actions!¡± Tristan insisted. ¡°Yeah, sure¡± Abigail said with a disinterested voice.

    ¡°Trouble in Paradise?¡± Richard asked with a big grin. Before Tristan could say anything more Miss Doctri entered the room and started the class. She handed them like every Monday the plan for the week.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Erm¡­ excuse me¡­ you¡­ You said the first tests are at the end of the semester, so we should have more than two months left before they start¡­¡± Leo said with a very quiet voice, only he and Miss Doctri could hear.

    ¡°Yeah, the real tests are in two months. The tests tomorrow, don¡¯t count, they are just there to help you judge your abilities and to see where you have to work harder to pass the real tests.¡± Miss Doctri explained. ¡°You should still take them seriously! I don¡¯t want to see anyone from my class fail! Now, let¡¯s start with the class.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be eating with you today.¡± Tristan whispered to Laura. ¡°Why?¡± ¨C ¡°I have the feeling Abigail won¡¯t eat with us if I¡¯m there. And I know something bad will happen if she isn¡¯t guarded by one of us.¡± ¨C¡°Ok. I will try my best to keep an eye on her.¡± ¨C¡°Tristan and Laura! I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your lovers talk, but I¡¯m the only one allowed to talk right now! So if you want to continue your conversation you are allowed to do it outside.¡± Miss Doctri said annoyed.

    ------

    During lunch break Tristan visited his secret base. He hadn¡¯t been there for the past three days. He had missed his ¡®Laboratory¡¯ if one could call it one. It consisted out of a big table, a bunch of books from the library, gemstones and the item he had stolen.

    Tristan ate while skimming through a book. ¡®Nana told me the school nurse had made that pill. She doesn¡¯t look like much, but to be able to create and embed such perfect magic circles is really respectable.¡¯ Tristan thought as he suddenly stopped browsing his book. He reread the page over and over again.

    The book passage he kept reading was about the ¡®World of Magic Circles Theory¡¯. This theory said: ¡®All magic in the world is generated by magic circles. It doesn¡¯t matter if you draw them physically or not. From our chants to our actives every magical process is activated by a magic circle.¡¯ Since there was no proof to that theory, it was derided by most of the magic technicians. But Tristan knew this theory was spot on. With his abilities, he had seen the proof for said theory.

    ¡®How could I have been so stupid?! Normal people can¡¯t see the magic circles embedded into magic the items! So they don¡¯t create magic circles and try to embed into the items! They just enchant the items during the creation process with different small enchantments; they know will produce the desired results.

    The complex magic circles are created by the small enchantments that are overlaid inside the items. Later on they merge to one magic circle. This means they don¡¯t create and embed new magic circles into the items! What I perceive as a new magic circle, are just a mix of ¡®old¡¯ magic circles!¡¯ Tristan let the book fall from his hands.

    Till now Tristan had always tried to create a completely new magic circle and then he tried to embed it into the item. His approaches had always failed.

    The amount of information his magic circles contained were too high. Too much information would make the merger between the magic circle and the item instable and the whole procedure would fail.

    Even the simplest magic circle Tristan had created contained too much information. This was because he could see the magic circles while their creation thanks to his passive. So he would always create perfect magic circles since he could remove all impurities while also adding stabilizers.

    Tristan had been fixated to embed his magic circles into the test item; he hadn¡¯t even bothered to use them without the test item. Tristan drew a magic circle on a piece of paper. Tristan changed the circle so that he would be able to activate it without the item.

    The outer structure of magic circles created by spells; magic that could be created by the use of catalysts or the passives; was different to the magic circles created by enchantments; magic that could be used thanks to the items. The difference was minimal, but decisive. Magic circles created by spells would disappear right after the magic was activated. Magic circles created by enchantments wouldn¡¯t disappear right away, since the purpose of the items was to reuse them.

    Tristan took the piece of paper and poured his mana into it. After a few seconds an ear-splitting sound came out of the paper. ¡®It worked!¡¯ Tristan smiled, the whole purpose of this magic circle had been to create a notification tone. ¡°It needs a little bit of fine tuning though.¡± Tristan said while holding his ears.

    ---------

    After the successfully testing his self-made magic circle Tristan returned to his class.

    Once again Tristan was asked to step in front of the class and to activate his active ability. This time everything went without problems. Tristan was able to summon his Katana.

    ¡°Wow, he can really do it. I was sure that the loser would faint again!¡± Seria noted while smiling maliciously. ¡°Hold me, I feel dzizy!¡± Richard said, trying to act like he had lost balance. ¡°You two cut it out!¡± Miss Doctri called them out. Both of them looked angrily at Tristan what brought out laughter from Annemarie.

 Mock Exam

    Nocturnio (15.10.9973 AS)

    Today was the day of the mock exam. As usual Tristan had spent most of his time in his laboratory experimenting with magic circles. Unlike usual, he was making progress in his quest to create an instant long range communication item. Since he had discovered the main mistake he had been doing all this time his work had become so much easier.

    He had already gone so far as to enchant the test item successfully with his very own enchantment. Although, it was painful for him having to create incomplete magic circles, he evaluated the results higher than his perfectionism.

    Tristan was sitting alone in front of the training room. He was waiting for Laura to be done with her exams. It was already noon. He was the last, who would take the mock exam, because Miss Doctri had decided to start with the oldest first and end with the youngest student.

    The Exams had started in the morning. Everybody who was done with the exam could go home to relax till the next week. Leo, Seria, Richard and Annemarie were already done with their exams and had decided to go to ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ to celebrate with a gigantic piece of cake.

    Abigail was also done with her exam. She wished Laura luck and went home; sure to have aced the test she had just taken.

    So Tristan was sitting all by himself. He didn¡¯t really care much about it. One could say he was happy, to be left alone. He spent his time waiting, to go over what kind of spell would be the most effective for the long ranged instant communication device he was developing.

    Many people would be nervous because of the exam. Tristan wasn¡¯t one of them. He never had had trouble with any exams during his whole life. Once he had been excited when his knowledge was about to be tested, but not anymore. He had come to the realization that those exams would never challenge him. And the only challenges he would receive would be coming from Tristan himself or that woman; Bella.

    One hour after Laura had gone into the room, she came out. She looked as nervous as she had looked like when she went into the examination room. ¡°How was it?¡± Tristan asked, knowing already what she would say, just to later find out she had aced the test. ¡°Awful! If you ever wondered how torture feels like, just go in.¡± Suddenly, Laura¡¯s facial expression changed. ¡°Sorry, I forgot you still have to take it!¡± She said with an apologetic voice. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m gonna ace that test!¡± Tristan smiled at her. ¡°Good attitude! I¡¯ll be waiting here. Good luck!¡± Larua smiled back at Tristan.

    Tristan was greeted by Miss Doctri as he entered the room. ¡°Well, Tristan it seems like you are the last one. Are you feeling all right? We don¡¯t want to repeat last week¡¯s incident, do we?¡± ¨C¡°I¡¯m fine, and ready to start.¡± ¨C¡°Very well, then could tell me what the ¡®Great War¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Great War¡¯ is seen by many as the reason why Fors was obligated to separate the continents. The war broke out a little bit more than ten thousand years ago. We Demons don¡¯t really know why. 100 years before the continental separation a horde Seraph attacked our temples claiming that our deity Permix had killed their deity Alexa.

    Obviously the clan heads of that time decided to counter attack by burning down Alexa¡¯s temples. The Seraphs saw that as a reason to start a straight out war with us. They accused us of wanting to take over all three continents in the name of our power hungry god.

    They reproached wanting to take over the Humans while playing their friends. They even convinced some Elders from that idea which lead to a civil war in the Human continent.

    For over a century, both sides fought taking heavy losses on both sides.

    The population of Umbra was reduced by 30%, southern cities like Nocturnio and Ater were decimated to ash. This indicates that the Seraph¡¯s armies didn¡¯t advance far into Umbra. Since they were coming from the south and they just managed to take our southern most cities in the beginnings of the war.

    37% of the population of Lunae including the main branch of their royal family were killed. By the end of the war, their capital Lux was completely destroyed. This shows how lucky the Seraphs were when Fors forcefully ended the war. If we had had a century or two more to fight, we might have exterminated their race.

    Since the biggest part of the war was neither fought on Lunae nor Umbra, the greatest destruction was caused in Terra. Over 70% of the Human population were killed during the ¡®Great War¡¯. They died in the civil war incited by the seraphs and us or they were caught in cross fires between us and the birdies.

    Obviously Fors wasn¡¯t happy about us bringing his race close to extermination. So he sent us and the Seraphs to other dimensions and deleted the memories of all Humans, letting them forget about the other two races.

    He gave us harsh restrictions about interacting with humans. For example, neither Seraphs nor Demons are allowed to use magic stronger than ¡®Super Devil¡¯ tier, which is the strongest type of magic Elders can use. We also can¡¯t have more than ten thousand people in Terra at the same time. He even gave the seraphs the task to supervise our action in Terra. If they see anything they don¡¯t like they are allowed to intervene with us.

    The Seraphs openly have used those rights to pay us back for their losses, they bore in the war. Obviously we are allowed to fight them back in a manner we don¡¯t interfere with the ¡®tier five rule¡¯ already explained earlier.

    That¡¯s the reason why we still need a standing army. One could even say the ¡®Great war¡¯ never ended. The war continues, just in a smaller scale after the intervention of Fors. For ten thousand years we have been fighting the seraphs. Every day there are small skirmishes between our soldiers in Terra and their soldiers.¡± Tristan ended his explanation of the Term.

    ¡°Very well done, great explanation!¡± Miss Doctri clapped her hands. ¡°You should keep up with your hard work. Now then, let¡¯s move over to the practical part of the exam. What are the three spells you practiced to from the book you chose for your catalyst training?¡± ¨C¡°I practiced all the spells in the book.¡± ¨C¡°No, I mean the ones you chose to learn in preparation of the exam.¡± ¨C¡°That¡¯s what I mean I learned all spells in the book.¡± As soon as he had said that Tristan realized he had made a big mistake, while Miss Doctri just looked at him dumbfounded. ¡°Okay¡± She clapped her hands ¡°Can you activate your ¡®clone¡¯ spell?¡±

    Tristan nodded and rolled up his sleeves. A thick silver bracelet with three big red stones appeared on his right arm. Tristan touched the stones of the bracelets with his left hand and began casting the spell. The bracelet started to glow and a second Tristan appeared out of thin air.

    The clone smiled and waved at the stunned Miss Doctri. ¡°Wha¡­ What...was that?¡± she was speechless. ¡°That didn¡¯t look like the spell you were supposed to learn. That spell was at least on the level of a ¡®High Dragon¡¯! But how you were supposed to learn ¡®Low Demon¡¯ magic and not Dragon level magic!¡±

    She was right. The spell Tristan had to learn was one of the lowest level illusion magic. All it was supposed to do was to mimic everything the caster did like a mirror. The first ¡®Clone¡¯ spells that could move on their own were found with the MR of ¡®High Dragon¡¯.

    Miss Doctri was staring at Tristan expecting a satisfying answer to the question he had asked earlier. Tristan was confused. Why was she making such a big fuss because of his ¡®decoy¡¯? ¡°I¡­ I just did cast the spell from the book I promise¡± Tristan said shyly.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Nonsense! You can tell that to your classmates, but you can¡¯t fool me. That wasn¡¯t the spell from the book!¡± Miss Doctri was getting impatient. ¡°Who taught you that spell? Who was so careless to teach a five year old a ¡®Dragon¡¯ level spell?¡± ¨C¡°No one did. I promise I just did cast the very same spell from the book.¡± Tristan insisted with and innocent tone. ¡°I just thought it was incomplete and added some extras.¡± Tristan continued after sensing Miss Doctri would ask more questions.

    After a few seconds deep in thoughts, she asked ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe you that?¡± ¨C¡°Well, yes¡± ¨C¡°Care to test it out? If you can really level up spell you pass. If you can¡¯t, I will have to have a long talk with your mother.¡±

    Tristan felt like he had fucked up too often this afternoon. And both of the options were bad from his point of view. The first was: letting his true strength get discovered. The other was: getting his freedom, robbed by Nana as a punishment. The only thing Tristan could do right now was to let his passive decide what to do next.

    ¡°Ok, I will improve a spell right in front of you. But please promise me not to go around telling people about this ability of mine.¡± ¨C¡°I promise, so how much time do you need to level up a spell?¡± ¨C¡°I¡¯m not leveling it up I¡¯m just improving it.¡± Tristan was now seriously getting annoyed.

    Miss Doctri gave him the ¡®Low Demon¡¯ level light spell ¡®flashlight¡¯. It was supposed to summon a light ball that would follow one¡¯s hand movements.

    Tristan read through the description of the spell and tried to cast it once. Since it was a very low tier spell it worked without any problems. While casting he had memorized how the magic circle looked like.

    There were quite a few things to improve on. Tristan decided to start with the brightness and the size of the light ball. He did cast the spell another time. This time the light ball was half as big as the one he had cast before and ten times brighter. For Miss Doctri couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. The boy had only cast the spell one time before coming up with ways to improve it.

    But Tristan wasn¡¯t done yet. Now he concentrated his attention to the movement function of the flashlight. He deleted some useless information in the magic circle and added some new commands.

    Once again, his left hand wandered over his bracelet and he started to visualize the new magic circle. The gemstone inside the bracelet glowed in bright red and a small, bright light ball appeared out of thin air. The floating ball started to move around the flabbergasted Miss Doctri.

    ¡°How are you controlling it?¡± Miss Doctri wondered. ¡°With my mind obviously.¡± The annoyance in Tristan¡¯s voice, was easy to pick up. Miss Doctri though, didn¡¯t mind it. She had never seen someone level up a spell in less than fifteen minutes. She was so shocked she didn¡¯t care about small details.

    ¡°How did you make that?¡± ¨C¡°That¡¯s classified¡± Tristan smiled at her. ¡°Do I pass the test now?¡± Although, Miss Doctri had so many question she had the feeling she wouldn¡¯t get any answers from Tristan anytime soon so she gave up. ¡°Yes, you pass.¡± ¨C¡°Is there anything else to the test?¡± ¨C ¡°No you, you can just go home for now¡± Miss Doctri gave an absent-minded response. ¡°Please don¡¯t forget about the promise!¡± Tristan reminded. ¡°Yeah, my lips are sealed.¡± She waved with her hands.

    Nocturnio (18.10.9973 AS)

    Tristan had spent his whole weekend in his laboratory researching ways to create an instant communication item. He had finally reached the stage where he had a comparable item to the one he had stolen from the academy. But it still wasn¡¯t flawless. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t find ways to widen the range of his item beyond five kilometers. There was also the issue of the information loss the grater the distance between the items was.

    Thinking about the new wall he had hit with his item Tristan sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Nervous because of the test results?¡± Laura asked him. Both of them had been on their way to school like every morning. ¡°Because I can tell you, I am really nervous.¡± She showed him her trembling hands. ¡°Not really, it¡¯s just because the weekend is already over.¡±

    ¡°Are you one of those people? I thought you were someone that loves coming to school just like m-¡± Laura suddenly stopped and pointed at a crowd standing behind the main entrance of the academy.

    ¡°The test results are out! They published them on that board behind the main entrance, for everybody to see! Why would they do something so cruel? It¡¯s just like a public execution.¡± -¡°Calm down and come on let¡¯s go take a look!¡± Tristan took her by the hand dragged her along with him.

    As they were getting closer to the board Tristan noticed the stares of the students standing in front of the board. They even went so far as to open a path for him and Laura to pass through crowd.

    The only person who didn¡¯t notice them was Abigail. She was just standing in front of the board staring at it.

    Tristan did let go of Laura¡¯s hands and started to look after his and Laura¡¯s name. ¡°Congratulations!" a male voice said. ¡°For what?¡± Tristan turned around and found Ernesti bowing to him. ¡°You haven¡¯t found your name yet? You should look for the first place.¡± Ernesti pointed towards the top of the board.

    Indeed, on top of all names there was his name written on it. ¡°Looks like your class did the best in the mock exams.¡± Ernesti remarked. Tristan stared at the top ten. There was no mistake he was listed as first.

    <table width="359">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    Rank

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Name

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Points

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Class

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    1

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Tristan Halblicht

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    100

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    2

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Laura Verheerung

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    99,5

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    3

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Abigail Letum

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    99

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    4

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Annemarie Explo

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    98,5

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    5

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Leo Luci

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    96,5

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    6

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Seira Lucifer

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    96

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    -

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Richard Lucifer

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    96

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    8

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Ernesti Tod

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    90

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    5

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    9

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Oriana Cassio

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    89,5

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    2

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    -

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Annie Kuro

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    89,5

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    4

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    Ernesti turned around towards his sister ¡°Hey sis, congrats!¡± He only got a resentful glare from Abigail. ¡°There is nothing to congratulate me about, I didn¡¯t make first place. So leave me alone¡± She pointed at Tristan. ¡°I will get you next time no matter what¡± Before charging towards the library.

    Still followed by stares of the other students Tristan and Laura marched towards their classroom. They took their places and started to chat before the class started. ¡°Congratulations, you made it big this time¡± Annemarie said with a sharp voice. ¡°Where is the other brat you always hang out with? Did she go missing¡± She laughed. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡± Tristan retorted.

    ¡°Come on, where is she? I would love to see her face after her grandiose defeat.¡± Annemarie continued to mock them. ¡°I said it¡¯s none of your business!¡± Tristan shouted annoyed. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that, I was just messing around¡± Annemarie turned around and walked out of the room.

    ¡°What is up with her?¡±Laura asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t like it at all.¡± Tristan said, noticing they were the only ones left in the room, two minutes before the start of the lesson.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Laura pointed at a piece of paper on the table. ¡°Did she just leave it behind?¡± Tristan took the piece of paper and read its content.

    ¡°Once again, congratulations! You are the biggest loser in our school year. If you are looking for your little loser friend, come to the old training hall. I¡¯m sure she feels lonely right now¡­ If you don¡¯t want anything to happen to her you better not tell that stupid teacher of our little game. See you soon <3¡±

 Rescuing Abigail

    Nocturnio (18.10.9973 AS)

    Tristan and Laura looked at each other. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¨C¡°We go and get her.¡± ¨C¡°But what if it is a trap?¡± ¨C¡°Do you really believe it isn¡¯t a trap?¡± Tristan asked as he stood up. ¡°Are you still going?¡± ¨C¡°Of course I am¡­ It¡¯s partly my fault anyways.¡± Tristan walked out of the room, Laura hesitated for a few seconds but decided to chase after him.

    On their way to the old training hall, they found Ernesti, who was fooling around with his classmates in front of his classroom. ¡°What are you doing here? Classes are about to start.¡± Tristan hesitated to tell him about Abigail. He knew Ernesti would want to come with them.

    ¡°It¡¯s Abby; those guys took her as a hostage.¡± Laura whispered so only Ernesti would hear. ¡°What?¡± Tristan showed Ernesti the note and started to head towards the old training hall. Ernesti looked at Tristan and Laura who were spurting towards Abigail¡¯s whereabouts and decided to accompany them.

    They reached the ruins of the old school building. They had to cross the whole academy campus to reach the ruins. The ruins were behind the gigantic walls that encircled the campus of the Guardian Academy. The previous principal of the academy had built a forest around the ruins of the old school building to keep students away.

    The current principal would have loved to tear down all of the ruins and the forest to use the place for new and modern facilities. But the historical value of the ruins was too high. They were signs of ¡®Great War¡¯ and a reminder of how ugly a war is.

    The three of them were sitting behind a bush. ¡°So what is the plan?¡± Laura looked towards Tristan with hopeful eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to just charge in, because I know you have a plan.¡± ¨C¡°Yeah, well the plan is: You two charge in and fight. Meanwhile, I sneak in and get Abigail and we walk out.¡± ¨C¡°Wait, that¡¯s the plan? I thought you were smart¡± Laura rebuked Tristan.

    ¡°Do you have any better idea? You two have the greatest fire power of us three. Meanwhile I¡¯m a master of Illusion magic. So it should be easy for me to sneak in without them noticing.¡± Laura stared at Ernesti hoping he would say something to change Tristan¡¯s plan.

    It was because she knew Tristan was ¡®weakest¡¯ in this situation that she didn¡¯t want to let him sneak in. Laura knew it was a trap to hurt Tristan. So they most likely would be expecting him to sneak in. This meant they had a secret weapon besides the twins and Leo playing guards outside the old training hall.

    ¡°Very, well then.¡± Tristan clapped his hands and touched his bracelet. He activated his magic and a clone of him appeared out of thin air.

    ¡°Now to the details: You two go to the main entrance of the old training hall with my clone. And engage them into a battle. If you know you can defeat them, than do it. If you are on equal footing try to stall the fight as long as possible. The key point in your battle is to hide the fact that this here is just a clone.¡±

    Tristan summoned three items and gave one to each of them. These Items were failed attempts of his research. They could just be used as an alarm. Tristan had thought of disposing of them, but was now happy he didn¡¯t. ¡°When I have Abigail I will activate the item to let you know that she is save and that you can retreat. If they discover this guy here is just a clone also let me know.¡± Tristan smiled wryly.

    He once again touched his bracelet and turned invisible. ¡°Before I forget it. You two should try and go for Leo first. Else his active could become a pain in the ass to deal with it.¡± Laura saluted. ¡°Ok, boss.¡±

    --------

    ¡°Why are you doing this? I didn¡¯t do anything to you!¡± Abigail asked. ¡°Shut up, you are annoying.¡± Was the answer she did get. Abigail was bound, sitting in an old chair inside the old training hall. She was trying to act cool. ¡°If you let me go now, I promise I will tell the teachers not to punish, I promise!¡±

    A loud bang could be heard. Abigail was thrown of the chair she had been on. Her whole body did hurt. Tears started to run down Abigail¡¯s face. ¡°I told you to shut up!¡± her warder said with a panicking voice. ¡°We have come so far, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± ¨C¡°Sniff¡­ Pleaseeee¡­ I ¡­ Promise¡­ nothin will happen¡­ sniff¡­ to you¡­ sniff¡­ just leh me ko¡­¡± The sobbing Abigail kept asking to be let free.

    Another bang was heard. ¡°Shut up! You ¡®Passiveless¡¯ scum! Mommy is a great benefactor of this Academy. I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t let them touch me. Yeah mommy will help me out this time! Yeah, mommy will help me.¡± Annemarie sounded confused. She knew she had gone too far with her little prank so she tried to hold on the idea, that her mom would get her out of her sticky situation.

    -------------

    Laura, Ernesti and the Tristan clone walked towards the main entrance. ¡°So we have to fight three people while keeping an eye on this thing?¡± Ernesti tried to verify Laura¡¯s resolve. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the key. They aren¡¯t allowed to find out this is a decoy. Or else the sneak attack will fail.¡± ¨C¡°By the way, why should we take down this Leo guy first?¡± ¨C ¡°His active is ¡®Heal¡¯. So if he starts healing the others, we are in a great disadvantage.¡±

    ¡°This will be a battle of actives, right? I mean, since we don¡¯t have so many spells outside them, to choose from. By the way my active is ¡®Erdbeben¡¯: Short story long, I can control earth.¡± Ernesti informed Laura. ¡°Nice, we could be a good team. My active is ¡®Gravity Smash¡¯. This means that I can control the gravity around me.¡±

    They were hiding behind the wall of an old classroom. ¡°The girl can use ¡®Telekinesis¡¯ this means she can use her mind to control stuff around her. The guy that looks like her has the ability called ¡®Absolute Zero¡¯. This means he can freeze everything he touches.¡± Laura explained the powers of her classmates to Ernesti, who just nodded in response.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¨C¡°Wait, we are charging in just like that? Without a plan?¡± Ernesti was surprised by Laura¡¯s proposal. ¡°Duh, we don¡¯t have time to make extravagant plans. Every second count-¡°They heard a loud bang coming from the old training hall. ¡°Abigail!¡± Ernesti called out.

    -------------

    The invisible Tristan walked past Seria, who was building a pyramid out of stones she had been collecting. ¡°So boring! When will they come? Are they gonna let her be beaten up all alone? Do they believe we won¡¯t do anything to her?¡± ¨C¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to do this¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ want to hurt anyone¡­ guys, it¡¯s not too late yet¡­ we can go and apologize¡­ maybe nothing will happen to us¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up Leo. Like we care what happens to her. Annemarie¡¯s mom is a big shot in the academy, right? So we don¡¯t have worry about repercussions, right? We can always say we were just following her orders, right?¡± Richard pointed out.

    ¡®Bunch of cowards!¡¯ Tristan screamed from his inside as he reached the entrance to the training hall.

    ¡®Not bad¡¯ Tristan thought as he saw several magic circles around the entrance. ¡®Mines? This must be Annemarie¡¯s handy work¡¯ Tristan assumed as he knelt down to change the magic circles so he would be able to move through the door with them exploding on him.

    ---------

    ¡°Sssomeone i-is there¡­ I heard tthem.¡± Leo told his companions while running towards the entrance. ¡°Yeah, looks like they are finally here.¡± Seria said while activating her active. She took the stones she had prepared earlier and hurled them towards the wall they had heard the noises.

    The stones crushed into the wall and caused it to fall down, creating a cloud of dust. ¡°Well done, now we can¡¯t see them anymore¡± Richard complained. ¡°Shut it! I-¡± Seria couldn¡¯t finish her sentence because Laura started to charge towards her with an unnatural speed.

    Laura had used her active to reduce the gravity around her body, so she could move faster than other people. In less than three seconds she had covered a distance of one hundred meters and was now right in front of Seria ready to punch.

    Seria hid herself behind an invisible wall she had created with her telekinesis. Millimeters before hitting the wall straight on, Laura jumped over the trembling girl hiding behind it. Laura landed gracefully behind her and started to charge towards Leo, who was now standing behind Richard and Seria ready to heal them if they needed it.

    Richard realized it and turned the soil into ice trying to stop Laura¡¯s charge. ¡°Seria don¡¯t be such a scaredy cat! And protect Leo!¡± He called to his twin sister realizing that the iced soil didn¡¯t cause Laura to stop but just to lose balance.

    Laura couldn¡¯t control her movements and hammered with full force into Leo, causing both of them to plump into the ground.

    ¡°Now!¡± Richard shouted and Seria pulled Leo from under Laura¡¯s body with her telekinesis. She threw Leo¡¯s unconscious body to the side and Richard started to bombard Laura with spears out of ice.

    ¡°They are actually not afraid of killing her!¡± Ernesti, who had been standing dumbfounded by Laura¡¯s actions mumbled. He activated his active by touching the ground and formed a wall out of earth in front of Laura.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Richard saw his attack being reflected just before hitting kneeling Laura. ¡°Nice one.¡± He heard a female voice say. ¡°You saved me again.¡± The female voice belonging to Laura, who was raising herself from the ground, continued.

    --------

    Today Miss Doctri was a little late. She had stayed longer as usual in the teachers¡¯ lounge to boast about her class¡¯ result in the mock exams. She was very proud of her students. Although, she didn¡¯t want to do it, she had played the strict teacher for the past months. And now, finally, her students and her hard work had paid off.

    This morning she had even gone to ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ to get a big chocolate cake to celebrate their grades with her students. But why did she just now walk into an empty classroom? Her students were supposed to be conscientious prodigies, so why was she standing there all alone?

    She put down the chocolate cake on her desk and sighed. ¡°How lovely, I didn¡¯t think they would come up with pranks like this.¡± She hesitated. ¡®Should I stay here and do nothing? Or go and search for them?¡¯ She sighed again. ¡°If I don¡¯t search for them, I will lose my face as a strict teacher. After all, a strict teacher would never let them get away with it, right?¡±

    After a few minutes she finally decided and charged out of her classroom towards the office of the principal.

    ---------------

    Tristan had entered the old training hall. It was a large sordid building, the holes in the roof and the rundown windows allowed day light to enlighten the room. On the other end of the hall Tristan could see the crying Abigail lying next to a chair.

    He saw as Annemarie was shouting at her. Coming in he had heard an explosion. He had wondered where it came from. Now he had to see where it was coming from. After she was done shouting Annemarie used her active again and Abigail was sent flying with and big bang.

    ¡®Is she crazy? If she keeps that up, she might hurt her badly¡¯ Tristan was shocked. He had to hold back the urge to openly charge at Annemarie and strangle her. He sighed. ¡®From the looks of it Abigail won¡¯t hold longer if I don¡¯t show up.¡¯

    Tristan looked at the in magic circles covered ground. ¡®If I touch one of them, all of them explode. What kind of nasty spell is that?¡¯ Tristan complained.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t charge at her through the grounds, I will just have to fly.¡¯ Tristan lifted off and headed to the other end of the room. He landed fifteen meters behind Annemarie who was staring at the entrance. ¡°It has started.¡±She said as she heard the noise coming from outside.

    ---------

    ¡°Who are you and why are you here?¡± Richard said pointing at Ernesti. ¡°I¡¯m Ernesti Tod and I am Abigail¡¯s big brother.¡± Ernesti bowed. ¡°T-Tod?¡± Richard almost chocked swallowing his own saliva. ¡°That girl is a bastard from the Tod clan?¡± ¨C ¡°You see she isn¡¯t a bastard. Her mother is my stepmother. And dad would be really mad if something were to happen to sis.¡±

    Laura¡¯s eyes widened as she heard, that Abigail¡¯s mother was recognized as the wife of the brother of the Tod¡¯s clan head. She had always assumed Abigail was in the similar situation as her.

    Leo, who had regained consciousness looked in disbelieve at Ernesti. He had heard the conversation and looked really scared now. ¡°Th¡­ That means¡­ Annemarie¡¯s mom won¡¯t be able to box us out right? I¡­ I knew it! This was a bad idea!¡± he screamed and ran off crying towards the school yard.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t be such a coward!¡± Richard shouted at Leo who was now nowhere to be seen anymore.

    ¡°Looks like you lost your healer¡± Laura smiled maliciously. Seria, who saw that smile started to tremble all over again. She knew she couldn¡¯t keep up with Laura¡¯s agility. She was sure she wouldn¡¯t be able to counter attack and only defending wasn¡¯t an option. Right now she would have loved to run away from the fight, but her pride did not allow her to.

    Laura once again reduced the gravity around her body and charged towards the trembling Seria.

    Richard wanted to stop her like he had done earlier, but the earth under him started shaking. So strong, he lost balance and fell down. ¡°I¡¯m your opponent.¡± Ernesti waved at him.

    ----------------

    Miss Doctri and the Principal were heading to the nurse¡¯s office. She had told the principal about her students not appearing to class. The principal had suggested asking the nurse for help.

    The active of the nurse was ¡®Spueren¡¯. This ability allowed her to sense the presence of people around her. ¡°Meddie could you please search for Lina¡¯s students?¡± ¨C¡°Two of them already visited you.¡± Miss Doctri added. ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Meddie smiled, she would never forget about Tristan and his case. It was just too peculiar to forget.

    Meddie closed her eyes and concentrated on Tristan¡¯s aura. The principal and Miss Doctri were standing motionless next to Meddie for more than five minutes. Before, Meddie¡¯s eyes suddenly opened. "They are all in the ruins."

    ¡°What? What are they doing there?¡± Miss Doctri asked. But no one answered her question. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± the principal said. ¡°I have a bad feeling about this!¡±

    ---------------

    Laura charged full speed at Seria. Seria had created a shield around her to protect herself from Laura¡¯s punches. But once again Laura jumped into the air just before touching the shield.

    ¡®What is she doing¡¯ Seria thought. ¡®Does she want to take out Richard first?¡¯ Seria looked towards her brother, who was exchanging blows with Ernesti. ¡®Should I warn him?¡¯ ¨C¡°I¡¯m your opponent!¡± Laura shouted appearing behind her setting up for a kick.

    Although, Seria had managed to block the kick with her telekinetic wall, she was sent flying. She landed roughly on her back. ¡°What¡¯s up with her strength?¡± She mumbled as she stood up.

    Laura now took out a piece of paper from her pocket. On the paper there was a magic circle drawn. She let her mana flow through the paper. The magic circle started glowing. And once again Laura charged towards Seria with top speed.

    Once again, Seria tried to stop Laura¡¯s body from moving, but her telekinesis was yet too weak to control the movement of other people against their will. ¡°Not good.¡± The only thing left for Seria to do was to rely on her shield.

    Laura jumped up just before cannoning into Seria. Above Seria she leaned forward getting ready for a front flip kick. As her legs were in the position she activated the magic circle in her hands. The piece of paper disappeared and Laura¡¯s left leg hardened. Using her active, Laura now changed the gravity around her making herself a thousand times heavier than the usual gravity.

    This time Seria had been following Laura¡¯s movement. She saw how she was going to kick her shield from above. Out of reflex, she did cross her arms in front of her face to protect it.

    Laura¡¯s hardened heel smashed full force into Seria¡¯s telekinetic shield. Her kick destroyed the shield. Laura¡¯s heel connected with Seria¡¯s arm. A creaking sound could be heard as Seria¡¯s bones were crushed. ¡°kyaahhhhh¡± Seria screamed in pain.

    Laura landed next to the crying girl. ¡°MaKe iT sTaaPH! iT hUrtS! iT hUrtS! MaKe iT sTaaPH!¡± The desperate girl screamed swinging her lifeless arms around. ¡°Your wish is my command¡± Laura replied smiling and kicked Seria in the stomach causing her to lose consciousness.

    Seria¡¯s desperate cries had caused Richard¡¯s attention to wander from his opponent to his sister. This was obviously a fault. Ernesti used this as an opportunity to put an end to their fight.

    Ernesti hurled hundreds of stones towards Richard. Richard was hiding behind an ice shield, but because he had stopped paying attention, the weakened shield gave in to the stones. The stones hit Richard making him cry out in pain and lose consciousness.

    ¡°Well done¡± Laura walked towards Ernesti. ¡°And they didn¡¯t even realize this was just a clone.¡± ¨C¡°Now that you mention it, where is the clone?¡± Ernesti asked as he looked around, but the clone was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Shall we go in?¡± ¨C¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t heard the signal yet, so I¡¯m sure Trist needs help.¡± As both of them were about to enter the training hall a bang roared through the air. And both of them were hurled through the air.

    ----------------

    Miss Doctri and the Principal hurried through the campus. They wanted to reach the ruins as fast as possible. Suddenly Miss Doctri stopped.

    ¡°Leo! What are you doing out here!¡± Thy crying Leo looked towards Miss Doctri and the principal and froze. What should he say? Before he could react to her question Miss Doctri was already in front of him.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry! I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to hurt anyone¡­ I promise¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Leo repeated again and again.

    ¡°What you mean by that? Who is hurt?!¡± Miss Doctri asked shaking the boy. ¡°Lina, stop it! You won¡¯t get anything out of him right now.¡± The principal said, putting a hand on Miss Doctri¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let¡¯s just hurry to the rui-¡± The roar of an explosion had interrupted the Principal. ¡°What on Fors was that?¡± ¨C¡°From the ruins! Follow me!¡±

    -------------

    Tristan was standing right next to Abigail. He would have loved to sneak over to Annemarie and beat some common sense into her. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t count, on his ¡®invisibility¡¯ spell.

    The spell he was using was an optimized demon level spell. It was too weak for close ranged sneak attacks. The closer one would get to the caster of the spell the easier one would be able to see through the spell. People who were closer than five meters would see the caster as if he wasn¡¯t under the influence of the spell.

    Therefore Tristan decided to use a decoy to get her attention. He knew he would have to fight her. He summoned his dual broadswords, casted his ¡®clone¡¯ magic and got ready to attack.

    The Tristan clone entered the room. He was standing a few steps from the minefield. ¡°You are finally here!¡± Annemarie called out towards him. ¡°If you wanna save her, you will have to come over and get her.¡± She smiled.

    Tristan said no word. He just glared at her. ¡°I Said come and get her!¡± Annemarie screamed using her passive to create an explosion behind Tristan. Tristan jumped into the minefield, she had created and started to charge towards her.

    ¡®How is that possible? Why aren¡¯t my mines exploding? He shouldn¡¯t have an ability to do that!¡¯ The smirk on her face was gone, replaced by a panicked expression.

    She was about to activate the mines as she saw a shadow dashing towards her. She managed to evade the swords the shadow swung at her. She created a small explosion between her and the shadow. Throwing it back a few meters.

    Annemarie saw how the charging Tristan vanished in thin air. Another Tristan appeared where the shadow should have been.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it was! You cheeky little shit! To think a ¡®Passiveless¡¯ like you would manage to almost touch me in a fight!¡± Again she was again sneering. ¡°But you know; now I will show you what happens to people that don¡¯t act like they should!¡±

    ¡°Not good!¡± Tristan was surrounded by magic circles. He touched his bracelet and opened a gate to his armory.

    Annemarie watched as the explosions hit their target.¡°Mhaahhahaa Yeah, that¡¯s what you deserv-¡± She choked on her words. Tristan was still standing there, where he was supposed to explode. ¡°How?!¡± The decoy waved at her and disappeared.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± She looked around and noticed that Abigail wasn¡¯t there anymore. ¡°Where?¡±She looked up and saw a big shadow in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t know how a ¡®Passiveless¡¯ scum like you can fly but I will show you how a crash-land feels like.

    Tristan was avoiding using his true abilities out in the open. Thus he couldn¡¯t just open a gate and get Abigail and himself out of danger. He realized he didn¡¯t stand a chance in a fight against Annemarie without going all out. Therefore, he had used the gate to get close to Abigail and once again cast the invisibility spell on both of them. He used his skill ¡®fly¡¯ and tried to leave the hall the crying Abigail in his arms.

    He didn¡¯t expect the spell not to work on two people. So that Annemarie could still see them as a shadow in the air.

    Annemarie created an explosion above of them. The shock wave caused him to land in the mine field. ¡°Shit!¡± he shouted as all the magic circles in the mine field were activated at the same time. In panic Tristan entered his armory just before the explosion caused by the chain reaction reduced the old training hall to rubble.

    -----------

    Both of them landed roughly on the ground of Tristan¡¯s armory. ¡°Where are we?¡± the sobbing girl in his arms asked Tristan.

 Consequences

    Nocturnio (18.10.9973 AS)

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± a beautiful girl asked Erenesti who was lying next to the leftovers of a wall. ¡°Yeah, kinda¡± He answered. The girl scanned the explosion site with her big black eyes. ¡°Good¡± She said while putting on a smile on her full lips. ¡°Do you know what happened here?¡±

    Ernesti, who had been bewitched by the beauty of the fourteen years old looking girl finally, came back to his senses. ¡°Abigail!¡± He shouted. The eyes of the girl wandered back to Ernesti. There were just signs of the once handsome boy¡¯s face. His face was pale and full of dirt. Blood was pouring out of his thin nose.

    ¡°Who is Abigail?¡± The girl asked, taking out a tissue of her backpack. ¡°My sister.¡± Ernesti tried to stop the bleeding with the tissue the girl had given him, while tears started to form in his big brown eyes. ¡°My sisteh¡± He repeated over and over again.

    ¡°By Fors! Someone was in that building?¡± The girl shouted. She turned around waving her black hair she had bound in a pony and looked at the remains of the old training hall. It was impossible for someone to have survived that explosion. As she was turning around she saw a shadow in the dust the explosion had caused.

    She ran towards the shadow. There she found Laura kneeling, trying to push away the rubble. ¡°There is someone here under this¡± The exhausted Laura declared.

    With the help of the girl they managed to excavate a body out of the rubble. Laura turned around fighting the urge to vomit. What they had excavated was Annemarie¡¯s burned body. ¡°She is still breathing, but still this looks bad¡± the girl mumbled while searching something in her backpack.

    The girl took out a flask and opened. She poured the contents of the flask on Annemarie¡¯s burned skin. The wounds slowly started to close. The girl had used a healing elixir. Against the common misconception healing elixirs not only worked after drinking them, but also when applied directly on the wound.

    After realizing that the body she had found was Annemarie¡¯s body, Laura had lost interest in it and again started to look for her friends. ¡°Abby! Trist!¡± She called out again and again looking around, while tears welled up Laura¡¯s green eyes.

    The Principal suddenly landed in the middle of the remaining of the old training hall next to the crying Laura. ¡°By Fors!¡± He was taken aback. ¡°What on earth did cause this devastation?¡± He turned towards the crying Laura. He did put his hands on her shoulder. ¡°What caused this?¡± He asked.

    Laura stared for a few seconds into the cold black eyes of the principal. She hesitated about telling the truth. Then she took out the piece of paper Annemarie had given them this morning. As the principal was reading the contents of the paper Laura started to point towards Annemarie.

    The principal walked towards the girl and Annemarie. ¡°Sabrina, what are you doing here? I thought you knew this area is off limits for students.¡± The girl became pale as she saw the Principal¡¯s intimidating face. ¡°And shouldn¡¯t you be getting ready for your first patrol?¡± Sabrina sighed trying to avoid answering his questions. ¡°Ah, Gramps, nice that you are here! Could you help me tend this girl? I¡¯ve already done everything I can to save her, but she still is in a life-threatening condition.¡±

    The Principal stared at her and smiled too. ¡°Oh, yeah, good job, but don¡¯t even think you are out of it yet¡± He then channeled mana through his ring on his left hand and a green light enveloped Annemarie¡¯s body. He used one healing spell after another. ¡®I hope they arrive soon.¡¯

    After hearing the explosion he had told Miss Doctri to go and get Meddie. He had then activated his ¡®Fly¡¯ skill and hurried to the ruins.

    Finally two women landed in next to him. ¡°Meddie please, I¡¯m no expert!¡± He pointed at the girl he had been trying to heal.

    He showed the piece of paper he had gotten from Laura to Miss Doctri. ¡°Fors damn me! How could I be so blind?¡± The principal put his hands on her shoulders. ¡°More importantly, is this the only one of your students in that condition? If not, we will have to find them ASAP!¡±

    --------------------------

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Abigail asked Tristan again. ¡®How should I answer that question? Should I tell her this is part of ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯ as an active? If this was the case ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be classified as the weakest active.¡¯ The dumbfounded Tristan stared into Abigail¡¯s brown eyes.

    ¡®Why did she even ask such a question, in this situation no less? I knew it, I should have let her die in that explosion!¡¯ Tristan closed his grey eyes.

    ¡®Lately I have been relying way too much on this power. I wish I wouldn¡¯t end up in situations where I have to use it. One thing is using it for the research or when it kicks in automatically, but it just feels wrong using it out of my free will.¡¯

    Abigail freed herself from Tristan¡¯s hug and exhaled deeply to calm herself down. She wiped the tears from her red cheeks. She tried to stand up, but she couldn¡¯t. One of Annemarie¡¯s explosions had hurt her legs. She then sat down and inspected the unfamiliar room she was in with her big eyes.

    ¡°This room is creepy. There is no light source, but I can see everything clearly. And there is nothing but those weapons and us in this room, nothing but emptiness. Do you think Annemarie used an item to send us to another dimension?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Tristan brought out some words. He had used his passive to figure out if he should reveal his powers to Abigail and if yes to what extent.

    ¡°I brought you here.¡± He smiled wryly. ¡°Promise me, promise me you won¡¯t tell absolutely no one about this place.¡± Abigail looked confused. ¡°Why?¡± ¨C¡°Because¡­ you know¡­ We are friends¡­. So just promise it.¡± Again tears started to flow down Abigail¡¯s red cheeks.

    Abigail didn¡¯t expect Tristan to call her a friend. She had never seen him as a friend. At best she had seen him as a rival, but not as a friend. ¡°I promise!¡± She said causing Tristan to smile.

    ¡°You see ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯ isn¡¯t really my active. My active is called ¡®Gates¡¯. This allows me to open gates at will that lead to other dimensions. I even got three dimensions that belong just to me!¡± Although, it went against his logic of hiding everything from everyone, his passive had advised him to tell Abigail everything.

    ¡°Why would you hide it?¡± -¡°That¡¯s complicated. Long story short, I was chosen by the ¡®gods¡¯ to save this world.¡± Abigail looked in Tristan¡¯s big greenish grey eyes. All she could see was earnestness. ¡°You are serious aren¡¯t you?¡± Tristan nodded and told her everything about his powers and its origins.

    Abigail suddenly started to laugh out loud. She hadn¡¯t been so amused since long. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. I promise!¡± Tristan reassured. ¡°I know, I believe you, it¡¯s just¡­ Ever since I met you I¡¯ve been trying to compete with you. I¡¯ve been trying to surpass you! And now you tell me that I never will be able to surpass you!¡±

    Abigail put on a sad expression. ¡°You know, I really hated you¡­ You see, ever since I met you I¡¯ve hated you. I just couldn¡¯t stand the fact that you are so nonchalant about your abilities. The fact that you saw them as given just drives me crazy. You know, this really made me hate you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Abigail looked away. ¡°And then you even came to save me. You did so, because you considered me your friend. Although, all I did is being mean to you¡­ You even went so far as revealing your biggest secret to me. This is just so unfair! Why can¡¯t you be a bad person? Why can¡¯t you be someone worth hating?¡±

    Abigail smiled bitterly. ¡°But¡­ You know, I won¡¯t say sorry. I won¡¯t apologize for being a bad person. No, I will even shamelessly ask¡­ Even if it means I can¡¯t surpass you¡­ Please allow me to walk beside you. Please allow me to become your tool. Even if in the end, I probably will just end up in your way, please take me with you on this journey. Please lead me to new highs; please lead me to places no one has ever been.¡±

    Tristan didn¡¯t expect Abigail¡¯s emotional outburst. But still he felt like a giant stone had been lifted from his shoulders. ¡®It sure feels great having someone to talk to, but is this ok? I wonder if I could tell my secret to other people besides Abigail.¡¯ As he was thinking about it, he got the feeling that it was a bad idea. Tristan smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Then from now on we are partners in crimes?¡± He asked Abigail. She answered with a bright smile. ¡°But please keep it a secret from everyone, you can¡¯t even tell Ernesti.¡± Abigail nodded.

    Tristan petted her head. ¡°I think we should get going or the others will start to worry.¡± He opened a gate and walked through with Abigail in a princess carry.

    ----------------

    Miss Doctri, and the Principal had found the unconscious bodies of Richard and Seria. They were now using their healing magic on them. ¡°There should be two other students of mine, but we haven¡¯t found them yet.¡± The principal nodded. ¡°The five years old genius I have heard so much about, is under them right?¡± ¨C¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me what happened here?¡± Sabrina smiled at Laura. Laura wiped the tears from her rosy cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m Sabrina by the way, Sabrina Kuro from the final third year and a fresh military course member.¡± Sabrina introduced herself with a cheerful voice.

    Laura glared at the black haired girl. How dare she? How could she act so cheerful after Laura¡¯s friends had just died? ¡°So? What happened?¡± ¨C¡°None of your business.¡± Laura replied annoyed. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that! I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll feel better if you talk to someone. So I will do you the favor and listen!¡± Sabrina smiled even brighter as before.

    Laura just continued glaring at the girl. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to talk about it? I guess it can¡¯t be helped, but you know¡± She smiled even brighter.¡± Talking to others makes things so much easier to bear.¡±

    -¡°BEEEEEEP¡±-

    An ear-splitting noise echoed through the ruins.

    -¡°BEEEEEEP¡±-

    There was the sound again.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Laura mumbled holding her ears. Sabrina pointed towards her. ¡°Your pockets, the sound is coming from your pocket.¡± Laura took out the item Tristan had given her before their attack on Annemarie¡¯s gang.

    -¡°BEEEEEEP¡±-

    The item gave out the sound again. ¡°Impossible. Trist said he would activate it only if when he had saved Abby!¡± Laura shouted. She stood up and started to search her surroundings with her blue eyes.

    After a few seconds she finally spotted the shadow of someone carrying somebody. ¡°See, you can be pretty cute when you smile¡± Sabrina pointed out, but Laura didn¡¯t pay her any attention. The only thing she cared for now were her friends.

    Laura ran towards them, but Miss Doctri had been faster. She was hugging the both of them with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! If I was just a better teacher! I¡¯m so relieved you both are ok!¡± She continued sobbing and crying while hugging them. ¡°Lina! We are the adults here! So, behave like one!¡± The Principal who had arrived second scolded Miss Doctri, but she didn¡¯t care and continued hugging Tristan and Abigail.

    Meanwhile Ernesti joined Laura. Both of them were standing a few meters away from Tristan and Abigail, still they waited patiently till the adults were done questioning them.

    Nocturnio (21.10.9973 AS)

    ¡°They are finally gone?¡± Meddie walked into the room. ¡°Negotiations with that Explo woman are always exhausting. Just because her sister is the wife of that poor boy she acts like she is Dunkler Schatten.¡± The principal looked annoyed.

    ¡°I bet she wouldn¡¯t have the guts to come here if Lea wasn¡¯t married to Laidir. Now I kinda feel sorry for that youngster. No wonder he searches for love everywhere else, but in his own bed.¡± Meddie knew the Principal would continue complaining till the next day if she didn¡¯t do something against it.

    ¡°And what did she want?¡± The principal straightened his back. ¡°She obviously wanted that her daughter continues going to school like nothing happened. She even offered two million ¡®Kroten¡¯ for the academy.¡±

    Meddie¡¯s eyes glowed ¡°And you took the money of course, right? The university could use some new items and devices for the labs. I myself have my eyes set on some new items for the nurse¡¯s office.¡± ¨C¡°Of course I didn¡¯t accept. Someone like her daughter shouldn¡¯t be allowed to walk freely through our streets¡­¡±

    The Principal looked out of the window. ¡°And you see her daughter made the mistake of trying to harm my great grandson.¡± Meddie looked shocked at the old man. ¡°Ares! I must totally disagree with your judgment! I know you are a family man, but the academy always needs money! Look at all the equipment we could buy!¡±

    Ares smiled. ¡°Do you really think I would say no to that much money?¡± Meddie looked confused. ¡°You see, it would be bad for our school¡¯s reputation if a spoiled brat like that continued staying after all that fuss she created. Thus, her powers will be sealed and she will be sent to a reformatory, where she will learn how to deal with her powers.¡±

    ¡°How is that different from what we usually do when the children misbehave?¡± Meddie asked. ¡°You see, those children have their powers sealed for good. Even if they manage to better themselves, their powers stay sealed. Little Miss Explo on the other hand, will be able to regain her powers and be able to visit this school again if she behaves well.¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t get how her mother did agree to that.¡± Meddie wondered. ¡°Well her beloved daughter almost killed herself with her own magic, so everyone would agree to seal her powers.¡± Meddie nodded.

    ¡°She also wanted us to punish the five years olds responsible for her daughter¡¯s mental breakdown. She wanted us to seal their powers too, at least until they are seven. But of course I didn¡¯t agree with that even though she offered up to four million Kroten for that.¡± Meddie exhaled. ¡°Four million Kroten? With that much money¡­ We could-¡± ¨C¡°Obviously I refused firmly this time.¡±

    Ares looked at the breathless Meddie, who expected Ares to still have gotten the money after some negotiations. ¡°This time I didn¡¯t give her any room for negotiations. I promised Ray I would keep an eye on my great grandson.¡± Meddie looked sad. ¡°But the money!¡± ¨C¡°Money is important, but family even more, I can¡¯t probably say no to my grandson, can¡¯t I?¡± The sad Meddie looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it.

    Nocturnio (22.10.9973 AS)

    Ever since said Monday Nana didn¡¯t leave Tristan¡¯s side. She would be always checking on him. She would walk with him and Laura to school, since her caf¨¦, the Mitternacht was close to the academy. They would also walk home together. Tristan would always have to go to the caf¨¦ to meet up with her after school, while Laura went as usual shopping with Dolores. Therefore Tristan didn¡¯t have any chance to progress with his item.

    The annoyed Tristan was sitting alone in their classroom, as Abigail entered the room. She greeted him with a big smile and gave him a blueberry muffin. ¡°Is Laura here?¡± she asked, looking around. ¡°No, she told me Sabrina had something to discuss with her.¡± As he said that Miss Doctri entered the room and looked around. ¡°Where is Laura¡± she looked concerned. ¡°She is with Sabrina¡± Tristan answered. ¡°Good.¡±Miss Doctri nodded with a smile.

    Once Laura entered the room Miss Doctri clapped with her hands and said to her three present students. ¡°It seems everybody who should be here, is here.¡±

    After their fight in the ruins, the faculty had decided just to punish the aggressors. In this case Annemarie¡¯s gang. Leo had been suspended for a whole month, because the teachers felt he was the one with the most common sense of the four.

    Richard and Seria were both suspended for the rest of the semester. This meant they had to come unprepared to the semester exams. And they had no way of preparing for them, because their powers were sealed during their suspension.

    Also, all three of them had to visit the school psychologist for the rest of the school year. If she felt they were in danger to misbehave again, they would be sent to a reformatory.

    Annemarie had gotten the worst punishment of the four. Although, Meddie was a very experienced healer, she still couldn¡¯t completely heal her: Burn scars still covered Annemarie¡¯s body. Even her face was marked with scars. Her mother had contacted specialists from all over Umbra, but she had always received the same answer: ¡°Maybe a Seraph can restore her face, but no Demon is capable of doing so.¡±

    As if the lost of her beauty wasn¡¯t punishment enough for her. The faculty had decided to seal her powers and to send her to a reformatory for an indefinite period of time.

    ------------

    Since said Monday, the three of them did eat together during lunch again. ¡°Do you guys have any plans for the vacation?¡± Abigail asked. ¡°Mom didn¡¯t tell me anything yet, so I assume not.¡± Laura answered, while Tristan bit his lips. ¡°Me neither.¡± He forced a smile. He had planned to spend the whole month doing research for his item and maybe even finish a prototype. Now he felt his plans vanishing into thin air.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Abigail clapped her hands. ¡°Daddy wanted to thank you guys for saving me, so he told me to invite you to spend the holidays with us.¡± She smiled. ¡°Yesterday he sent a message to your parents explaining the details.¡±

 Solution

    Nocturnio (29.12.9973 AS)

    Today was the last day of school before winter holidays. Tristan, Laura and Abigail were standing in front of the board announcing the results of the exams they had taken last week. The placements brought out two major surprises. One was; although, they didn¡¯t have any means to practice Richard and Seria kept being part of the top ten. The other was; that a girl in class four was tied with Abigail for third place.

    <table width="340">

    <tbody>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    Rank

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Name

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    Points

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    Class

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    1

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Tristan Halblicht

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    100

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    2

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Laura Verheerung

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    99,5

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    3

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Abigail Letum

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    99

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    -

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Annie Kuro

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    99

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    4

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    5

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Leo Luci

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    95

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    6

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Ernesti Tod

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    93

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    5

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    7

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Richard Lucifer

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    90,5

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    8

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Seria Lucifer

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    90

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    7

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    9

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Oriana Cassio

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    89,5

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    2

    </td>

    </tr>

    <tr>

    <td width="80">

    10

    </td>

    <td width="119">

    Neo Nuovo

    </td>

    <td width="80">

    88,5

    </td>

    <td width="61">

    5

    </td>

    </tr>

    </tbody>

    </table>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you are still in the top three¡± Tristan tried to cheer Abigail up. ¡°No worries there, it¡¯s not like I have to always be the number one, right?¡± She gave Tristan a genuine smile.

    ¡°Yay! You did it Annie! I¡¯m sooooo proud of you! You are the best!¡± They heard a cheerful voice say out loud and turned towards where the noise was coming from. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m awesome, but now please let me go big sis!¡± ¨C¡°Never, I trapped you fair and square! Now give me my daily portion Annie I need to survive!¡± Sabrina didn¡¯t care about the crowd forming around them. She just kept hugging her little sister.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    After a whole minute of struggling Annie finally managed to separate herself from her big sister. ¡°Jeez, look at the crowd around us! Why do you always do everything to embarrass me?¡± She scolded her big sister. ¡°I just can¡¯t help it, you are just too cute!¡± Sabrina said, sticking out her tongue turning around towards Laura and company.

    ¡°And I know of someone that is at least as cute as you¡­¡± She jumped towards Laura, who was too slow to sidestep. ¡°Muahahah, I¡¯ve got myself another cutie!¡± She said while hugging Laura against her will. ¡°Leeet gooo!!¡± the poor girl screamed.

    ¡°Sabrina, it¡¯s been a long time!¡± Tristan tried to grab her attention so Laura could break free. ¡°You too, want some love from me?! Too bad I only like little girls mauahahah¡± Sabrina continued to hug Laura, while Abigail hid herself behind Tristan.

    ¡°So what brings you here? I thought at this time you would be on a mission.¡± Tristan continued trying to save Laura, who was struggling to breath because of Sabrina¡¯s forceful hug. She finally let go of the poor girl and started ogling Abigail.

    ¡°This week we don¡¯t have any patrols. I ain¡¯t a full-fledged member of the military course yet, so my schedule mostly consists of normal lessons spiced up with a mission here and there.¡± Sabrina explained. ¡°I¡¯m still just a third year, you know?¡± She continued with a cheerful voice like she always did. She pointed towards the board. ¡°And some told me my sis got into the top three!¡±

    The pale girl who was standing next to Sabrina watched joined the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal at all. Big sis always ends up first in her year.¡± ¨C¡°Actually, it is a big deal.¡± Abigail responded, finding the courage to come out of her save post behind Tristan. ¡°Most of the students score between the sixty-five points needed to pass and eighty points. So being in the top three is a big deal.¡±

    ¡°See! It is a big deal!¡± Sabrina smiled brighter than usual. Tristan who saw that was astonished. ¡®And here I thought she couldn¡¯t smile any brighter.¡¯

    ¡°By the way people, this is my little sister Annie.¡± Sabrina pointed at the black haired girl. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Annie¡± She introduced herself. ¡°Hi I¡¯m Tristan, this here are Laura and Abigail.¡± ¨C¡°These are the explosion people I once told you about. They are all really nice!¡± Sabrina interrupted Tristan¡¯s introduction with her cheerful voice.

    ¡°Jeez, sis there you go again! I¡¯m so sorry she just can¡¯t read the mood.¡± Sabrina puffed her rosy cheeks. ¡°Of course I can! I just can¡¯t stand people acting all shy and formal!¡±

    The bell ringed signaling class would start soon. ¡°Well, see you all next semester!¡± The cheerful girl waved them as she ran towards her classroom, just to be scolded by a teacher, not to run in the corridors. ¡°Sis!¡± Annie hurried behind her to make sure she didn¡¯t cause any more trouble for herself.

    ¡°Always refreshing to meet her.¡± Tristan commented. ¡°For you! For me it¡¯s a nightmare. Why does she always have to hug me?¡± Laura complained as they walked towards their classroom.

    Nocturnio (30.12.9973 AS)

    Tristan, Laura, Nana and Dolores were walking towards Nocturnio¡¯s Portal Main Station. Abigail¡¯s father had invited the four of them to spend their winter vacation with them in their castle in Ater.

    In front of the Portal Main Station they saw Ernesti, Abigail and a woman dressed like a maid waiting for them. Abigail ran towards Tristan and greeted the group. The woman in maid uniform introduced herself as Elisabeth Fern, the guardian of Abigail and Ernesti during their stay in Nocturnio. She expressed her thanks to Tristan and Laura for saving Abigail and handed the group their first class tickets to Ater.

    As they arrived in front of the Portal to Ater, Tristan was blown away. This was the first time he had traveled with a public portal since he had gotten his abilities. So he obviously couldn¡¯t keep his curiosity at bay and inspected the portal with his passive.

    What he saw was something he had never seen before. A three dimensional magic circle; all the magic circles, he had seen up until now had been two dimensional. He had read theories explaining the concept of three dimensional magic circles. But no one had found any evidence for their existence.

    Said evidence was now in front of Tristan¡¯s eyes.

    Their portal would open in half an hour, so he had enough time to analyze the magic circle with his passive. For the first time since long he had to use his passive to the fullest because he wanted to get as much information as possible.

    The magic circle was the perfect mix between catalysts and enchantments. The creators of the Portal had somehow managed to overlay the magic circle inside the catalyst and enchantments that were used to create items. ¡®Wonderful! This is truly wonderful! I would love to meet the genius who came up with this!¡¯ Tristan¡¯s eyes glowed with passion.

    In the world of magic circles there was an unwritten rule to never enchant a catalyst, because no one knew what could happen. Many renowned enchanters had died, due to failing in enchanting a catalyst. So Tristan couldn¡¯t help but feel ecstatic about the fact, that something so unpredictable could be controlled and mass produced.

    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Abigail asked Tristan who kept staring the portal. ¡°Yeah¡± he answered while wiping the drool from his chin. ¡°I just like portals.¡± Abigail looked like she had realized something. ¡°Oh, sorry for interrupting you, maybe later you can tell me more about those portals.¡±

    Laura turned towards them. ¡°What¡¯s up, you two seem to be a lot together lately.¡± ¨C¡°Yeah, they sure are!¡± Ernesti also butted into the conversation. He looked Tristan deep in his eyes. ¡°You are way too young to be courting my little sister!¡± Abigail turned red. ¡°No, worries there, we are just two beings driven by curiosity.¡± Tristan reassured.

    ¡°And now that you both mention it, haven¡¯t you two spending quite a lot of time together lately.¡± Tristan made something up so they would stop annoying him and he could again dedicate himself to analyze the portal. And indeed his plan worked. Both of them went silent and turned around trying to escape the mischievous smile Tristan had put on.

    As Tristan finally was done with his analysis the portal opened. ¡°THIS IS IT!¡± he shouted like a maniac. The eyes of everyone standing close to the portal were glued on Tristan, but he paid them no heed. He continued staring at the now open Portal.

    ¡®After all this time I had the answer to my problems in front of my eyes!¡¯ Tristan stared at the portal. First he was just interested in the portal because of its unique magic circle. Now his interest had picked because it presented the solution to the range problem he had with the item he was developing.

    After the portal was activated Tristan had noticed three magic circles he had overlooked. One served as an anchor to stabilize the portal. The other worked as a transmitter connecting the portal with its counterpart. And the last was a receiver also connected to its counterpart.

    Especially the transmitter and receiver had grabbed Tristan attention. They were completely different of the ones Tristan had created. ¡®No wonder I would have never found an answer to my problem¡¯ Tristan thought. Up until now he had always created the transmitters and receiver in a similar way he had found on the military items he once had stolen. But now he was standing in front of a working wide range transmitter that was build in a, for him alien way.

    He imprinted the form of the magic circles into his memory. ¡®Alright, even if I can¡¯t work on my item during this trip, it still has been a very successful one¡¯ Tristan smiled. ¡°Trist we are ready to go.¡± Laura informed Tristan. ¡°Coming!¡± he smiled as he trotted towards his group who was ready to pass through the Portal.

 Deaths Castle

    Ater (30.12.9973 AS)

    They walked outside the Portal Main Station of Ater, a city that didn¡¯t feel much different than Nocturnio. The city was also filled with skyscrapers, but their shapes were less extravagant to the ones in Nocturnio. The most striking difference though was the mountains. While from Nocturnio the Ater Mountains felt small and far away; in Ater they felt like sleeping giants protecting the city.

    Elisabeth guided them through the city. She showed them the most prominent tourist spots the city had to offer. This meant they visited many ruins of the ¡®Great War¡¯ and some buildings that were lucky enough survive the Seraph¡¯s charge.

    After hours of walking and listening to the history of certain sites, they finally reached a building that stroke Tristan attention. ¡°This is the library of Ater, the largest library in the continent when it comes to the history of the old civilization.¡± Elisabeth announced proudly. ¡°Although, the city was decimated during the ¡®Great War¡¯ the treasures of the library survived. And many authors of the time saw it as their mission to write down what they saw and felt.¡±

    They didn¡¯t have much time left, so they couldn¡¯t actually enter the library, but Tristan felt like he had to visit this place if he wanted to know more about Bella¡¯s mission. He didn¡¯t like the idea of finding out what Bella actually expected of him, so he decided to come here just when he was sure he had nothing better to do.

    The historic tour of Ater ended at the ¡®Death¡¯s Castle¡¯. The old building reminded more of a medieval fortress than to a palace. Compared to the ¡®Schatten¡¯s Castle Tristan had once lived in it was rather modest.

    It had been built on top of a small mountain to the west of the city. The castle¡¯s lodge was rather unimpressive. It appeared to be small compared to two watchtowers or the titanic walls surrounding the fortress.

    From the inside the lodge was also rather plain, the dominating colors were burgundy for the furniture, brown and grey for the walls made out of a mix of stones and wood. The most notable decorative accessories were the head of different types of beasts adorning the walls in the long corridors.

    After they had unloaded their luggage in their respective rooms, they were greeted by the Mistress and Master of the house.

    Abigail¡¯s mother introduced herself as Mutti Letum. Abigail¡¯s mother was a rather tall woman, with long, wavy hazel colored hair. Besides her green eyes, the most prominent feature on her face was her cheekbones.

    Her companion introduced himself as Caleb Tod the younger brother of Claudia Tod the head of the Tod clan. He was a tall man with broad shoulders and short brown hair. Brown eyes adorned his thin, rather feminine face.

    ¡°Thank you all for coming here!¡± He said, giving an honest smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have done if they had done something to my little devil here.¡± Mutti nodded to the words of her husband. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful to you guys especially to you Tristan.¡± She added while hugging the boy, putting Tristan in a rather awkward position. He was saved by Elisabeth¡¯s announcement, of the dinner being ready.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ***

    After dinner they split into two groups. One group was the women¡¯s group. They decided to go to the living room and have some tea. While the other group consisted of Tristan, Ernesti and Caleb, they decided to stay in the dining room and eat cake there.

    ¡°The cake is really good¡± Tristan commented as he happily munched on the piece Baumkuchen he had gotten. ¡°But it still can¡¯t compare to one of Mitternacht¡¯s cakes.¡± Ernesti added. ¡°So there is better cake than this, in this world? Maybe I should visit that caf¨¦ next time I visit Nocturnio.¡± Caleb said cheerfully.

    ¡°You sure are lucky; you get to eat that cake everyday!¡± Ernesti said looking enviously towards Tristan. ¡°Nana doesn¡¯t bake that often at home, unless she is trying a new recipe. Then I¡¯m pretty much her guinea pig and believe me not all cakes she makes taste good.¡± Tristan answered.

    ¡°So your mom works at a caf¨¦.¡± Caleb asked with a curious tone. ¡°No, she owns a small caf¨¦ close to the campus of the academy.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°And what about you, Mister Tod, what does a Tod do to not get bored from so much money and power?¡± Tristan asked boldly.

    ¡°Dad is the Guild Master of the Merchants Guild!¡± Ernesti answered proudly. ¡°But I once read in a book merchants are free to trade whatever they want to whoever they want.¡± Tristan stated. ¡°So, I don¡¯t see there any need to have a Merchants Guild.¡± He continued.

    Caleb laughed merrily. ¡°I expected nothing less, from the kid that overtook my little devil in knowledge!¡± He took a deep breath and started to explain. ¡°You see, the job of the Merchants Guild is to ensure the integrity of the competition. We try to keep the market fair, so that big and small providers have the same rights while trading with the demander.¡± Caleb observed Tristan¡¯s face, trying to see if he had followed his explanation.

    ¡°Having the same rights to trade sound fine to me, but how can they ensure that small providers can keep up with what the demander asks for? I mean if I needed something important, I would rather go there, where I¡¯m sure to get it with no delays.¡± Tristan objected.

    ¡°Well, to help out the smaller providers, the Merchants Guild, sometimes gives them cheap, short term credits. So they can afford to keep up with the demanded good.¡± Caleb explained perplexed by the complexity of the questions the five years old boy in front of him was asking.

    Tristan smiled at the answer he had gotten. ¡°Cheap short term credits? Sounds great, but how do you decide who gets the money? Do you also support Merchants just starting out?¡± Caleb looked at the boy with big eyes and smiled at his curiosity. ¡°Yes the guild supports people to start up their business, only if their business plan looks promising.¡±

    Tristan¡¯s eyes lit up, he had known Caleb was the Guild Master of the Merchants Guild from beginning on. He had also known the guild would give credits to merchants to enable them to trade without the fear of running low on supplies. But it was certainly new to him, that the guild would also help newcomers to start up their own business. Now he wanted to find out more about the conditions to get one of said credits.

    ¡°So what does a business plan have to contain, so it is considered a good business plan?¡± Tristan continued. ¡°Well, the most important thing is the idea. It must be something new and fresh, but also doable.¡±

    ¡®Something amazing like my item shouldn¡¯t be a problem there¡¯ Tristan thought while smiling as bright as the morning sun. ¡°I hope that clears up all your questions.¡± Caleb smiled at him. ¡°Yes, Sir, it does. It sure sounds like an interesting job.

    They kept chatting till the kids had to go to bed. And so Tristan¡¯s vacation at the Death¡¯s Castle continued without any events worth mentioning.

 Here comes the money

    Nocturnio (5. 2.9974 AS)

    Just one day after they had gotten home from their trip to Aster, Dolores told them she had gotten a really important ¡®Message¡¯ and she had to leave the city for a few days. Therefore, Laura was now staying with Tristan and Nana. When Tristan asked her if she knew where Dolores was going she avoided the topic. Laura wasn¡¯t a good liar, so it was obvious why she would avoid the topic.

    Although, Tristan would have loved to visit his laboratory and try out the new data he had gotten from the Portal Station for his research, he had to stay at home. Just because of Laura being there. He was trying to hide his foul mood as he read a book in the living room of his apartment. Laura and Nana were also sitting on the couch in the living room.

    ¡°I would have never thought that Mutti is in the Human Council, she looks so young!¡± Laura said. ¡°Yeah, she really looks young for a human that is, but it can¡¯t be helped since she is an Elder too.¡± Tristan looked at them as if he wanted to ask more about that topic, but decided not to. He looked down and continued reading his book.

    Nocturnio (6. 2.9974 AS)

    Tristan and Laura had walked like usual to school. In their classroom, they met with Abigail, who was surrounded by Seria and Richard. Tristan and Laura looked at each other and prepared themselves for a battle. They hurried towards Abigail, to see if she needed help but what happened next, took them totally aback.

    ¡°We are incredibly sorry for what we did. The past two months we spent with our therapist reflecting on our actions.¡± Seria started bowing towards the three of them. ¡°And we came to the conclusion, that our actions were stupid and not befitting for geniuses like us.¡± Richard also bowed. ¡°Therefore, once again we are terribly sorry!¡± both of them said synchronized.

    ¡°I- I hope we can start a new¡­¡± Seria said shyly looking somewhat scared of Laura. Laura faked a smile. ¡°Of course we will accept this apology, right Abby and Trist?¡± Both of them nodded also faking smiles. Of course the three of them wouldn¡¯t forget that easy. But once they had heard about Seria¡¯s and Richard¡¯s punishments they decided to try and be friendly to them. So they wouldn¡¯t snap at them once again.

    Miss Doctri walked into the scene and smiled at them brightly. ¡°Nice to have you two back!¡± After the incident had happened, Miss Doctri had made sure to always arrive early to class. ¡°Tristan, may I have a minute of your time?¡± She asked Tristan out of the room.

    Once they were out of the classroom, she activated an item. The effects of the items allowed them to talk without people eavesdropping on them. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡± She started. ¡°You have already shown me that your skills are beyond of what we expect a first year to know. So I asked the principal if I could start teaching you more advanced spells.¡±She stopped and looked towards Tristan.

    She summoned a book. ¡°This book contains up to ¡®High Super Devil¡¯ illusion spells. You have already shown me that you can master up to ¡®High Dragon¡¯ spells. So I hope you don¡¯t disappoint me and also master the spells in this book. You know, because on your next exam you will have to perform them for me.¡± She smiled brightly.

    ¡®As if I don¡¯t have already enough to do!¡¯ Tristan¡¯s inner voice screamed. He tried not to show his true feelings and thanked Miss Doctri. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s my job to support the talent of my students.¡± She smiled, not oblivious to the forced smile on Tristan¡¯s face.

    Miss Doctri started the class right after entering the classroom. ¡°What did she want from you?¡± Laura asked Tristan. ¡°Nothing, just wanted to ask me if I was bored by the stuff we do in class. You know, because it is so rare that a student aces the semester finals.¡± Laura smiled wryly. ¡®Rare¡¯ was an understatement. No first year had ever aced the semester finals.

    Nocturnio (15. 2.9974 AS)

    Laura had stayed with them for more than a week. This morning, Dolores had returned from her trip. This meant, Laura wasn¡¯t staying with them anymore and he could use his decoy and finally go do some research. Tristan was in a very good mood. As he tried to cast the new version of decoy he had learned from the book Miss Doctri had given him.

    His new clone didn¡¯t look much different than the one he had been casting. The only difference was that this clone was also able to talk unlike his old decoy. Tristan had added and extracted a few things from the magic circle of the spell suggested by the book. Now it would be really hard to tell the difference between him and his clone.

    Satisfied with his handy work, he opened the gate to his laboratory. He went straight on to his table and started to use the information he had gotten from the Portals. He took a small gemstone and started to enchant it with the very same enchantments he suspected the Portals were enchanted.

    BOOOOOM!

    Tristan was thrown into the air as the gemstone he had been enchanting exploded. ¡°As expected, the catalyst can¡¯t contain so much information. Too much information causes the mana to flow unsteadily and the whole thing blows up!¡± Tristan mumbled and as he stood up his knees still shaking. ¡°I just need something to stabilize the mana flow, so I can distribute the pressure equally over the whole gemstone, so it won¡¯t blow up.¡±

    So he gave it another try, this time trying to enchant a stabilizer into the catalyst.

    BOOOOOM!

    And he was sent flying again. Shaking, he stood up and tried it another time.

    BOOOOOM!This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna give up!¡± he screamed as he was lying on the ground, trying to stand up.

    Nocturnio (25. 3.9974 AS)

    ¡°Are you ok? You know you can talk to me about everything?¡± Abigail said as she watched the beat up Tristan take his place in class. A whole month had passed, but up until now his catalyst had always been exploding on him. ¡°Yeah, sure I¡¯m fine.¡± Tristan answered with a genuine smile. ¡°I managed to do it!¡± he whispered into Abigail¡¯s ear. No one besides them was in the room.

    ¡°Do what?¡± She smiled with him. ¡°Remember the research I told you about? Yes, I¡¯m done researching. Yesterday I finally did it! I managed to do it! And it works!¡± Abigail looked at him confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but good for you!¡± Still smiling Tristan answered ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will know soon enough.¡±

    Ater (12.4.9974 AS)

    A pale man with long greasy black hair, tied up in a pony was standing in front of the Merchants Guild. His black eyes were pointed towards the big sign saying ¡°Merchants Guild Ater¡±. He exhaled a before entering the building.

    He was about to press his full lips to a smile as he saw the receptionist, but decided not to. He knew it was a bad idea to force a smile, he had tried it already at home in front of a mirror, but nothing good had come out of it; His big square nose didn¡¯t look good when he smiled.

    The beautiful receptionist recognized his face and led him to the Guild Master who was expecting him. He had already been here last week and gotten himself an appointment with the Guild Master.

    He entered the office of the Guild Master. The big room was kept simple, it was filled with things one needed in an office, nothing more and nothing less.

    The man, who was wearing a black suit, that didn¡¯t fit him correctly, sat down after shaking hands with Caleb, who was wearing a well fitting grey suit.

    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Caleb went straight on to business; he didn¡¯t have time to waste with an unimportant business like this. The black haired man forcefully swallowed his saliva and stated the reason he was there.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really good with this business stuff. What I¡¯m good at is researching. To be honest, I seldom come out of my laboratory.¡± The man smiled wryly. ¡°I came here to present you the fruits of my newest research. I have no doubt someone like you, will know its true value.¡± He took out a small but thick red crystalline plate. He handed it over to Caleb.

    ¡°What is this? All I see is a gemstone.¡± The confused Caleb held the plate and looked at the man. The man took out another plate out of his pocket and activated it. It glowed a little. Suddenly the plate in Caleb¡¯s had started to blink and to ring. ¡°Press the blinking light.¡± The young man said smiling.

    Caleb pressed the blinking light. The ringing was over and the man started to whisper into his plate. His voice could be heard clearly out of the plate in Caleb¡¯s hand. Caleb blinked at it dumbfounded.

    ¡°It is a long range instant communication item.¡± The man said and started to laugh maniacally. ¡°L¡­ long range?¡± Caleb asked. He had never been speechless in his 150 years as Guild Master, but right now he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything more than repeat the man¡¯s words.

    ¡°Yes, a long range instant communication item! I¡¯m sure you know what this item means right, Mister Tod?¡±

    Caleb exhaled. Of course he knew. It meant the world like they knew would change forever. It also meant that whoever invested in this item would turn into one of the richest persons of the continent.

    ¡°May I ask for your name again¡± Caleb asked politely. ¡°Of course¡± the man smiled. ¡°I¡¯m Seigfried Halblicht. The inventor of this little baby¡± He said as he caressed the crystalline plate in his hand. ¡°May I call you Seigfried?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Siegfried, I see your little baby is able of instant communication, but how big is it range?¡±

    ¡°How big is this continent?¡± Caleb looked baffled. ¡°Yes you can communicate with everyone in our continent with my babies. If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ May I prove it to you?¡±

    Before Caleb was able to react Siegfried had already grabbed his arm. ¡°By the way I¡¯m a teleporter, I hope you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Siegfried dragged Caleb to Oidche.

    ¡°What¡­ What in the world are you doing! Where are¡­ Oidche? Why are we in Oidche?¡± Caleb¡¯s mood was getting foul.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Mister Tod I said, I would prove it, didn¡¯t I?¡± Caleb¡¯s bloodshot eyes stared at Siegfried. ¡°How is this gonna help you that!¡± He shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll prove it to you!¡± Siegfried said while disappearing into thin air.

    Caleb sighed. ¡°I should have known better. When I first met him last week I felt something was off with him¡­ I just couldn¡¯t pin point it¡­¡±

    Last week they had met for the first time. Siegfried had waited hours outside the Merchant¡¯s Guild just to talk to him. Caleb admired the man¡¯s will and so had decided to give him an appointment to present his idea.

    As Caleb was still murmuring to himself the plate, he was still holding onto, started ringing. Caleb touched the blinking light and heard the voice of the Guild¡¯s receptionist. The confused woman insisted, the weirdo had told her to talk into the wierd plate she also told Caleb she was still in Ater.

    After the call had ended, Siegfried appeared again in front of Caleb. He was smiling brightly, what made him look like a psychopath. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I would prove my babies are able to do it?¡± He said with an ¡®I told you so tone¡¯.

    ¡°Fine if you bring me back, I will lend you as much money as you need to start up your business.¡± Caleb said to him. Siegfried grabbed him again by the arm and they were back in Caleb¡¯s office.

    ¡°That would be ten million Kroten¡± Siegfried told Caleb. ¡°What?¡± Caleb couldn¡¯t follow him. ¡°I mean, I need ten million Kroten to start up my business.¡± Siegfried answered calmly. Caleb sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t even want to know the terms and conditions?¡±

    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m pretty bad at socializing and stuff. Arm¡­ Ah... Before I forget it, please don¡¯t tell anyone I¡¯m the inventor of this item. I¡¯m not good in dealing with people and I don¡¯t want people to visit me in my lab¡­¡± Siegfried looked apologetic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡± Caleb smiled, he felt a little bit bad for what he was about to do, but he had stepped into a gold mine. It would be too bad if other people tried to get a piece of it.

    The next hour they spent working out the terms and conditions. Caleb had tried to get as much out of it as he could, but after he signed the contract he realized, he wasn¡¯t getting much out of the deal. Caleb looked at the contract, who was supposed to favor him, putting him into a disadvantageous position. ¡°He played me¡­¡± Caleb started to laugh merrily. ¡°He made me look like goddamn novice. What an interesting fellow. ¡±

    ***

    After visiting the Merchant¡¯s Guild Siegfried had gone and visited the Stonemason¡¯s Guild and the Enchanter¡¯s Guild. He had also created some contracts with their Guild Masters and was now ready to start with the mass production of his item.

    Siegfried was done. As he reached his room, the Illusion¡¯s magic he had used to disguise himself was starting to wear off. He turned back to his old self. He looked at the mirror in his room. Now he was back being Tristan. He smiled ¡°Here comes the money¡± He mumbled with a big smile on his face.

 Mothers

    Obscurati (15.7.9974 AS)

    Lamia

    Lamia was sitting in her office. Although, she was supposed to be working, she hadn¡¯t touched a single paper from the pile on her desk. Her greenish-grey eyes were glued on the crystalline plate she had found two months ago in her desk drawer.

    Back then she didn¡¯t have a clue what it was or where it came from. Now she knew it was a communication plate or short ¡®Commu¡¯. And by now she was certain where it came from.

    Two months ago no one knew such an item existed, now every demon had heard or even owned such an item. Their popularity had exploded in the past months, mostly because of their price. They weren¡¯t cheap, but still affordable. It was like the owner of Siegfried Corp. wanted to flood the market with the items.

    ¡®They¡¯ didn¡¯t like the items, because said items destroyed the old balance. Before the item existed, ¡®they¡¯ could manipulate the information for the broader public with ease. But no more now, thanks to the commu information would spread like a wildfire and ¡®their¡¯ actions were more difficult to hide.

    Therefore, ¡®they¡¯ had asked her to look into the creator of the item. But the Guild Master did not want to tell anyone who the owner of Siegfried Corp. was. Even though, Caleb was a member of the three clans and knew of ¡®their¡¯ will he didn¡¯t tell Lamia anything about the creator of the item.

    He told her that Siegfried was a rather eccentric person. He also told her, that Siegfried demanded his identity to remain hidden through a contract. Of course he couldn¡¯t break a contract.

    In Umbra all contracts are magical and unbreakable. This was because of the Demon¡¯s habit of breaking non magical contracts.

    During her research Lamia had gotten the feeling she knew who Siegfried was. No, she was sure who it was, but didn¡¯t have a real proof. She was sure it was Tristan. She knew he had hidden the item in her drawer she hid her sweets in. No one but Tristan and Lamia knew of the false bottom of the drawer. She had told Tristan one of the times he had secretly visited her about a year ago.

    The other thing, that pointed towards Tristan was, he was supposed to be the smartest Demon alive! If someone could create a miraculous item like the commu, then it was Tristan.

    Tears welled up Lamia¡¯s eyes. ¡°And I¡¯m the reason why you created something like this¡± She whispered only for her to hear. She activated an item that made sure no one outside its range could hear her. Then she used the commu. The person on the other end didn¡¯t say a word like usual.

    ¡°Hi Tristan, I know you are there. You don¡¯t need to say a thing¡­ I just wanted to tell you happy birthday. I can¡¯t believe my baby is now already six years old! I¡¯m sorry for not being there. I¡¯m sorry for not being strong enough to be there for you. But you should know that I will be always with you, in the shadows observing you from far away.¡±

    Lamia sighed, trying to contain her tears. ¡°You know, everywhere you go, I will always love you and be proud of you. Yes, I will be always proud of you. Doesn¡¯t matter if it is because you are doing great in school or because you changed this world with this item, I will be proud of you. No, I¡¯m proud of you my son!¡±

    For the first time ever, she could hear something from the other side: Sobbing. She could hear Tristan sobbing from the other side. Lamia smiled bitterly and started singing happy birthday to her beloved son.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Nocturnio (3.12.9975 AS)

    Nana

    It was six o¡¯clock as Nana¡¯s alarm started ringing. She had already been awake since earlier and turned it off, before it could ring for a second time. She stood up and went to her bathroom. She looked in the mirror and sighed.

    What she saw was the face of an old woman: A thin face full of wrinkles and blank black eyes. She swallowed a pill and saw how her face turned young again. The wrinkles were gone and her young strict appearance was back to how it was more than a thousand years ago. Only her silver hairs didn¡¯t turn black as they once used to be.

    As she walked towards the kitchen, she found Laura and Tristan holding a cake towards her and singing happy birthday. ¡®Oh yeah, today is my 1087th birthday¡¯ she remembered as she thanked the children.

    Laura was once again staying with them, because Dolores had some business to do. Nana didn¡¯t mind, having another ¡®child¡¯ to look after. ¡®I know their age say they are children, but sometimes I get the feeling they are older than me.¡¯ She thought, whishing the two children to become more childlike.

    After eating the cake, the children had gotten her she walked with them to school. She worked in a caf¨¦ close to the campus, so she could walk with them in the morning. She also used to be able to walk them home in the afternoon, but now her caf¨¦ had grown.

    The Siegfried Corp. had requested her to open another caf¨¦ close to their factory. So right now she had to look after two Mitternachts.

    The workers in the factories close to the Mitternacht all loved her cakes, so the word spread around. And now she was about to open a third Mitternacht in the city center close to the Portal Main Station, because the demand after her cakes were so high.

    Nana sighed as she entered her office in the original Mitternacht. ¡®All I wanted is to bake cakes and make children happy! And now¡­ Now I don¡¯t even get to bake anymore¡­ All I do is think of is finances and making profit! This wasn¡¯t how my dream would work. I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to Siegfried¡¯s proposal to open a second Mitternacht in the factory district.¡¯

    ¡°Living the dream? Were those her words again?¡± Nana recalled Lamia¡¯s words as she had gifted her the Mitternacht for taking care of Tristan. She had told her Mistress she didn¡¯t need any form of pay for doing so, but she had insisted.

    ¡®Living the Dream my ass, all I do is work in this office and not in my kitchen how it is supposed to be!¡¯ She sighed again as she prepared the details for the grand opening of the third Mitternacht.

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (11.6.9977 AS)

    Bella

    ¡°I¡¯m not even ten and they have already introduced me to my future husband!¡± A young blonde girl said as she walked in the room hysterically. ¡°Have you seen him? Just talking to him is a pain! How am I supposed to marry someone like that!¡±She said almost shouting with and exhausted voice.

    Bella smiled. Not the answer the blonde girl was expecting. ¡°Why are you smiling? This mess is your fault anyways! Giving me a prophecy like that! Of course, my doting parents are gonna search of the strongest him! But the one they found¡­ Let¡¯s put it like this, I don¡¯t know him for more than a few hours but I already want to kill him. Is that wrong of me?¡± The girl went silent starting to doubt if her assessment was wrong.

    ¡°Have you calmed down a little?¡± Bella started. ¡°Why is it that every time you visit me, you are in such a bad mood?¡± The girl glared at Bella. ¡°Just kidding, I know most of the time you visit willingly is because you found parts of my schemes¡­¡± Bella said with an apologetic tone using her charms to calm the girl down.

    ¡°There is one thing I can tell you though, that guy you just met isn¡¯t yours. Yours is right now far, far away from you, not even dreaming that you are his princess.¡± She smiled at the girl. ¡°How is he so?¡±-¡°Let¡¯s put it like this, he is reliable enough, not to show up here and make a fuss, just because something doesn¡¯t fit his plans.

    The girl¡¯s blue eyes wandered aimlessly through the room. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to teach a few more things¡­¡± Bella put on a mischievous smile. The girl recalled the lesson¡¯s she had had with Bella until now and forcefully swallowed her saliva.

    ¡°You will have to visit me every Friday from now on, till you are a proper Lady.¡± Bella said playfully. ¡°Why me?¡± the girl whispered. ¡°Because to me you¡¯re the daughter I¡¯ll never have.¡± Bella said, jumping towards the girl and started hugging her.

 Dolores

    Nocturnio (20.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°As always, please don¡¯t call me while I¡¯m away. If I feel like hearing your voice I¡¯ll be the one calling you after school is over.¡± Laura, who was tying her wavy brown hair to a pony looked towards her mother. ¡°Got it! I know it might be problematic to call you during your mission.¡±

    Dolores sighed. ¡°How many times have I told you not to call them missions, it¡¯s just a business trip.¡± Laura rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, when will I have my debut?¡±

    ¡°You are still too young to be thinking about it. This business is not something a kid like you could bear.¡± Laura puffed her cheeks. ¡°But I already started with the military training at school. This week we already have our first patrol! And you taught me well enough so I can handle a mission like that.¡±

    Dolores grabbed Laura by her shoulders and started shaking her. ¡°Are you in the right mind? Where is my smart daughter gone? How can you say such things? You know just too well what I do on such missions! You know just too well these eyes of mine have seen things; no one wants his worst enemy to see! Words can¡¯t describe the gore I have seen on those missions and you still say a kid like you could bear it?!¡±

    ¡°Mooom! Mom, I¡¯m sorry¡± The trembling Laura apologized. ¡°You know how I can be sometimes, I just say things I don¡¯t mean, just because I¡¯m exited!¡± Dolores did let go of her daughter and smiled. ¡°As long as you get it. Have you packed everything you need for your stay in Nana¡¯s house?¡± Laura nodded.

    Malitia (20.10.9978 AS)

    As Dolores walked out of Malitia¡¯s Portal Main Station she was greeted by grey and black old gothic styled buildings of the city. She walked through the dim streets only lighted by the streetlights. Although, it was in the middle of the day, the sun did not shine upon the streets of the city hidden in the Mortis Mountains.

    She walked the main street towards the city hall. She entered a pub close by. The owner of the pub recognized her and led her to the basement. From there she took a secret path that lead into the mayor¡¯s office.

    Dolores sighed as she entered the room. ¡°Darling, long time no see.¡± Laidir greeted his former lover with a warm genuine smile. Dolores just glared at him and ignored his friendly words. ¡°How can I help, Master?¡± She said as she bowed.

    Laidir looked disappointed. ¡°Why so cold?¡± ¨C¡°I don¡¯t know what you expected from me? Would you have preferred me running into your arms and told you how much I missed you the past five years? Telling you how lonely I felt, when you broke your promise of leaving your wife?! I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m just here to take care of the job.¡±

    Although, she had gone on numerous missions since she had moved to Nocturnio, she hadn¡¯t met Laidir a single time during all that time.

    Laidir looked troubled. ¡°Well, you know about my position and I already apologized, didn¡¯t you get the message?¡± Dolores rolled her eyes. ¡°So, what about the job, I¡¯m sure Master knows that a single mother doesn¡¯t have time to waste.¡±

    Laidir sighed and finally dropped the topic. ¡°Well then, to the job it is¡­ You know those crazy bards, that would cause chaos every once in a while? We have found their main hideout. And I want you to eliminate their bosses. It shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem for you. They are weak and unorganized, the only problem is they numbers, but someone of your caliber shouldn¡¯t have trouble doing so.¡±

    ¡°My secretary will give you the details.¡± He said as he walked out of the office. A beautiful young woman entered. ¡®His new conquest? What a pig, always going for the young ones.¡¯ Dolores thought as she heard the information of the young woman.

    ***

    Dolores walked out of the pub. Her new goal was her family house. As if she didn¡¯t already have enough unpleasant encounters today, she probably would have to talk to her parents.

    Since she had gotten pregnant, she had almost no contact with her parents. They would only see each other, when there was a job only she could take care off. Her parents were the heads of the Verheerung clan, a clan of cold blooded assassins that worked directly under the Zerst?rung¡¯s clan head. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Besides her parents there was no one in their clan that could compete with Dolores in skill. Although, her MR ranking was just high conqueror, she could still take out targets with the MR of King. Thus, she was regularly summoned to take care of the more difficult jobs.

    Ater Mountains (21.10.9978 AS)

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have taken this job.¡¯ Dolores thought as she walked through the endless maze of tunnels under the Ater Mountains. Yesterday morning she had received, the information that the leaders of the ¡®cult of bards¡¯ were hiding here. But until now she hadn¡¯t found a single bard.

    The ¡®cult of bards¡¯ was a group of bards, preaching against Fors, the god that stopped the Great War and brought peace and happiness to the world. As Fors¡¯ representatives on Umbra it was the job of the three clan heads to delete such groups.

    Thus Dolores was sent to kill every single bard in this maze. She was alone, but that wouldn¡¯t hinder her of killing them all. Dolores had the confidence of being able to kill everyone here, that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t ask for assistance from her clan. Even if the enemy was stronger than her, she had the confidence to be able to escape of any crazy situation.

    She followed the instructions of the map in her hands. Said map was an item that worked like a GPS. It was guiding her through the maze. She had been walking since yesterday, but still had quite a distance ahead of herself.

    ***

    In the evening she finally reached her destination. There were about one hundred bards gathered outside of a building that looked like a temple. The statue of Fors in front of the temple had been torn down.

    ¡®What a waste.¡¯ Dolores thought as she saw how the bards had treated Fors temple. Dolores eyes wandered through the bards, but she couldn¡¯t find anyone that looked like a leader. ¡®Aren¡¯t the leaders supposed to be here?¡¯

    Dolores took out a pill out of her backpack and swallowed it. The fatigue, she felt after walking for so long was gone. And her feelings went numb. ¡®Much, better¡¯ She thought as she snuck into the temple.

    There she found four bards, two women and two men discussing things.

    ¡°We will have to move soon.¡± A black haired man said. ¡°He is right, we can¡¯t stay here forever.¡± A blonde woman agreed. ¡°What about you Gabe, do you also think we should really leave Umbra soon?¡± The blonde man, who was talked to, nodded towards the black haired woman. ¡°Mephis, we don¡¯t have an option. We have been overdoing it lately. The portal to Lunae should open in a week, and then we can escape.¡±

    ¡®They can open portals? Weren¡¯t they just some bards, singing about the greatness of the false gods?¡¯

    ¡°Hey guys, we have someone listening to our conversation.¡± The black haired man looked around and asked ¡°Are you sure?¡± The blonde woman nodded.

    Dolores took a deep breath and sent her mana through the piece of paper she had in her hands. A stiletto appeared in her hands. She smiled at her favorite weapon. She poured her mana in the stiletto and the magic circle on its hilt started glowing. Even just a scratch with this weapon could poison people with the MR of Super Devil or lower to death.

    ¡®Since they know I¡¯m here, let¡¯s say hi.¡¯ She activated her active and time seemed to stop for her. She had accelerated her body to a point that she saw everything around her in slow motion. She smiled as she jumped out of her hideout and started to run with top speed towards the black haired man.

    There was just a handful of people who could react to such an attack in this world; only people who had reached the MR of Emperor could do so.

    These bards had no chance of survival facing Dolores. They would die before even noticing they were hit by her. A merciful death, with no pain involved. Dolores had killed hundreds in the same way.

    But-

    Just one millimeter before her stiletto hit the flesh of the black haired man he disappeared.

    Dolores felt something hit her stomach. Before she could react the black haired man had already sunk his fist into her stomach and sent her flying.

    Dolores body was slammed on one of the temple¡¯s walls. Fortunately the pill she had taken earlier had numbed her feelings such as pain. She stood up as if nothing had happened to her.

    ¡°Nice try girl.¡± The black haired man said as his green eyes began to glow in red and shadows started to cover his body.

    Dolores eyes widened as she saw the grotesque werewolf like shadow-monster standing in front of her. His red eyes gave her chills. Although, she wasn¡¯t supposed to feel fear thanks to the pill she had taken, she had started trembling.

    ¡®Is this the end? Is my worthless life finally over? ¨C No, I can¡¯t die here! I have to live for her! I have to be there for her!¡¯

    She once again accelerated thanks to her active. She moved at top speed past the group of four. She felt how the glowing red eyes followed her every movement as she ran past them. In a split of a second Dolores had left the temple. She had planned to go back to Ater and ask for help to finish this job.

    But-

    As she was chasing past the bards outside the temple, she saw a bright light appear in front of her. ¡°Too slow.¡± The blonde woman said as she pounded her fist into Dolores¡¯ face, not only sending her flying back to the temple, but also knocking her out.

    ¡°By Aetas!¡± The black haired man said, as his eyes turned back to normal. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to kill her, you know! We could have still used her.¡± The blonde woman rolled her eyes. ¡°Shut up. As if I can¡¯t control my strength!¡±

    ¡°So we won¡¯t go back to Lunae yet?¡± The blonde man asked. ¡°No, no, we will go back, just right after the encore.¡± The black haired man said smiling and then he started humming as he walked towards Dolores body.

 First Patrol

    Nocturnio (20.10.9978 AS)

    Tristan was watching Abigail type like a maniac on a holographic keyboard as he munched on a croissant. He was used to the sight, but he still couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed by her active. ¡°Want one?¡± He asked her, pointing towards a fresh croissant, he had just gotten from a bakery. ¡°No thanks, I already have this.¡± She said taking a pink lollipop out of her mouth and putting it back in.

    Tristan glared at the girl who was always wearing her hazel hair to a bun. ¡°How many times have I told you not to eat these?! We haven¡¯t tested them out yet!¡± Tristan could see Abigail rolling her eyes behind her glasses that seemed too big for her small face. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m testing them.¡± She smiled brightly. ¡°And they are awesome; I don¡¯t feel fatigue or hunger after I started to lick on this one. And the berry taste isn¡¯t bad either.¡±

    Tristan sighed. ¡°If you say so, but don¡¯t hold me responsible if something happens to you. The magic circle I enchanted into it wasn¡¯t perfect.¡± Abigail¡¯s brown eyes stared deep into Tristan¡¯s greenish grey eyes that were almost hidden behind his long, wild black hair.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop being so modest? Your inventions have the power to change the world, you know! And I decided to be your number one minion, so be a little proud of yourself. You¡¯ve got brain, talent, money and a beauty!¡± she put on a victory pose. ¡°So be more confident in your inventions! If we fuck up with both of our abilities, then¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ Then the world is probably about to go down!¡±

    Abigail¡¯s speech made Tristan smile. When he had first had told her about his abilities, he thought it was a bad idea. But in the past five years she had helped him more than enough. Not only thanks to her encouraging speeches, but also thanks to her active ability: ¡®Archive¡¯.

    ¡°Anyways, how is the gauntlet coming along? Have you found a way to use them without me losing an arm? A barrier wouldn¡¯t be bad, but I want to avoid charging that thing with more information so it doesn¡¯t blow up even before using it.¡±

    Abigail looked at the holographic monitor in front of her and sighed. ¡°Sorry, it seems that a barrier is our only option.¡± The smile on Tristan¡¯s pale face disappeared. ¡°We will have to abandon that project for now then.¡±

    ¡°Why? We have never abandoned a project! And we have reached so many magnificent things just by keeping up our research!¡± Abigail retorted.

    ¡°Calm down for a bid. I never said we will abandon it forever, but we can¡¯t keep up with this time consuming project since we have so many other projects to work on. And don¡¯t forget, from today on we are members of the military course. We will even go on our first patrol today.¡± Tristan explained calmly.

    ¡°Why did you even choose the military course? Don¡¯t most elder take the political courses?¡± Tristan continued.

    ¡°Well, most of the Elders in the academy don¡¯t have faith in their powers. And when you finish that thing you are working on, most of the people with archive magic will lose their use.¡± She pointed at the item Tristan had been working on, that looked like the material version of her holographic computer. ¡°I also told you, I¡¯m your number one minion, so how am I supposed to be far away from my boss?¡± Abigail pushed her glasses slightly up and smiled brightly.

    ¡°Ok, ok.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°But you know, even if I succeed in building one of those, I don¡¯t think I would sell it to the masses like the Commu. I¡¯ve already enough money to fill this lab with items and books, so I don¡¯t need more money.¡± He pointed at his laboratory that wasn¡¯t only filled with shelves full of books, but also full with high grade magical items. Many of them build by him and Abigail in their free time.

    ¡°So you won¡¯t be opposing ¡®them¡¯?¡± Abigail looked curious towards Tristan. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your powers told you, you¡¯d have to face ¡®them¡¯ one day?¡± Tristan looked at Abigail in disbelieve. ¡°You know who my mom is and you also know she is afraid of ¡®them¡¯. So how am I supposed to oppose ¡®them¡¯ right now?¡±

    Abigail¡¯s eyes wandered around them room. ¡°With your cool inventions? Didn¡¯t your mom tell you ¡®they¡¯ didn¡¯t like Siegfried Corp. because it broke the order of the world?¡± Tristan sighed. ¡°They don¡¯t only use more aggressive methods to find Siegfried, because mom convinced them, Siegfried won¡¯t do anything reckless anymore. Do you really believe they will leave Siegfried alive if I go on and sell one of our babies here to the public?¡±

    ¡°Kyaahh you said our babies! I can¡¯t believe you had such fantasies. I¡¯m not ready for a family yet!¡± Abigail hid her face with her hands, making sure she could see Tristan¡¯s face between her fingers. Tristan just looked bored. ¡°Come on don¡¯t be such a spoilsport. You are supposed to blush a little or to get mad at me for acting like a kid or something.¡± She said, throwing a pencil at Tristan, who caught it effortlessly.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°Anyways, have you packed everything you need for the next week? If I remember correctly, we won¡¯t be allowed to go home, till the week is over.¡± Tristan changed the topic. Abigail waved her hands. ¡°Yes, yes, I have everything I need. And you aren¡¯t my mom, to be telling me stuff like that.¡±

    Tristan pretended not to hear her comment. ¡°Very well then, come take my hand and I will drop you at your place.¡±

    As soon as she had taken one of Tristan¡¯s hands, they both appeared in Abigail¡¯s room. ¡°How is it to be alone with a girl in her bedroom¡± she whispered in his ears. ¡°How should it be? You ask every time I bring you back, and my answer won¡¯t change from one day to the next.¡± Abigail looked disappointed a Tristan, who never reacted to her teasing.

    Tristan was already used to how annoying Abigail could get with her pranks when she didn¡¯t sleep enough. The lollipop she was eating would give her body energy and relieve her sense of fatigue, but her body would still crave for sleep unconsciously, so she could become quite a bitch after not sleeping for so long.

    ¡°See you at school.¡± He said as he disappeared, leaving her alone in the big room.

    ¡°Good! Glad you are awake!¡± Ernesti entered the room without knocking. ¡°Hey! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to come in without knocking?¡± She screamed at her brother throwing a plushy on his face.

    ***

    Everybody was already waiting in their classroom as Tristan and Laura arrived, carrying big backpacks. ¡°Everybody is finally here.¡± Miss Doctri said with a sad voice. ¡°I hope you all ready for today¡¯s patrol. Please keep in mind, everything I taught you.¡± Tears were welling up her eyes. ¡°Now everybody, I wish you best of luck you can now move to the assembly room.¡±

    They walked to the assembly room, filled with students from other classes. Tristan could feel the tension in the air. Everybody here wanted to see in what group they ended up with and where their first patrol would take them.

    The principal walked on the stage and read the short speech he had prepared. ¡°Dear students, today is a really important day in your lives; the day you take your first step towards our continent¡¯s military. Today you start your practical lessons with your first patrols.

    The world you¡¯re about to step into is different to the one you have been practicing in. But still you must not forget the lessons we have taught you here at the academy, no matter in what situation you might be in.

    Keep in mind every single lesson, you had in the past five years, and I promise you: No one is going to stop you from fulfilling your mission. Just remember to always keep a cool head and neither ¡®Monsters¡¯ nor ¡®Clanless¡¯ will be an obstacle for you.

    Well then, without further redo Miss Kuro the stage is all yours.¡± He signaled towards the tanned beauty sitting in the front row.

    Sabrina smiled and leaped on the stage. ¡°Yay, the moment you all have been waiting for!¡± She shouted in the voice amplifying item. All of the present students covered their ears. ¡°Oops, that was too loud, I¡¯m sorry. You see I¡¯m as excited as you guys. It¡¯s my first time working as leader after all.¡± She bowed slightly.

    ¡°Okay, now we will separate you into different groups.¡± She took out a piece of paper from her pocket and started reading names. ¡°Tristan Halblicht, Laura Verheerung, Abigail Lettum, Annie Kuro, Seria Lucifer, Ernesti Tod, Leo Luci, Oriana Cassio and Richard Lucifer; you will follow me. The rest, well, have fun with your group leader. Steph the rest is up to you!¡± She said, throwing the voice amplifier to a dumbfounded brunette.

    The surprised Tristan and his friends followed Sabrina. They walked into an empty classroom. ¡°Hi again, nice to meet you all! Most of you know me already. I¡¯m Sabrina Kuro and this girl here is Caitlyn.¡± A pale girl no one had even noticed before bowed. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Caitlyn Lum and I will be supporting Sabrina in taking care of you guys.¡±

    ¡°You probably realized by now, you guys are the top nine students in your year. You may ask you why we did put all of you guys here in this group together.¡± Sabrina¡¯s full lips curled into a bright smile. ¡°The answer is simple, you guys are way more talented than the other students. Therefore, you will be going under special training.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± A small pale girl with big black eyes asked. ¡°That means you guys will be the future group leaders. In five years from, now you guys will be the ones leading the groups of newbies into their first patrol. But it also means that you guys will reach a higher MR level after graduating. Usually, most of the students graduate at ¡®Demon Lord¡¯ level, but you guys will graduate as ¡®Conquerors¡¯. Any other questions?¡±

    Sabrina looked around and continued since no one asked her anything. ¡°Very well then, we don¡¯t have much time¡­ But still I want you guys to introduce yourselves with your name, and your preferred fighting style. I will start. My name is Sabrina Kuro and I¡¯m a melee fighter. Now you Trist.¡±

    Tristan who had been sitting on a chair stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Tristan Halbicht and I¡¯m also a melee fighter.¡± As he sat down, Laura stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Laura Verheerung and I¡¯m also a martial artist.¡± Next to her Abigail stood up. ¡°I¡¯m Abigail Lettum and I¡¯m a ranged caster.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Annie Kuro and I¡¯m also a ranged caster¡± Annie said still sitting. ¡°I¡¯m Seria Lucifer and I¡¯m a melee fighter.¡± Seria said proud.

    After being brutally beaten down by Laura¡¯s melee fighting style, Seria had decided to also learn martial arts, to be able to defend against such an overwhelming force charging at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ernesti Tod and I¡¯m a caster.¡± Ernesti said waving his arms. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Leo Luci and a healer.¡± Leo said with a rather scared voice. The small black haired girl, who had asked the question graciously stood up and bowed slightly before introducing herself to the others. ¡°I¡¯m Oriana Cassio and I¡¯m also a ranged caster.¡± Lastly, Richard stood up and introduced himself as ranged caster.

    Sabrina clapped her hands. ¡°By the way Caitlyn is also a ranged caster. Now that we got the introductions out of the way, I will start with the information about your first patrol.¡±

 Evacuation Route

    Nocturnio (20.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°As you all know, all the ¡®gates¡¯ that lead from the other continents to Umbra are located in Nocturnio. This means if the Seraphs were to attack, Nocturnio would be the first city to become a battlefield.¡± Caitlyn looked towards Sabrina before continuing her explanation.

    ¡°Although, the ¡®gates¡¯ are all guarded heavily by our military¡¯s best men and women, it is still very likely that our defenses will break. You probably already imagine: the military would try to suppress them as fast as possible. This means the first waves of a war would be fought here in Nocturnio.¡± Caitlyn was uneasy talking about this topic. So she looked towards Sabrina seeking help to continue, but Sabrina ignored her completely.

    Caitlyn sighed. ¡°If this were to happen, we must ensure the safety of the civil population, by evacuating them. The problem lies in the measures against an invasion. One of those measures is to shut down all Portal Stations in the city. This means it¡¯s our duty to walk the civilians from Nocturnio to Nox.¡±

    ¡°How are we supposed to do that?¡± Tristan butted in. The two cities were separated by over 3500km (2175 miles). It was impossible to walk with over twenty million people such a route undetected. ¡°Even if it was possible to hide the people, it would take months if not years to escort so many people from Nocturnio to Nox by foot.¡± Tristan continued while the others nodded agreeing to his objection.

    ¡°The answer is simple, we don¡¯t walk them to Nox.¡± Sabrina said, evoking confused looks by her pro¨¦t¨¦s. ¡°You see, the last war showed us, just hiding them in bunkers is a stupid idea. People get anxious and do stupid things if they have to stay so long hiding during a war. Also, if the enemy finds the bunkers, the civilians inside are trapped there with no option of survival.¡± The new recruits looked even more confused now.

    ¡°Therefore ¡®the Maze¡¯ was created. It is an evacuation route that leaves from Nocturnio and Ater to Nox. But it mainly serves as a gigantic bunker. If a war were to break out, we would lead the civilians into ¡®the Maze¡¯ and help them survive there. We would let them believe to walk them to Nox, but in reality, it¡¯s just a bunker.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why is this any better than a bunker.¡± Laura asked. ¡°Because we give the civilians hope. They think they can survive if they keep helping each other reach Nox. They have a goal and won¡¯t do despicable things like they did during the ¡®Great War¡¯. So our goal is to keep them as long as possible walking through the maze even if it means staying decades down there.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling us this?¡± Ernesti asked fearing the worst. ¡°Simple, the goal of our first patrol is to visit the maze and to hunt down ¡®Clanless¡¯. You see, since ¡®the Maze¡¯ isn¡¯t in use right now, they use it as a hideout. So it¡¯s our job to dispel them from there.¡± Sabrina said while distributing them maps of ¡®the Maze¡¯.

    ¡®Clanless¡¯ were Demons that didn¡¯t belong to or were dispelled from the three clans. In the demonic society, all demons were somehow related to one of the three clans. They either belonged to the main families or to their side families. If a Demon broke the rules of his clan, he could be dispelled from its clan.

    All ¡®clanless¡¯ were considered as criminals by the society and the justice. Therefore, the military and the police were free to hunt them down if they found them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose the maps. They are your only way to come out of ¡®the Maze¡¯ once you are inside.¡± Sabrina warned them. The maps were an item that worked like a GPS and would help them navigate inside the Maze.

    ¡°The marked spot is our goal. ¡®The Maze¡¯s¡¯ magic barrier found traces of intruders there. Thus, we will go there and dispose of them.¡± Sabrina smiled cheerfully.

    ¡°H¡­ Ho¡­ How m-many ¡®clanless¡¯?¡± Leo whispered. ¡°Dunno, maybe just a few with the MR below Dragon, but if we are lucky we might find some Demon Lords or even a Conqueror! Wouldn¡¯t that be awesome? I always wanted to fight one of those strong guys.¡± Sabrina said with a bright smile.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°She is too much¡± Laura whispered into Tristan¡¯s ears, while rolling her eyes. ¡°Can¡¯t she just for once be serious?¡± Tristan just smiled and pretended to not have heard anything.

    Caitlyn once again stepped in front of the group. She pointed towards the backpack on the back of the room. ¡°These backpacks are your number one survival tool for the next week. They are filled with food and important items. So, let¡¯s go through the most important items you¡¯ll need!¡±

    She took out an item that looked like a wireless headphone. ¡°This is a special mini Commu. It was specially developed for the military. Unlike normal Commu, that just allow you to communicate with one other person, these ones allow you to communicate with a whole group. And they are really small, so you can put them in your ears and you have your hands free to do whatever you want.¡±

    Caitlyn did put the mini Commu into her ear to demonstrate it. ¡°By the way they are used like normal Commu, I think you all know how Commu work.

    Caitlyn¡¯s hands sunk once again into the backpack and took out a black crystal. "This is an ¡®Immu¡¯. It¡¯s basically a Commu, but with images. With this item you can take images of your environment.¡± Everybody but Tristan and Abigail looked amazed. ¡°You can see the images or even sent them to other people. It¡¯s pretty useful for reconnaissance of new environments.¡±

    After explaining to them how the Immu worked, Caitlyn put it by side and took out another item from the backpack. It was a green rod. ¡°This item is called ¡®pocket dimension¡¯. If you activate it, the people you want to, will be sent into a really strong barrier. You can use it to seal an enemy in there or to save yourselves and your allies from AOE attacks.¡±

    Next she took three different colored flasks out of the backpack. ¡°These are healing elixirs, mana regeneration elixirs and power booster elixirs. Mana regeneration and power booster elixir are to drink, healing elixirs are more effective if you apply them on the wound. Every backpack should contain three of each. So don¡¯t waste them!¡±

    Caitlyn put the flasks back into the backpack and took out a few gemstones out. ¡°The backpacks also contain catalysts for fitting your passive. So make sure you grab the right backpacks, when you take them, I don¡¯t want to see people walking with the wrong catalysts around.¡±

    ¡°The backpack also contains necessity items, like a tent and things to cook.¡± Sabrina, who was getting bored by Caitlyn¡¯s long introduction of the items, continued. ¡°Now, please take yourselves backpacks that fit you. Before I forget it, the backpack itself is also an item specially made for the military by Siegfried Corp. You can put the bags you brought with you from home inside. The backpack won¡¯t get heavier and it also has plenty of space inside for you to use.¡±

    ¡°How is the backpack called? BaPa?¡± Ernesti said jokingly after hearing it was an item made by Siegfried Corp. ¡°Big bro quit staring on the group leader¡¯s breast!¡± The mad Abigail said out loud, since she was the one, who had come up with that uncreative name for the backpack. All eyes wandered to Ernesti, who stopped laughing and started blushing.

    ¡°Sorry, you aren¡¯t my type.¡± Sabrina said, amused, oblivious to the embarrassment of the young man. ¡°I wish I was an only child!¡± Ernesti mumbled to himself, trying to hide behind Tristan from the group¡¯s stares.

    ***

    ¡°Before I forget it, we¡¯ll need to split you guys in two teams.¡± Sabrina said after everybody had taken and checked their personal BaPa. ¡°Tristan, Laura, Abigail and Annie, you¡¯ll go with Cait.¡± Caitlyn¡¯s longing black eyes wandered to Sabrina¡¯s tanned face.

    After a few seconds she came back to reality. ¡°You heard the group leader, nice to have you on my team.¡± Caitlyn bowed towards her new underlings.

    ¡°Very well, then Seria, Ernesti, Leo, Orianna and Richard will be my underlings.¡± Sabrina clapped her hands. ¡°Now let¡¯s get moving, we can¡¯t have the cute ¡®clanless¡¯ wait longer.¡± Laura sighed at Sabrina¡¯s voice. ¡°Cute? Last time I checked criminals weren¡¯t cute.¡± Abigail giggled as she unwrapped another lollipop under Tristan¡¯s disapproving eyes.

    The group followed Sabrina and Caitlyn to the catacombs of the academy. ¡°This is one of ¡®the Maze¡¯s¡¯ entrances.¡± Caitlyn said, standing in front of a gigantic metal door. Sabrina pressed her hands on a stone plate next to the door. The plate started shining brightly and the gigantic door opened slowly.

    ¡°Take your maps out!¡± Caitlyn warned them, as they descended some stairs leading to the start of the maze.

    Tristan looked at his map. He saw how suddenly a blue point appeared on the map. Soon that blue point was connected to a red point by a silver colored line. ¡®So, we will have to walk a lot to reach those clanless.¡¯ He sighed as he saw how long the silver line was. ¡®It¡¯s probably right in the middle of the stretch between Ater and Nocturnio.¡¯

    ¡°We will be walking till we reach about half of our stretch, then we will build our camp and sleep for the day. So we will reach our destination tomorrow to defeat some of the ¡®clanless¡¯.¡± Caitlyn said.

 Cousins

    Ater Mountains(21.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°You are all so young!¡± Orianna said making and adorable pouting face. ¡°When I was your age, I wasn¡¯t even on this school yet!¡± The seventeen years old girl was talking to Tristan, Laura and Abigail. ¡°You might have started late, but you are still in the top ten in our year!¡± Tristan said trying to cheer her up.

    ¡°And you still look like one of us!¡± Abigail added. ¡°I- I¡­ They¡¯ll grow one day! You¡¯ll see, one day they¡¯ll be bigger than the ones the group leader has!¡± Orianna answered with tears on her eyes. Although she was already seventeen years old, her body hadn¡¯t develop much. ¡°I¡¯ll only believe you, when I see it with my own eyes!¡± Abigail answered, sticking out her tongue, just to get smacked on the back of her head by Tristan.

    ¡°Is she always like this?¡± Caitlyn, who had been watching the scene asked, looking towards Abigail. ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± Tristan answered her with a sad voice. Caitlyn¡¯s didn¡¯t say anything but put on a grimace saying. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry for you guys.¡¯

    ¡°EVERYONE READY?¡± Sabrina shouted happily after they had finished their breakfast. ¡°Pssss! We don¡¯t know if the ¡®clanless¡¯ can hear us from far away, so don¡¯t be so loud!¡± Caitlyn rebuked Sabrina¡¯s carelessness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are way too far away for the ¡®clanless¡¯ to notice us!¡± Sabrina waved with her hands trying to calm down her best friend.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I agreed to come to this trip with you again!¡± Caitlyn said. She wasn¡¯t a bad student, but she wasn¡¯t even close of being elected into the elite squad of her school year. So she was just coming to this patrol as a helper, because Sabrina had asked her to. ¡°Because I¡¯m so cute?¡± Sabrina said, winking at the blushing Caitlyn. ¡°Ehhh¡­ N- No! Because you are hopeless without me!¡± She screamed. ¡°Pssss, We don¡¯t know if the ¡®clanless¡¯ can hear us from far away, so don¡¯t be so loud¡± Sabrina answered, showing Caitlyn her tongue.

    ¡°Fors, why did I come here for!¡± Caitlyn murmured as she started walking, taking the lead of the group.

    ***

    In the past years Tristan had followed Bella¡¯s advice of learning ¡®telekinesis¡¯ magic and ¡®resonance¡¯ magic. Not only that, but he had also trained himself in different types of martial arts. Now he could hold himself in fights using hand to hand combat or using weapons.

    He knew how he telekinesis magic could synergize with his abilities. Not only could he use it to get his weapons easier out of his armory, but he could also use it as a support to his hand to hand fighting style.

    But Tristan had no idea how he should use the resonance magic. He had the feeling it had something to do with the ¡®resonance room¡¯ he could open a gate to, but he didn¡¯t know how to use this to his advantage.

    Tristan had also used his time to develop many weapons and items together with Abigail. But all he could think about at the moment was the new weapon he was trying to create. It was a gauntlet that could increase the power of one¡¯s punch. The only problem with it was: the gauntlet would not only destroy the target, but the user¡¯s hand. Tristan just couldn¡¯t come up with an answer for his problem.

    ¡°Yo! Trist!¡± Sabrina called out for Tristan, who was lost in thoughts as they were walking through the maze. ¡°Now that I think about it, we have never a real conversation in all these years we know each other, right?¡± Tristan tilted his head. ¡°You are right! We never had a long conversation. Just always exchanging the formalities you like so much and some small talk we had with the girls present. But it can¡¯t be helped since you don¡¯t like boys, right?¡± Sabrina¡¯s showed Tristan a grimace. ¡°I do like boys! I just think girls are cuter! And I love cute things. So, wanna change the fact, we never really talked to each other?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°So what do you want to talk about?¡± Sabrina shrugged. ¡°Dunno, maybe about your abilities? I mean it sure is strange that someone with no passive and an active like ¡®R¨¹sten¡¯ keeps acing the test.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. What counts is the mind. You probably read about my passive. Thanks to it, I¡¯m smarter than most of the people.¡± Sabrina smiled. ¡°Yeah, I thought you would say so. But considering who your mother is, it¡¯s obvious you would be acing the tests. Don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Tristan asked, baffled.¡±You heard me. Do you mind walking a little bit slower? So they don¡¯t hear what we¡¯re about to discuss.¡± Sabrina said while she continued smiling at Tristan¡¯s lifeless face. ¡°I¡­ Erm¡­ don¡¯t¡­ I¡± Tristan didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡®Why didn¡¯t my passive warn me from this? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be a foresight ability?!¡¯

    ¡°You know I know her quite well.¡± Sabrina continued, slowing down here pace. ¡®Wait, did Lamia tell her?¡¯ Sabrina continued smiling. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me a thing, I asked her after meeting you for the first time.¡±

    ¡®Can she read my mind? No don¡¯t be ridiculous. She can¡¯t. But isn¡¯t she supposed to be a dunce? Wait if she was one she wouldn¡¯t be by far the number one student in her year. Aahhhh! I don¡¯t know what to do! Everything was going so smoothly and now¡­ Calm down Tristan. As Abigail always says, YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE, SO ACT LIKE THE CHOSEN ONE!¡¯ Tristan sighed.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t really working.¡¯ Tristan sighed again. ¡°W¡­ We¡­ do¡­ don¡¯t have to fall back. I know a spell to keep our conversation, just between the two of us.¡± Tristan said, while thinking ¡®Why am I talking like Leo? I usually don¡¯t stutter¡­ Now I understand why Laura is always so weary of this woman! Not even Bella did throw me off track so hard as she did!¡¯

    ¡°Great, you should teach that spell to me one day!¡± Sabrina clapped her hands full of joy. The gemstone on Tristan bracelet glowed green. ¡°Now, no one should be able to listen to our conversation.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Sabrina smiled as bright as usual. ¡°I know you have many questions, but we have time. So where should I starrrt?¡± Sabrina made a grimace before smiling once again and clapping her hands. ¡°Oh, oh, oh, I know!¡±

    She took a deep breath and finally started. ¡°You probably know how the Schatten clan works, right?¡± Tristan shook his head. ¡°Although, it might seem, like the clan is ruled only by the main family. There are actually three families that rule the clan. Ordered by importance those families are: Schatten, Kuro and Lum. Yeah, Cait is the second daughter of the Lum.¡± Sabrina said pointing at her friend.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Well, those three families rule over all the other families inside the clan. Of course, the Schatten have the final word in everything, but they can¡¯t really oppose the opinions of the Kuro and Lum unless they have really stupid ideas.¡±

    Tristan nodded. ¡®Is this insider information, she is giving me willingly?¡¯ Tristan was once again baffled by the way of how Sabrina handled things. ¡®Is she gonna demand something of me? No. She isn¡¯t that type of person. But what if she is? I mean she¡¯s been playing the dunce for a long time. Dang it! She is worse than Bella!¡¯

    ¡°Tristan, are you still there?¡± Sabrina asked him as they continued walking over the broad, dim lighted corridors of ¡®the Maze¡¯. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m listening.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°You see the Kuro and the Lum not only get to help the Schatten rule, but they can also work as a communication tool between the smaller families and the Schatten. Besides, they also play a big factor in the election of the new head of the Schatten clan. But most of the time they just select whoever the Schatten select as their new ruler.¡±

    Sabrina stopped to see if Tristan was still listening to her. He nodded, so she decided to continue. ¡°Well and I¡¯m the heir of the Kuro family. This means one day I will have to carry the burden of helping your big brother rule the Schatten clan. You may ask yourself how I¡¯m allowed to visit this school. I mean this isn¡¯t a bad school, just not the type of school a future ruler should visit.¡±

    Tristan nodded. Sabrina was right. Although the Guardian Academy was the best military school in the continent, its curriculum wouldn¡¯t be useful for high society Demons. Demons in the high society were expected to be stronger than standard soldiers. Thus, most of the high society Demon¡¯s visited schools that would teach them the proper etiquette. And get fighting lessons at home by their family¡¯s own fighting experts.

    ¡°Well, I was also supposed to live an arranged live. I was supposed to play the prim and proper princess. But I didn¡¯t want to. I refused to. My parents were at their wits end and almost decided to disinherit me and push the burden to my sis¡­¡± Sabrina looked sad. This was the first time Tristan saw her like that.

    ¡°But your mom came to the rescue.¡± She said with gleaming eyes. ¡°She knew I¡¯m not the person to play princess and she also knew I would feel guilty for the rest of my life if my adorable sister was forced to take the burden from me. Your mom and your dad somehow managed to convince my parents to send me to Gramps to school.¡±

    ¡°Gramps?¡± Tristan asked. ¡°Wait you don¡¯t know that? The principal is our great grandfather and he¡¯s been taking care of us both for the past years. More of me since you don¡¯t cause as much trouble as I do.¡± Sabrina showed a victory pose.

    ¡°Although, I still get home tortured by a martial arts expert¡­ I mean tutored¡­ I mean tutored, I will always be thank full to your mom. She saved me from a full on boring life. Therefore, I was heartbroken when I heard what happened to you. I was a really painful to see Lamia being so sad. Every time I visited her, I would try to cheer her up, but she wouldn¡¯t cheer up.¡±

    Tristan knew how sad Lamia was, when he first moved to Nocturnio. He knew how much pain he had caused his mother. So he could understand Sabrina¡¯s feelings of wanting to cheer up Lamia.

    ¡°I also thought you were killed by the will of Fors. I thought, I wouldn¡¯t see her smile ever again. But then I met you five years ago. The very moment I met you, I knew. I knew you were her child.¡± Tristan looked puzzled towards Sabrina. ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Come on. For me your mom is like a goddess. Of course I would recognize her child. Besides those greenish-grey eyes you got. No one else besides her has such special eyes.¡± Tristan had never thought about it. But it was true. Most of the Demons had black or dark brown eyes.

    ¡°So, I went straight to see her after returning from my first patrol. First she denied it. But after I kept insisting she told me about you. And why you aren¡¯t allowed to live as a Schatten.¡±

    ¡°Wait, she told you about that? Not even I know why! All I know is: It¡¯s because of ¡®them¡¯, whoever ¡®they¡¯ are supposed to be.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°So do you know who ¡®they¡¯ are?¡¯ he continued.

    ¡°Duh, of course I know who ¡®they¡¯ are. I¡¯ll be the next head of the Kuro after all.¡± Sabrina said with a superior tone just to break out in laughter. ¡°Sorry, sorry, but it just feels great being seen as the smartest person in the conversation. You know, most of the people think I¡¯m stupid or something.¡±

    A few moments passed before Sabrina could calm down enough to continue her explanation. ¡°¡¯They¡¯ are ¡®his¡¯ will.¡± ¨C¡°Wait, what? Now I¡¯m more confused than I was before.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°You heard me. ¡®They¡¯ are ¡®his¡¯ will, and with ¡®his¡¯ I mean Fors.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m doomed. Fors doesn¡¯t want me to be alive? Why? Wait, it¡¯s because of Bella! Yeah of course, it¡¯s because of that woman! I hate her. How could she do this to me? No! No! No! Even if my passive tells me that I will have to fight him. I don¡¯t wanna. I just don¡¯t want to!¡¯ Tristan thought.

    ¡°So I¡¯m cursed by this world¡¯s god?¡± Tristan asked her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know who they are and how to become one.¡± ¨C¡°You know how to become one of them?¡± Sabrina smiled. ¡°Of course I do. After all, someday I will have to choose, if I want to be one of them or not.

    You know it is a big fat lie, that mortal¡¯s can¡¯t reach an MR higher than Saint. And it is also a lie, that Lamia is the strongest mortal in this world. Right now there are at least thousand Saints walking through this world, training to one day reach immortality. To one day become Reiter in Fors¡¯ army.¡±

    Sabrina took a deep breath. ¡°This topic is so boring, isn¡¯t it? Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Just so you still follow me. ¡®They¡¯ are those Saints wandering around in our world. ¡®They¡¯ don¡¯t report directly to Fors, but they do work under his Reiter.¡±

    ¡°So ¡®they¡¯ are still mortals hoping to one day become immortal?¡± Tristan asked.

    Sabrina nodded and patted his head. ¡°So why am I telling you all of this? Well your mom asked me to look after you. This is my way of telling you not to do something incredibly stupid, like trying to fight ¡®them¡¯.¡± Tristan looked awkward towards Sabrina who was laughing. He knew someday he would have to fight them.

    ¡°Anyways under all circumstances you aren¡¯t allowed to even think of fighting them. ¡®They¡¯ all are convinced you died five years ago by the hands of your grandmother. Yes, Lamia¡¯s mom, is one of ¡®them¡¯. But she couldn¡¯t kill you, for the sake of Lamia. So your parents, gramps and your grandma planned a way to save your life. And it would be pretty bad if you were to throw their efforts away, for your personal revenge, right?¡±

    Tristan nodded. ¡°Very well then.¡± Sabrina clapped her hands. ¡°The reason I¡¯m telling you about this right now, is because this mission is actually in ¡®their¡¯ name. Since you¡¯re Lamia¡¯s son, you probably have heard the fairy tail about Fors starting the ¡®Great War¡¯, right? ¡° Tristan nodded. Lamia had told him this fairy tale way too often.

    ¡°Well, you see, the contents of said fairy tail isn¡¯t something the broad masses should know. Imagine if it came out, that Fors was the one starting the ¡®Great War¡¯. This world would go out of control, right? Anyways, there is a group of people called the ¡®bards¡¯. They try to spread it around, with other information putting Fors in a bad light. Therefore, they want to eliminate them. And that¡¯s the true goal of this mission. To kill a bunch of ¡®bards¡¯, pretending them to be ¡®clanless¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What?! How could this even pass, as introductory mission?¡± Tristan asked shocked.

    ¡°Well, we are just here to catch the ones that escape. The Zerst?rung clan, already sent their assassins to take care of this business. As I said, we¡¯re just here to catch, those who managed to escape them. I don¡¯t see a problem with that.¡± Sabrina looked at her map.

    ¡°Looks like were arriving soon. Please pretend I didn¡¯t say anything about this to you, but keep in mind, to never even think of challenging ¡®them¡¯. Unless you want to waste all our efforts to keep you a life.¡± Sabrina waved at Tristan, leaving him behind, running towards Caitlyn.

 Bards I

    Ater Mountains (21.10.9978 AS)

    The scenery they had been walking though changed. The grey walls of the wide, empty corridors disappeared, leaving place for grey buildings. They were now walking through a subterranean town. Most of the buildings were for public use. There were characteristically many bathhouses, public toilets and warehouses.

    Sabrina and Caitlyn, who were leading the group, signaled them to stop between two buildings. Sabrina took out an item from her pocket and activated it. A soundproofed barrier surrounded the group.

    ¡°Please prepare yourselves!¡± Sabrina said with a serious voice. ¡°Put your Commu in your ears, put the ¡®pocket dimension¡¯ in your reach and prepare your catalysts. From now on, we are in enemy territory and we¡¯ll have to advance extremely carefully. You never know what happens during missions.¡± Sabrina said with a frightening serious voice.

    ¡°I never thought, I would see her like this.¡± Laura whispered to Tristan, who was in a completely different place. He was still pondering over the information he had gotten from his cousin.

    ¡°The ¡®clanless¡¯ are supposed to be hiding in a temple a little bit further north of our position. The military has already sent its special forces to deal with their main force. So our job will be to keep an eye on the criminals that try to escape.

    Thus we will split into two teams. Each team is charged to guard one side. Under all circumstances, you aren¡¯t allowed them to leave. Even if it means, to end their lives.¡± Oriana who had been listening raised her voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t a bit hardcore for our first patrol?¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s compassionate gaze landed on the young woman. ¡°We¡¯re in the military. Killing is part of our job. The faster you learn that, the better.¡± She said, trying to sound as cold as possible. Oriana looked down.

    Sabrina clapped her hands happily. ¡°No more questions I guess? Now let¡¯s split here. Please take a good look at your friends in the other group, this might be the last time you see each other.¡± Sabrina said. Everybody but Tristan started looking around with uneasy expression in their faces.

    Caitlyn smacked the back of Sabrina¡¯s head. ¡°That was a joke! These ¡®clanless¡¯ we are about to face aren¡¯t dangerous at all! If they were, this wouldn¡¯t be a mission for newbies, right?¡± Sabrina laughed. ¡°It seems I got a little too carried away with my speech.¡± She showed a victory pose. ¡°But still, don¡¯t underestimate your opponents.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t she act normal for just one minute?!¡± Laura complained annoyed to her friends.

    ¡°Sis, please¡± Annie whispered, reproaching her big sister¡¯s behavior, who was running towards her. Before Annie could do anything, she was already being hugged by Sabrina. Caitlyn walked to the two of them and pulled Sabrina away from her little sister. ¡°Waaiiitt! I didn¡¯t get my daily portion Annie for today yet!¡±

    ***

    The Temple the ¡®clanless¡¯ were using as hideout, had only two possible escape routes: A southern route, leading back into the subterranean town and a northern escape route, leading deeper into ¡®the Maze¡¯ towards Ater.

    Tristan, Laura, Abigail and Annie were led by Caitlyn to the southern entrance of the temple. They hid themselves on the top of an old warehouse. ¡°Are you in position?¡± Caitlyn whispered through her Commu. ¡°Not yet.¡± Sabrina whispered back. Sabrina¡¯s group was sneaking, towards the northern entrance of the temple.

    ¡°Trist are you ok? There is no need to be worried. Everything will go smoothly.¡± Laura said to the absent minded Tristan. After the conversation with Sabrina, his body had gone into autopilot mode. He followed the instructions of the others no more, no less. He hadn¡¯t spoken a single word after Sabrina had left him behind.

    His mind was filled with thoughts on the information he had received. He was thankful for the much needed information, but deep down he wished to stay oblivious to the things happening around him.

    ¡®So that woman, wants me to fight a god? Or do I just need to fight his underlings? No, my passive tells me, I¡¯ll have to fight both.¡¯ A creepy smile appeared on Tristan¡¯s face. ¡®My current MR is High Demon Lord. I wonder how many years it will take me to just reach Saint Level with no help. I mean, I know Nocturnio¡¯s library like the palm of my hand, but I¡¯ve never come across a book with a higher MR than Super Devil. As far as I know even bookshops are forbidden to sell higher ranking books.¡¯Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Tristan sighed. ¡®The only way of getting your hands on higher ranking papers and books is through the military, but even the military¡¯s archives don¡¯t go further than High Conqueror. If I use my abilities and ¡®level up¡¯ some spells I might reach King level. This means I will still be levels below my opponents. And this isn¡¯t some stupid fiction, where the MC wins because of the power of friendship or some other bullshit!¡¯

    Tristan was involuntarily brought back from his thoughts as Abigail pinched his cheeks. ¡°Are you ok? You¡¯ve been so absent-minded since you talked to Sabrina. Did she bully you? I know how forceful she can be.¡± Tristan shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯ll tell you later. Now we need to concentrate on the mission ahead of us.¡± He whispered back.

    ***

    Both groups were now in position and observing the ¡®clanless¡¯ outside the temple. ¡°What are they doing?¡± Annie asked. A group of ten ¡®clanless¡¯ was busy drawing something on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s a magic circle.¡± Tristan said. He was using a spell that worked like a binocular. Thus, he could clearly see the enchantments they were using.

    ¡®Those enchantments¡­ Is that gemstone powder?¡¯ Tristan smiled mischievously. ¡®No doubt about it. They really are opening a portal. I have to admit, I did not expect, a bunch of bards to know the secrets behind the Portals¡­ Their spell work could use some improvement. Still to be able to make such magic circles requires a lot of knowledge and expertise. ¡¯

    ¡°Why would they try to build a magic circle?¡± Annie asked once again. ¡®Should I tell them our enemies are probably out of our league? Nah, it should be fun, watching the Zerst?rung agents getting wrecked.¡¯ Tristan looked towards Annie and answered bluntly. ¡°Beats me.¡± Trying to sound as clueless as possible, just to get glared at by Abigail.

    The reason, why Tristan knew, they were hopelessly outmatched was because of the way they were using the enchantments. Only the highest grade of enchanters could perform the enchantment ritual with fragments of a catalysts unless they used his methods. But there was no way, another person with his same abilities existed in this world.

    He learned this lesson, while recruiting fitting enchanters for Siegfried Corp. First, he had tried to hire Super Devil level enchanters since he himself was on the same level at that time. But it miserably failed, so he had to hire higher level enchanters. Right now all enchanters working at Siegfried Corp. were at least Mid Conqueror level.

    This meant that at least ten of the bards were stronger as the strongest member in their ranks. And he couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that the bards, about a hundred were equally strong as the enchanters if not stronger.

    He decided to keep that information for himself. They weren¡¯t in danger as long as they just watched how the agents of the Zerst?rung clan were killed one by the other. He couldn¡¯t careless about what happened to ¡®their¡¯ agents. No, the opposite was the case. He was really interested in seeing how they managed to fight against such strong foes as the bards.

    ***

    Both groups were in position and ready for battle. Nothing had happened up until now. There were no signs of allies around the temple. It was just the bards, some spent their time vandalizing the statues of Fors in the courtyard of the temple, others cooking and others again were taking care of a large magic circle.

    Tristan who was engrossed, watching the enchanters suddenly noticed a silhouette approaching the temple. It was a feminine figure. He couldn¡¯t recognize her properly, because of the bad lighting, but he was sure to know the person in question.

    The silhouette snuck past a source of light. ¡®Dolores?¡¯ Tristan asked himself. ¡®No, no this is impossible!¡¯ He glanced over to Laura, who had also noticed. ¡°Mom?¡± he could hear her whisper. ¡®This is bad. Really bad! And why is she alone? Why doesn¡¯t she have at least a partner? Who comes to such a mission alone?¡¯ Tristan¡¯s mind that had managed to calm down after the conversation with Sabrina started to run wild again.

    ¡®I¡¯ve never seen her fight, but I¡¯m sure she isn¡¯t someone above Conqueror level. Still, I doubt she will be able to hold herself against so many strong foes. Dang it! All I wanted to see is a slaughter of ¡®their¡¯ agents, but now I get to see the last moments of my best friend¡¯s mom.¡¯ Tristan sighed.

    ¡®So, how can I save her? I need to come up with a good plan. She probably has her Commu on silent mode this means I can¡¯t call her. I can¡¯t risk to teleport to her and I also can¡¯t possibly sneak towards her. Making noise or sending her a message through light would reveal the group.¡¯ Tristan looked towards Laura.

    ¡®Dang it! I can¡¯t do anything to prevent her to charge. I must make sure Laura doesn¡¯t do something stupid, if anything were to happen to her.¡¯ He tried to move closer to Laura, but Caitlyn signaled him to go back to his place.

    ¡®We¡¯re screwed.¡¯

    The groups watched as Dolores disappeared into the Temple. Annie, who was sitting next to Tristan forcefully swallowed her saliva. Sweat started to form on Tristan¡¯s forehead. Not for the same reason as his friends; because of the uncertainty of what was about to happen. No, it was because he knew exactly what was about to happen.

    A few moments passed, but there were no signs of a fight happening inside of the temple. Then suddenly they could hear the scream of a woman. A few seconds later Tristan could recognize how Dolores tried to escape the Temple at top speed. But she was intercepted by a blonde woman. Tristan closed his eyes.

    He was able to clearly hear how the bones on Dolores face were shattered, as they impacted with the fist of the blonde woman. He heard how Dolores¡¯ body crushed into one of the walls of the temple.

    ¡°MOM!¡± Laura¡¯s scream brought Tristan back to reality. He tried to grab Laura by her arms, so she didn¡¯t do anything stupid. But it was too late. Laura had already used her active to accelerate to an unbelievable speed, almost matching her mother¡¯s speed. Laura jumped straight towards the black haired man, who was slowly moving towards her mother.

    ¡®Why am I even doing this?¡¯ Tristan asked himself after jumping behind his best friend.

 Bards II

    Ater Mountains (21.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°By Aetas!¡± A Werewolf like monster said, as he transformed back to a young, black haired man. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to kill her, you know! We could have still used her.¡± The blonde woman next to him rolled her eyes. ¡°Shut up! As if I can¡¯t control my strength!¡±

    ¡°So we won¡¯t go back to Lunae yet?¡± The blonde man, who was coming from inside the temple asked. ¡°No, no, we will go back, just right after the encore.¡± The black haired man said smiling, before starting to hum as he walked towards Dolores body.

    ¡°MOM!¡±

    The black haired man paid the scream coming from the warehouse next to the temple no heed. He continued walking straight towards the woman¡¯s body. He wanted to check on if she really was still alive.

    As he was about to reach her body, the figure of a young girl appeared above of him. It was Laura. She performed a back flip above the man¡¯s head and one of her legs swung down like a guillotine towards the man¡¯s shoulders.

    The man waited as long as he could before easily sidestepping the attack. The man smiled at the sight of Laura¡¯s face as he grabbed her legs. Her facial expressions had turned from one raging with hatred, to one of fear and helplessness.

    The man swirled Laura¡¯s body around before finally slamming it on the temple¡¯s wall. The force of the impact was not only enough to break all the defensive spells she had put on but also the hardening magic she had used to strengthen her body.

    Laura¡¯s body landed above Dolores¡¯ unconscious body. She coughed blood. Some of her ribs were broken.

    Laura hugged her mother¡¯s body. ¡°MoM¡­ aRe yOu Ok¡­ WaKe ¡­ uP¡­ We¡­ nEeD to eScApE fRoM hErE¡­MoM!¡± she whispered with a broken voice.

    The man paid Laura¡¯s words no heed. He just walked towards them.

    ***

    Tristan could hear the terrified Sabrina scream ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Into her Commu, almost blowing his eardrums away. He paid it no heed and he continued flying as fast as he could towards Laura and Dolores¡¯ position.

    On his way he summoned the Schattenklinge, a long two handed magic sword. He prepared the sword by sending his mana into the blade. He also did hold the item ¡®pocket dimension¡¯ ready for use.

    His plan was to use the ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯ for a ranged attack, before using ¡®pocket dimension¡¯ to hide himself and his friends inside the barrier.

    ¡°Please retreat as soon as I activate the ¡®pocket dimension¡¯¡± he whispered into the group¡¯s Commu channel. ¡°No, I won¡¯t leave you behind!¡± Sabrina proclaimed. ¡°Please.¡± Tristan whispered sadly one more time. If he were to be alone with Dolores and Laura, he might be able to use his active bring them to safety. ¡°Ok.¡± Sabrina said with a serious, but understanding voice.

    ***

    Although, he wasn¡¯t in range for a melee attack, Tristan swung the ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯ towards the man, who was slowly approaching Dolores and Laura. A slash of shadows poured out of the swords, towards the man.

    One of the features of the ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯ was its ability to allow its user to control ¡®shadow magic¡¯.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    As expected by Tristan, the man easily evaded the slash by jumping back.

    The man¡¯s green eyes were glued on Tristan¡¯s sword. He smiled happily. ¡°I never thought I would see that sword again. It might just be a replica, but it still brings back a lot of memories.¡± Tristan did clearly not expect those words from the black haired man.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a replica¡± Tristan answered, trying to distract the man. ¡°It¡¯s clearly a replica. I would always recognize my annoying partner, no matter what circumstances I¡¯m in.¡± The man replied, amused, before changing his tone to a more hostile one. ¡°So Schatten boy, are you just that stupid or do you really think you stand a chance against me?¡±

    Tristan who was standing in front of Dolores and Laura tried to sound as calm as possible. ¡°Maybe I came to negotiate.¡± The man laughed merrily. ¡°Negotiate what? For the lives of you three? For the lives of the three hiding at the southern entrance of the temple? Or perhaps for the lives of the six hiding at the northern entrance of the temple?

    Tristan looked troubled. Even when using his abilities to the fullest, he didn¡¯t see a way of beating any of the bards present.

    The man gave a signal and some of the bards disappeared into thin air. Tristan forcefully swallowed his saliva. He knew what that signal meant. Still, he asked for confirmation. ¡°What did you order them to do?¡±

    The man smiled mockingly. ¡°I ordered them to dispose of the vermin hiding on the entrance of the temple.¡±

    Tristan could hear screams coming from the north and the south.

    ¡°Do you know what situation you are in?¡± The man asked as soon as the screams had stopped.

    Before Tristan could answer the man¡¯s words, Abigail¡¯s body landed next to them. Soon after, it was Annie¡¯s body that landed next to him, followed by Caitlyn¡¯s body.

    Tristan turned his head to the left, to avoid seeing the bodies of his companions, just to see how Richard¡¯s, Seria¡¯s and Leo¡¯s bodies landed on the ground left to him.

    ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t have attacked them, if you didn¡¯t have decided to come down here.¡± Tristan could hear the man say. He had closed his eyes, because he couldn¡¯t bear to see the beat down bodies of his friends.

    He could hear two more bodies landing. Although, he didn¡¯t want to, he opened his eyes just to see Oriana¡¯s and Ernesti¡¯s bodies lying on the ground next to him.

    Soon the last body landed on the ground separating Tristan and the man.

    ¡°How does it feel to be responsible for the fall of all your friends?¡± The man asked Tristan once again.

    ¡°AHAHAhahahahah¡±

    Tristan started laughing to the surprise of the man. Tristan was sure, the man just wanted to break him with his words. He was sure the outcome would have been the same either way. But he still couldn¡¯t help but to feel guilty. If only he had told them about the strength of the bards as soon as he realized. Maybe they would have retreated. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t be in such a bad shape right now.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless to think what could have been if I acted differently.¡± Tristan said at the man while activating the ¡®pocket dimension¡¯.

    The man was thrown back a few meters as a barrier of the ¡®pocket dimension¡¯ extended itself around Tristan and his friends. Tristan walked towards the only semi-conscious member of his party and knocked her down. With Laura down, he could now teleport each of his allies to safety without having to worry about their safety.

    As he was about to open a gate to send away his friends he could hear the barrier crack. He turned around to check on what was happening. But he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The man was breaking through the barrier with his bare hands.

    ¡°No way!¡± Tristan whispered. The man didn¡¯t even need seconds, to break the barrier of the ¡®pocket dimension¡¯ that was supposed to be something not even strong foes could do.

    ¡°How strong is he?¡± Tristan said, trembling, losing all will to fight.

    ¡°That was a nasty trick you used there, Schatten boy! If I was your ordinary mortal I wouldn¡¯t have been able to reach you now, but¡­¡± The man was smacked on the back of his head by the woman. ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to know that!¡± She hissed towards the man.

    ¡°Shut up. I was a about to kill him anyway! So, I don¡¯t care if he takes our secrets to his grave!¡± The man said, annoyed pouring ¡®shadows magic¡¯ into his left hand.

    ¡°Because you actually managed to hold me back for so long, I will award you, by killing you first.¡± The man said. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to see how I kill your friends.¡± The man added as he slowly walked towards Tristan.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Gabe, the blonde bard, who had been with them the whole time, interrupted the black haired man¡¯s execution. ¡°Yeah, wait!¡± The black haired female bard, named Mephis agreed.

 Bards III

    Ater Mountains (21.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°Because you actually managed to hold me back for so long, I will award you, by killing you first.¡± The man said. ¡°So you don¡¯t have to see how I kill your friends.¡± The man added as he slowly walked towards Tristan.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Gabe, the blonde bard, who had been with them the whole time, interrupted the black haired man¡¯s execution. ¡°Yeah, wait!¡± The black haired female bard, named Mephis agreed.

    ¡°What do you want now?¡± The annoyed black haired man asked his companions.

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder how you could rule an entire continent by yourself.¡± The blonde woman said coldly towards the black haired man.

    ¡°Stop trying to sound smart, coz you aren¡¯t!¡± The black haired man said towards the blonde woman. ¡°Now Gabe, why did you interrupt me?¡± He continued sending his attention to the blonde man.

    ¡°Do you remember why we¡¯re here in umbra?¡± Gabe asked. The black haired man looked bored. ¡°Sightseeing?¡± He asked as he started laughing like mad. ¡°Of course I know! We are supposed to look for that brat, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°But we couldn¡¯t find him in Obscurati.¡± The blonde woman butted in stating the facts.

    Gabe smiled creepily, pointing towards Tristan. ¡°Nooooo!¡± The black haired man said as he looked at Tristan.

    ¡°You said it yourself, he is a Schatten boy.¡± Mephis, the black haired woman answered. ¡°No way!¡± The blonde woman said as she appeared right in front of Tristan.

    The bewildered Tristan had to stand there as she examined his face and body. He didn¡¯t have terms to fight back. Since the blonde woman was at least as strong as the black haired man, if not stronger.

    After a few minutes, the woman finally pulled back and looked towards Gabe. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She confirmed.

    ¡°By Aetas, why didn¡¯t I notice earlier?¡± The black haired man said, kneeling down before of Tristan.

    Soon all the bards present, were kneeling in front of Tristan.

    ¡°Wha¡­ What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± The dumfounded Tristan asked shyly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have caused you so much trouble!¡± The black haired man said as he rose from his kneeling position. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re terribly sorry for having harmed your friends!¡± The blonde woman said also raising from her kneeling position. ¡°But we didn¡¯t know it was you!¡±

    Tristan just stood there trying to figure out what was happening in front of his eyes. He just couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll excuse these fools.¡± The black haired woman said. ¡°I¡¯m Mephis, it¡¯s an honor to meet you, the one who shouldn¡¯t have been born.¡± She continued introducing herself, in an awestruck manner.

    ¡°Where are my manners?!¡± The blonde man stepped with god speed in front of Tristan. He knelt down and kissed Tristan¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°Whaaaaa¡­¡± This was just too much for Tristan as he pulled back his hands. ¡°Can someone please explain what¡¯s going on, so I can understand?¡±

    ¡°Well, I Dunkler Schatten, will explain it to you!¡± The black haired man bowed. ¡°No, I, Helles Licht will explain it to him!¡± The blonde woman shoved Dunkler by side. Of course Dunkler didn¡¯t wait for long to return the favor. Just to get smacked on the back of his head by Mephis. ¡°You two, stop behaving like preschool children!¡±

    Both of them looked apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The both of them answered at the same time.

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t I supposed to die just a few minutes ago?¡¯ Tristan asked himself. ¡®It seems they were looking for someone and now think I¡¯m that certain someone. I really hope they¡¯re right. I don¡¯t even want to think, what they¡¯ll do to me if it wasn¡¯t me, who they¡¯re looking for.¡¯ Tristan cringed just thinking about it.

    ¡®No, it¡¯s gotta be me! The woman named Mephis, mentioned a part of my prophecy didn¡¯t she? Yes, it¡¯s gotta be me. So why would they be searching for me? And why would they be so friendly towards me?¡¯

    ¡°Nooooo!!! No way!!¡± Tristan shouted as he finally figured out what was going on. ¡°Shut up!¡± he continued in disbelieve.

    ¡®They are ¡®their¡¯ enemy. They know about my prophecy and a woman sent her on a quest with no directions whatsoever! There is only one reason, why they¡¯re behaving this way after finding out, who I am!¡¯

    ¡°Did Bella send you guys?¡± Tristan asked.

    ¡°Yes, she sent us to find you, the one who shouldn¡¯t have been born into this world.¡± Mephis answered.

    Tristan looked at the black haired woman puzzled. ¡°Who are you guys and why did she send you?¡±

    ¡°As I said, my name is Mephis, the blonde man¡¯s name is Gabe, the blonde woman is Helles Licht and the black haired man Dunkler Schatten.¡± Mephis introduce herself and her companions.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°No, I got your nammmmme¡­. Wait, did you say ¡®Helles Licht¡¯ and ¡®Dunkler Schatten¡¯? Do you mean the ¡®Helles Licht¡¯ and the ¡®Dunkler Schatten¡¯ as in the people who ruled Lunae and Umbra ten thousand years ago?¡±

    The black haired man stepped forward and nodded. ¡°Who else would we be?¡± The blonde woman also stepped forward, smiling proudly and bowed. ¡°Empress Helles Licht at your service.¡±

    ¡°How? Weren¡¯t you supposed to have died ten thousand years ago, after fighting the ¡®new gods¡¯?¡± Dunkler smiled. ¡°The books, you youngsters are allowed to use are unfortunately all manipulated by ¡®him¡¯. We didn¡¯t die fighting the ¡®god¡¯s of old¡¯. The opposite is the case. We decided to follow them and disappeared from the worlds of mortals, leaving our legacy to our sons and daughters.¡±

    The blonde woman nodded strongly. ¡°Back then we swore our loyalties to the ¡®god of old¡¯¡­ You don¡¯t know, how it is to live in a world, where your biggest rival is that muscle brain over there¡± She pointed towards Dunkler who looked like he would jump at her any moments.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know how bored I was! You know I was so bored I started preparing my armies to invade Umbra, knowing that it would cost the lives of millions! Just to have some fun.¡± Dunkler nodded. ¡°Same here, back then I was also getting ready to attack Lunae. But before I could do it the ¡®god¡¯s of old¡¯ appeared.¡±

    ¡°They told us to stop right away. Of course we didn¡¯t want to. So we fought.¡± Gabe stepped forward. ¡°As Alexa¡¯s right hand, I was the witness of Helles defeat.¡±

    ¡°And I was the witness of the fight between my master: Permix and Dunkler.¡± Mephis said. Dunkler nodded once again. ¡°They both lost their fights. They both submitted to the will of the ¡®gods of old¡¯ and became their Reiter. Which means they became immortal just like everyone here.¡± Mephis explained so Tristan could understand.

    ¡°Everyone here is an immortal?¡± Tristan asked bewildered.

    ¡°Yes, everyone here is an immortal. We four though, are seen as their leaders because of the close relation we had with our gods.¡± Gabe answered Tristan¡¯s question.

    ¡°Thanks for the history lesson. Let me summarize to see if I got what you wanted to tell me: You guys are the former Reiter of the ¡®new gods¡¯?¡±

    ¡°We prefer the name ¡®gods of old¡¯ to refer of Mistress Alexa and Master Premix. Because the term ¡®new gods¡¯ also includes that traitor: Fors¡± Mephis clarified. ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°So, why were you looking after me?¡±

    Tristan still couldn¡¯t decide to laugh or to cry at the situation. ¡®That explains why my passive didn¡¯t show me a ways of how to get out of the situation, like it always does, when I end up in a dead-end road. They are just too strong.

    Them acting all friendly right now doesn¡¯t mean I can lower my guard though. They are extremely unpredictable. I just can¡¯t figure out, what they¡¯ll do next.

    They¡¯re everyone¡¯s night worst nightmare: unbelievably strong, but crazy at the same time. I wonder if I¡¯ll be ever to sleep at night, knowing, that these kind of people are wandering around this world.¡¯ Tristan forcefully swallowed his saliva as he thought about all this.

    ¡°As you deducted earlier, we¡¯re here by Bella¡¯s request. She told us, that the time for revenge for our master and mistress is coming closer.¡± Mephis told Tristan.

    ¡°And you believed that crazy woman, because?¡± Tristan wanted to know, why someone would ever believe to the words of someone like Bella.

    ¡°She¡¯s a goddess¡± Gabe said convinced. ¡°And the little sister of my master.¡± Dunkler added.

    Tristan smiled bitterly. ¡®So, that woman ruined my life, just because she¡¯s a bro-con? Please don¡¯t make it be like that! Please make her have another reason that will receive itself at the end, like in that cool novel I was reading recently¡¯!

    ¡°Well, Bella told us, to guide you.¡± Heles¡¯ words brought Tristan back out of the world of his thoughts. ¡°She told us to help you reach immortality.¡± Dunkler continued.

    ¡°You¡¯ll train me?¡± Tristan asked, with gleaming eyes.

    ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have the time to do so.¡± Gabe answered. ¡°Since ¡®their¡¯ assassination attempt failed, ¡®they¡¯ll¡¯ soon send Fors¡¯ Reiter to get us here. Although, we might be strong, we can¡¯t deal with their numbers. So we¡¯ll have to soon leave Umbra and hide.¡±

    ¡°And we can¡¯t bring you with us.¡± Mephis added. ¡°If we brought you with us, you¡¯d always live in danger and we can¡¯t risk our only hope, to die before fulfilling his role. Also, right now ¡®they¡¯ think you¡¯re dead. If you come with us, they might start targeting you and your loved ones you left back home.¡±

    ¡°I understand, but how am I gonna reach the needed level to battle him?¡± Tristan asked.

    Dunkler pointed towards the sword, Tristan was holding in his hands. ¡°Years back I hid a nice present for a true Schatten deep in the Noir Mountains on the Island of Oidche. If you manage to find it, you¡¯ll have all you need to become my strongest descendant. I won¡¯t give you any tips on how to find it, because searching for it is already a part of your training.¡±

    Tristan nodded. ¡°The legends, about the dark peek are your handy work I assume?¡± He asked, trying to receive the confirmation, on where he should start looking for the present.

    Dunkler just ignored his question. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for what I did to your friends, but what are we gonna do with them now? They¡¯ll soon wake up, but we can¡¯t leave this cave until next week¡± He pointed towards the magic circle some of his companions were busy creating.

    Tristan walked towards the magic circle and smiled. He thought this was just an ordinary portal circle, but this was a gate to another dimension. He didn¡¯t know the target, but he had seen a similar magic circle every time he used his active.

    ¡°Where are you going? I could help you with this type of gate.¡± Gabe made grimace as he heard Tristan¡¯s suggestion. ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Tristan smiled. ¡°One of my abilities is to open gate, to wherever I want. I could use this ability to send you to the dimension you want to visit.¡±

    ¡°We want to go back to Lunae.¡± Helles explained. ¡°I¡¯ve never been there, but I¡¯ll try to open a gate.¡± Tristan answered.

    ¡°Do your gates close themselves after a while?¡± Gabe asked. ¡°Yes, I can let the gate open for as long as I want to. If I want it to be open for an hour it does, and if I want it to stay open for just one minute it does as well.¡± ¨C¡°Do they stay open even if you don¡¯t send your mana throw them?¡± Tristan looked at Gabe and answered. ¡°Yes, they do. But why are you asking that many specific questions?¡±

    ¡°Look around you. If you were the only one conscious after meeting with us, they¡¯d get suspicious. So ¡­¡± Tristan nodded sighed. ¡°I see¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Tristan waved with his hand and opened a gate to Lunae. ¡°It will stay open for ten minutes, you better hurry and leave.¡± Helles and Mephis both hugged Tristan. ¡°We¡¯ll see each other soon, our hero.¡± Helles whispered into his ears while giving him a big smooch on his cheek.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a smooch for you, but a nice old handshake.¡± Gabe said while laughing merrily. Dunkler, stepped in front of Tristan. ¡°I guess you won¡¯t like my good bye present much.¡± He said, as he knocked Tristan out before stepping into Tristan¡¯s Gate followed by the horde bards that had been watching the scene.

 Principal Kuro

    Nocturnio (22.10.9978 AS)

    *knok, knok*

    ¡°The door is open¡± Nana absent-minded answered to the knocking of her office door without even sparing it a look. She thought it was one of her employees. ¡°Am I not even worth a look anymore?¡± An old but warm voice said. Nana looked up and smiled brightly.

    ¡°Ares, it¡¯s been so long, since we saw each other!¡± The grayish-black haired man that looked like he was in his fifties also smiled happily towards Nana. ¡°It has been indeed a long time since last enjoyed a cup of coffee and cake.¡±

    Nana put the papers she had been working on by side and made a coffee for Ares and herself. She called over one of her employees and ordered each of them a piece of chocolate cake.

    ¡°After so many years you¡¯ve finally made it big?¡± Ares laughed whole hardly. ¡°I guess you can say so, but to be honest, I never wanted to make it ¡®big¡¯¡± Nana answered exhausted. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± Nana went straight to the point.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I even visit my baby sister without having ulterior motives?¡± Ares asked, knowing he would be shut down anyways. ¡°Please, I¡¯ve known you my whole life. I know you would never visit this old hag, just to chat over a cup of coffee.¡±

    ¡°As usual I can¡¯t hide anything from my adorable baby sister. Can¡¯t you youngsters not even leave one or two secrets to an old man like me?¡± Nana laughed happily at Ares words. ¡°It sure has been a while since someone called me young! ¡° She pointed towards her silver hairs.

    In the Demon society, most of the people looked like they were in their twenties. No matter how old they got. They would always try to look young and beautiful. Showing your age was frowned upon. Youth was seen as a symbol of strength and wealth.

    It was a well known fact, that the amount of mana one possessed was the deciding factor in a demon¡¯s aging process. Of course they were many different beauty items, that would help demon¡¯s look young, but they were really expensive.

    Unlike Ares, who spend most of his life training to achieve a high MR level and so had obtained high quantity of mana, Nana didn¡¯t do much in that regard. She was just a normal Demon. She did take daily pills to look young again, but she had gotten to the age those pills were losing their effect, thus she couldn¡¯t regain the color of her hair.

    ¡°You know I¡¯ll always see in you as my na?ve younger sister.¡± Ares smiled.

    Ares Kuro and Nana Halblicht weren¡¯t really related by blood. Thought the bond they shared was the one of brother and sister. Nana was the daughter of Ares¡¯ nanny. Therefore, they obviously spend a lot of time together when growing up.

    Nana could have become a maid at the Kuro household, but during her high school years she met Kleim Halblicht, who later became her husband. After the marriage she became a maid at the Schatten¡¯s household, since her husband¡¯s family served the Schatten clan.

    Ares lamented. ¡°I would have loved to keep you at our household and having you take care of my children and grandchildren.¡±

    Nana laughed. ¡°But in the end I still ended up having to take care of your great-grandchildren.¡±

    ¡°And is he a nice child?¡± Ares asked curious. ¡°To be honest, he is too nice!¡± Nana laughed as she said so. ¡°In all honesty, I have never seen a more mature child sometimes it¡¯s even scary.¡± Ares laughed proud. ¡°Well, he is supposed to be the smartest of our kind, so it makes sense.¡±

    Nana nodded. ¡°But still, he is a really likeable child. He isn¡¯t even gone for a few days by now and I already miss him.¡±

    As Ares was about to say something, his Commu started ringing.

    Ater Mountains (22.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°Tristan! Tristan!¡± Abigail was hugging onto Tristan¡¯s body, as he awakened from unconsciousness. He was the last of his group to awaken. ¡°Uh¡­ What happened?¡± He asked out reflex. ¡°I don¡¯t know, you tell us.¡± Sabrina answered. Tristan shrugged as he heard her cold voice.

    Of course he remembered what had happened, and how lucky they all had been. If the bards hadn¡¯t been searching for him it would have been game over for everyone present.

    No matter how he looked at it, he had just landed the jackpot. Not only had he survived the encounter with an immortal, but he had also received information about how to get stronger.

    Tristan eyes wandered around. Not far off, Richard was trying to calm down Seria, who was crying like a baby. She hadn¡¯t cried so much since she almost got expelled from the Academy after the fight with Laura.

    A little further away were Caitlyn, Annie and Orianna. The trembling girls were chatting with each other, trying to distract themselves from thinking about what could have happened.

    Left to them, was Leo trying to heal Dolores. She was conscious and speaking to Laura. Though, she was still lying on the ground. Of all of them, she had received the greatest damage during the battle against the ¡®Bards¡¯. Although, she didn¡¯t feel the pain during the fight thanks to the pills she had taken, her body was in a really bad shape.

    One serious punch from someone like Dunkler was usually enough to kill most of the Demons in Umbra, no, the whole world. Although, neither Helles nor Dunkler tried to seriously kill her, Dolores had received two incredibly strong punches.

    One on her stomach, pulverizing some of her ribs and damaging some of her organs, the other punch had been on the face. Destroying her nose and taking out most of her teeth.

    Thanks to Leo¡¯s healing, her deformed face had almost turned back to being as beautiful as ever. Unfortunately for her, some scars would remain. Nevertheless, she and Laura were smiling. They both were just happy to be reunited together.

    The mother daughter duo put Tristan¡¯s heart at ease. Tristan and Laura jumping down trying to rescue Dolores had been the initiator of the group¡¯s nightmare. Seeing them like this, made Tristan forget his failure.

    Although, Dunkler and company were all miles ahead of him in terms of fighting power and experience, he saw this rescue mission as a failure. The past five years he had been relying quite a lot on his passive. Every time he didn¡¯t know how to deal with a situation, his passive would present him an answer. This time, however, his passive didn¡¯t show him the right answer and left him to his death.

    He had to come up with a strategy all by himself. The one he had decided upon wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t good enough to fight people like the bards.

    Tristan decided to ignore Sabrina who was staring at him and Abigail who was hugging him tightly and started to think about why his passive didn¡¯t activate during such a situation.

    ¡®Was it because I was too afraid of them? No, that can¡¯t be. When I fought, Annemarie I was also afraid, but my passive still managed to show me a fool proved plan. Was it because it knew I didn¡¯t stand a chance?¡¯ It shuddered down Tristan¡¯s neck as he thought about that possibility.

    Till now he had seen his passive as an overpowered cheat. This was one of the reason¡¯s he didn¡¯t want to rely on it too much in the first place. But now it had shown him it had limits. Tristan wanted to make sure to never enter a situation, where he was the one in checkmate ever again.

    But there was also another possibility. ¡®What if my passive didn¡¯t activate, because it knew they wouldn¡¯t harm me? What if it had seen everything coming and therefore, had decided to stay inactive! That was also a possibility. If that was the case, why didn¡¯t it tell me sooner? Why didn¡¯t I receive any notification that the ¡®Bards¡¯ are on my side?¡¯The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°TRISTAN!¡±

    Sabrina¡¯s annoyed voice roared through the maze. With this she not only got, Tristan¡¯s attention, but the attention of everybody else around. No one had ever seen Sabrina so infuriated.

    ¡°Do you know why they didn¡¯t kill us? You were the last one standing, when they caught me.¡± Tristan shook his head. At the moment he didn¡¯t dare to say a word towards his cousin. He was sure, her anger wasn¡¯t because of the near death experience, but because of something different.

    ¡°Why did you jump into the group of ¡®Clanless¡¯?¡± Tristan who was trying to avoid to looking Sabrina into the face, rolled his eyes without her noticing. ¡®I knew it! She doesn¡¯t care about me and Laura almost killing everybody present here. She just cares about the promise with Lamia.¡¯

    ¡°It- It was my fault!¡± Laura, who had been smiling next to her mother walked towards the endangered Sabrina. ¡°I- I just wanted to save my mom! I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t think about the consequences. I just jumped in to save my mom. Tristan, Tristan just followed me to save me. He is not at fault here it was just me and my selfishness, not being able to see how my mom was killed by those guys!¡±

    Sabrina didn¡¯t spare Laura a glance. She just kept glaring at Tristan. ¡°I don¡¯t think I asked you!¡± Sabrina answered her coldly.

    Tristan swallowed forcefully his saliva as he heard her like this. He forcefully looked towards Sabrina, who was glaring daggers at him. ¡°Arm,..¡± ¨C¡°We will talk later,¡± she said and took out her Commu and walked back, to a place where she could talk without people listening to her.

    The Commu connected her to the Principal of the academy. Although he wasn¡¯t the one in charge of the patrols, she decided to contact her great-grandfather first. She knew the situation they were in was rather abnormal. Sabrina was sure; no one in Umbra would let soldiers who were chasing them alive.

    -¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Gramps, here is Sabrina.¡±

    -¡°What did you do this time?¡±

    Ares knew, his great-granddaughter; she would never call him unless she was in trouble, once again. If he was honest, he was getting tired of it. It might have been ok when she was younger, but now she had gotten to the age where she should be able to resolve her problems by herself.

    ¡°Our mission failed.¡±

    -¡°IS EVERYBODY OK?!¡±

    ¡°Strangely enough, yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m calling.¡±

    -¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Well, we met the ¡®Bards¡¯, we were supposed to take out. But they were stronger than expected. ¡®Their¡¯ assassin failed to take out the Leader of the ¡®Bards¡¯¡­.¡±

    Sabrina gave a detailed explanation, of what had happened.

    -¡°So, they met Tristan?¡± Ares mumbled mindlessly mumbled into the phone.

    ¡°Yeah, is that something bad?¡±

    -¡°Arm¡­ No¡­ No, it¡¯s not. You know where the automatic Portal is?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. Does that mean, we are supposed to come back as soon as possible?

    -¡°Yes, make sure everybody comes back as fast as possible.¡±

    Nocturnio (22.10.9978 AS)

    -¡°Ok.¡±

    Ares disconnected the call and looked towards to Nana who had listed to the whole conversation. She was paler than usual. ¡°What happened to my baby?¡± Ares smiled. ¡°Nothing, he is fine. It¡¯s just I don¡¯t know the reason why he is ok.¡± Nana looked puzzled towards Ares.

    ¡°Want to go, to the Portal they¡¯ll come back throu-¡± Nana had taken her coat, and was standing in front of the open door, before Ares could finish his sentence. ¡°Can you lead the way?¡± She asked, pointing towards the Academy. ¡°Of course.¡± Ares walked past her and lead her to the Portal.

    On his way to the Portal, he used his Commu to contact, Meddie and Miss Doctri.

    As he and Nana arrived at the Portal, both women were already waiting. ¡°Did, they already come through?¡± He asked. They shook their heads in unison.

    Ares put his hands on Miss Doctri¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Lina, Sabrina said they¡¯re all fine. So don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Miss Doctri¡¯s pale face nodded absent-minded. She was too worried about her students. After spending the past five years teaching them, she started to see her students as adorable little brothers and sisters. So it was obvious she was very worried.

    In contrast, Nana was as calm as one could be. She trusted Ares¡¯ words. If he said Tristan and Laura were fine, then it must have been like that.

    Meddie who wasn¡¯t only Ares right hand, but also the school¡¯s healer, noticed that Ares was deep in thought. ¡®It must be because of his great-grandson.¡¯ She knew he wouldn¡¯t get too worked up, about Sabrina¡¯s slip-ups. He had grown accustomed to them in the past years, but he would always get worked up, when something related to Tristan happened.

    ¡®Poor boy, to have such a future ahead, I wouldn¡¯t want to change places with him. For now all I can do is support him from the shadows.¡¯ Ares was seen as the smartest of his race, thus he was probably the only Demon that understood the true meaning behind Tristan¡¯s prophecy.

    He knew that he would have to become really strong, if he wanted to fulfill it. So he had convinced Ray to send Tristan to the Guardian Academy. So it would be easier for him to help him. He had planned to drop books containing King level spells here and there, so Tristan would find them. Up until now Tristan had been took weak, so he didn¡¯t see the need to do so.

    I didn¡¯t expect him to meet the ¡®Bards¡¯ so early, though. But I guess it can¡¯t be helped. And that they didn¡¯t take him with them means they don¡¯t see him as strong enough yet.¡¯ Ares smiled happily. ¡®I still have time to prepare him the best way I can.¡¯

    Ares looked towards the portal, but there still were no signs of them coming back. ¡®I should probably play the strict teacher or else Sabrina will get mad at me. So for how many weeks will I suspend him from school? Two weeks should be enough for him to think about if he can trust the ¡®Bards¡¯ or not.¡¯

    ***

    Tristan and Laura walked out of the Portal closely followed by Sabrina who was still in a bad mood and angrily, glaring at Tristan mumbling swearwords only she could hear. There was a huge gap between them and the others coming through the Portal was massive.

    Not even Caitlyn and Annie could soothe Sabrina¡¯s anger. They both had known Sabrina for a long time so they knew when they should leave her alone.

    ¡®This doesn¡¯t look too good.¡¯ Tristan thought as he saw Miss Doctri, the school nurse, Nana and the Principal standing in front of the portal expecting their return.

    ¡°Meddie, would you please.¡± Ares pointed towards Dolores, who had been carried by Leo and Ernesti at the end of the group.

    Meddie showed, Ernesti and Leo the way to the nurse¡¯s office. Shortly after they were gone.

    ¡°Well, as I have heard you all had traumatizing moments behind you. So I think it is the best for most of you to return to your homes after a short check up by our school nurse. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just to see if you really are ok. Lina would you mind accompany them to Meddie?¡±

    Ares¡¯ smiling face turned bitter. ¡°The two squad leaders and you two, would you mind following me to my office?¡± Laura¡¯s and Caitlyn¡¯s faces turned blank. They both did not expect, the principal to be waiting for them in front of the Portal. Especially Laura had forgotten, that her actions would have consequences.

    Tristan knew what was coming so he just followed Ares to his office, while still being glared on by Sabrina.

    While walking towards the Principal¡¯s office, Caitlyn and Laura tried to come up with excuses on what had happened.

    Meanwhile, all Tristan could think about was: ¡®I wish she would drop that already. Is she gonna keep staring at me forever? I got it already. What I did was stupid, so please stop staring at me. It¡¯s creepy!!!¡¯

    ***

    Ares had taken place on his chair. The Students were standing lined up in front of him.

    Sabrina was the first one to step forward. ¡°I already explained on what happened via Commu. Obviously I will write a report on what happened and bring it to you as soon as possible.¡± She bowed in front of Ares.

    Caitlyn¡¯s eyebrows twitched as she heard the earnest voice coming from Sabrina. She had just too often heard her complain about how she hated writing reports. She also knew Sabrina would always wait for the last minute to turn in her reports. She even had invited Caitlyn the trip to avoid writing a report all by herself.

    But now she was offering herself to write a report as soon as possible. ¡®Did the shock have such an impact on her?¡¯ Caitlyn was puzzled by her best friend¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°Miss Lum¡­¡± Suddenly she heard her name and shuddered a little. ¡°Y¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll expect your and Miss Kuro¡¯s report by tomorrow afternoon.¡± Caitlyn nodded. ¡°Well then, I think you know the way to the nurse¡¯s office, right?¡±

    Caitlyn looked dumbfounded. She had expected to be scolded by the principal, but nothing the likes had happened. ¡°Well¡­ yeah¡­ I¡­ guess¡­¡± She brought out as she was just standing there until Sabrina grabbed her by her arm and walked with her out of the room.

    Ares stood up. ¡°I hope you know, what you did was more than just reckless. As I have heard from Sabrina you¡¯ve almost caused the death of all your schoolmates!¡± As he said so, Ares started walking around the room.

    ¡°I hope you know I could simply expel the two of you, because of this, right?¡± He stared right into Laura¡¯s eyes, causing her to forcefully swallow her saliva. ¡°Since it was your first patrol, I will be kind enough and just suspend you from school for the next two weeks.¡±

    Tristan suppressed a smile. He did his best to look as scared and shocked as Laura. ¡®This old man surely just wants the best for us, but he doesn¡¯t realize he¡¯s playing directly into my hands! He just gave me an opening to start looking for Dunkler¡¯s legacy!¡¯

    Ares looked into Tristan eyes. ¡°¡­ Do you understand? I don¡¯t ever want to hear again of one of you two causing trouble for their superior. If I ever hear something related to that topic, then you can forget graduating in any school of this continent.

    Laura went pale as she heard Ares¡¯ warning. She nodded blindly to Ares¡¯ words as she tried to memorize them. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Tristan said, trying to sound as afraid as possible.

    After hearing Tristan¡¯s answer Ares smiled brightly. ¡°Now get out of my sight! He said as he pointed towards the door. And don¡¯t forget to drop by the nurse¡¯s office before heading home!¡±

    ¡®That boy surely is entertaining. Trying to act, all shy and frightened. But he¡¯s a bad liar. He¡¯s eyes are way too honest¡­ I wonder why he¡¯s so happy to be absent from school for the next weeks¡­ No¡­ Could it be he got a mission from the ¡®Bards¡¯?! My, my, I surely didn¡¯t expect something like that. Well, I surely won¡¯t stand in your way¡­¡¯ Ares thought amused as the Laura and Tristan were leaving his office.

 Deep in the Mountain I

    Nocturnio (24.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°So what are you planning to do now?¡± Abigail asked Tristan. ¡°Are you really planning to go for that crazy legacy?¡±

    Tristan had told her about his meeting with Dunkler Schatten. ¡°It could be a trap you know.¡±

    Tristan, who was sitting in his laboratory in front of countless geographic and historic books of Oidche, smiled from behind the books he was reading on as he heard Abigail¡¯s words. ¡°If they wanted to kill be, they could have done so earlier.¡±

    Abigail sighed. She knew they could trust the ¡®Bards¡¯ words, but she had the feeling that those words would lead to Tristan¡¯s demise. ¡®They¡¯re giving you the power to fight their battle, don¡¯t you understand?¡¯ She thought as her sad eyes wandered over Tristan¡¯s body.

    ¡°I guess I won¡¯t be able to change your decision, right?¡± Abigail took a lollipop, unwrapped it and put it into her mouth. ¡°And, what about me?¡±

    ¡°What should be with you?¡± Tristan couldn¡¯t follow her. Abigail sighed dramatically once again. She waved her arms around, pointing out the laboratory.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to enter this marvelous place for the next two weeks, if you¡¯re gone! How cruel of you! Letting me know there is such a fantastic place in this world, but not allowing me to enter it!¡± She tried to sound as sad as possible, hiding her face, behind her arms at the end of her performance.

    Tristan waited till she was done, with her performance and pointed towards a door-handle in front of her. ¡°With this item, you can open a Gate directly to my lab.¡±

    Abigail looked disappointed. She with her dramatic performance, she had hopped Tristan to rethink his plans of travelling to Oidche, to get Dunkler¡¯s legacy.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t such an Item a bad idea? What if I lose the item and someone finds this place? Wouldn¡¯t we be in trouble?¡± Tristan laughed at Abigail¡¯s objection. ¡°This item is specially customized for you. Only you can open a get to my Lab with it.¡±

    Abigail¡¯s eyes turned round as she saw the item in a completely new light. ¡°Cool, you¡¯re really awesome! How does it work?!¡± Tristan smiled mischievously. ¡°That¡¯s classified.¡±

    ¡°Awww, come on!! You know me, I won¡¯t tell anybody!!¡± Tristan just continued smiling. ¡®Now she won¡¯t oppose me going to Oidche anymore.¡¯

    ¡°Please, please tell me!¡± Abigail insisted. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me what connection you¡¯ve found between the ¡®Noir Mountains¡¯ and Dunkler.¡± Abigail looked troubled. ¡®Should I really tell him? Still, even if I don¡¯t tell him, he probably will find out.¡¯

    After a few moments of silence, she finally started. ¡°As you asked, I used my active to browse these books for relevant information about the whereabouts of Dunkler¡¯s legacy. There are quite a few legends in Oidche involving Dunkler, but none of them is related to the ¡®Noir Mountains¡¯.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Abigail pointed towards a map of Umbra. ¡°Did you know Oidche wasn¡¯t always an island? It used to be part of the main continent, but the fight between Dunkler and Permix was so intense, a piece of the mainland broke off. That piece is now known as Oidche. At least if we can trust this legend.¡±

    Tristan sighed. ¡°How is that supposed to help me out finding his legacy? I mean it¡¯s not like they fought on the ¡®Noir Mountains¡¯.

    ¡°Well, I just looked up things related to Dunkler and Oidche.¡± Abigail replied annoyed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any connections between Dunkler and ¡®Noir Mountains¡¯, but many between him and Oidche. This is because he was born in Oidche.¡±

    ¡°And did you find anything strange about the ¡®Noir Mountains?¡¯ I bet there are a lot of legends about the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯.¡± Tristan couldn¡¯t help but smile, since he had ready many fictional books about said mountain.

    ¡°There are countless recording regarding the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯. Most of the recordings are about adventurers getting lost, trying to explore the mountain¡¯s base.

    The base of the mountain is covered by a softwood forest. The mountain itself isn¡¯t very high, compared to the other mountains in the ¡®Noir Mountain range¡¯, thus the whole mountain is mostly covered by thick fog.¡±

    Abigail sipped on the glass of juice next to her before continuing. ¡°Well, since quite a few adventures got lost there, many authors thought it would be a good place to base their novels on.

    Since no one was brave enough to enter the forest on the base of the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯ there are no reliable sources. Just speculations made by fans of the obscure.¡±

    ¡°Like it¡¯s the gate to another dimension?¡± Tristan had read at least forty books using that idea as a starting point.

    Abigail nodded. ¡°There are theories like that, but others say the mountain is protected by a monster. There are people that saw shadow like monsters close to the base. There aren¡¯t any accurate descriptions of the monsters, they just say they are grotesque beings, you can¡¯t find anywhere but in the base of the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯.¡±

    Tristan shining eyes were glued on Abigail¡¯s lips, as she spoke. ¡°Many people think those creatures were stationed there to protect something, but since no one came out of the region, no one knows what.¡±

    ¡°The more you tell me about the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯, the more I want to explore it.¡± Tristan said excited. ¡°Is there any other place where Dukler might have hidden his legacy?¡±

    Abigail shook her head. ¡°There aren¡¯t any other places in the ¡®Noir Mountains¡¯ that qualifies as a hideout of his legacy.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. Tomorrow I¡¯ll leave for the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯. During my absence you¡¯re allowed to come and play here as often as you want, you just have to use that item.¡± Tristan pointed to the door handle on his desk and showed Abigail how to use it.

    Oidche (25.10.9978 AS)

    It was early in the Morning. Tristan had opened a gate to the ¡®Noir Mointains¡¯.

    Before leaving, he had created a clone of himself with his illusion magic. Nana was really busy with the ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ so she wouldn¡¯t notice his absence even if he didn¡¯t come back home for a few days.

    Tristan hiked straight towards the base of the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯. As he moved, he was on high alert. All though, he wasn¡¯t yet on the base of the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯ there were many strong wild monsters on the valley of the ¡®Noir Mountains¡¯.

    ***

    After an hour of walking he finally reached his destination: The base of the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯.

    Tristan showed a fearless smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think those things there are protecting something. It¡¯s more like this barrier here is protecting us from them.¡± Tristan said as he touched one of the many magic circles only he could see thanks to his passive.

    ¡°Once inside this barrier you can¡¯t get out as long as you don¡¯t find a way of deactivating the barrier. I don¡¯t think even my Gates will work from inside.¡± Tristan hesitated a little before summoning his ¡®Schattenklinge¡± and walking through the barrier.

 Deep in the Mountain II

    Oidche (25.10.9978 AS)

    The weather inside the barrier felt different from the weather outside the barrier. Inside the barrier it was not only cold, but also moist. Thick fog covered the entirety of the barrier. Tristan had expected it to be cold, since he was in the north, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so cold. The complete forest around the ¡®Dark Peek¡¯ was covered by frost.

    All thought, he couldn¡¯t see very far because of the fog, Tristan had decided to enter the barrier close to a spot, there were no monsters in sight. The frozen leaves, cracked under his feet as he walked slowly inside the forest at the mountain¡¯s base.

    ¡®So, let¡¯s try this.¡¯ Tristan tried to open a gate to his laboratory, but as he had expected, he couldn¡¯t connect to his laboratory, instead the Gate led five meters next to him. Tristan sighed.

    ¡®I¡¯ll be staying here for quite a while, so it would be the best to find a place I can build a camp.¡¯ With this mindset, Tristan cautiously moved into the thick fog covering the forest. ¡®Let¡¯s see, first I¡¯ll have to find a good place to start my camp-¡®

    Suddenly a black Frost Beast like monster jumped from behind the trees towards Tristan, who closely evaded the attack.

    ¡°A Frost Beast?¡± Tristan asked the monster expecting no answer.

    *ROAR*

    The beast once again launched itself against Tristan, who once again could only early evade the attack.

    ¡°You¡¯re too fast to be a Frost Beast! So what are you?¡± Tristan asked once again, taking out his ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯ and pointing it towards the beast.

    The gorilla like beast once again roared and jumped towards Tristan with exceptional speed. It was trying to hit Tristan with all his might.

    This time, thought, Tristan waited as long as possible, before evading the beast¡¯s arms. The beast, expecting to hit something, lost balance as it only hit the cold air. That was the opening Tristan needed to ram his ¡®Zweih?nder¡¯ between the beasts¡¯s ribs.

    Once again the beast roared with all his might, but this time it felt empty and scared.

    Tristan took out the sword, from between the monsters ribs. He once again swung the sword towards the monster, easily beheading the beast.

    As soon as the head was chopped off the beast¡¯s body, the black color disappeared from its fur revealing its true color: Pure white.

    ¡°That was harder, than expected.¡± Tristan mumbled as he was inspecting the beast¡¯s dead body. As he touched the fluffy fur of the beast Tristan looked dumbfounded at the dead body.

    Not only the color changed, but also, the consistence of its fur. Cutting through its hard black fur had been a pain. If he wasn¡¯t a well trained Swordfighter, he might have not been able to cut through it, since it was as hard as stone.

    ¡°Not that I look closely at it, I can¡¯ find any difference to a Frost Beast. But was the black thing that covered its body?¡± Tristan inspected the surroundings. He was looking for a dark slime. He once had read that slimes were parasite like monsters, that could take over the bodies of different other beasts amplifying their strength, but he couldn¡¯t find any traces of slime.

    As he was inspecting the body and its surroundings, he heard footsteps approaching really fast. Tristan jumped on the top of a big old pine. From there he could see three wolf-like monsters approaching the dead Frost Beast.

    Their furs were also completely black, like the fur of the dead Frost Beast used to be, before Tristan killed it. Unlike Tristan¡¯s expectation, the three wolves didn¡¯t feed on the lifeless body. But they started sniffing around. They were clearly searching for something or for someone.

    ***ARWOO***

    They howled as they looked up the tree Tristan was hiding on. Their red glowing eyes stared directly towards Tristan. Tristan sighed. ¡°They are looking for the intruder. That would make me their prey.

    ¡°That was so obvious!¡± Tristan mumbled sarcastically as he jumped from the tree, landing on one of the three wolves, stabbing it with his sword. Before the other two wolves could react Tristan pulled his sword out of the body of the dead wolf and sliced both of them with the shadows magic his sword enabled him to use.

    Once again, the dead bodies¡¯ color changed; from jet black to grayish white. ¡®What¡¯s up with those beasts? It seems like they are able to communicate with each other. It probably has to do with their furs changing color. Someone or something is controlling them. One thing is for sure though, I have to get out of this area. Those wolves looked like they invited other people to the party.¡¯

    Tristan ran as fast as he could while still being able to keep attention to his surroundings. ¡®Looks like I won¡¯t be able to set a camp. I bet every single monster here is looking for me right now. They aren¡¯t many, but my stamina won¡¯t last forever.¡¯This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    He suddenly stopped moving. Two black Dragons slowly walked past him. ¡®They were headed to the place the wolves and the Frost Beast was. This confirms it: those beasts are able to communicate with each other.¡¯

    Tristan stayed still until the Dragons were out of sight. He sighed once again. He didn¡¯t know how many times he had sighed since he had entered the forest, but for him it felt like all he had done till now was: sight, run and kill monsters.

    ¡®Desperate times call for desperate measures.¡¯ Tristan activated his illusion magic and turned invisible, he also created three decoys that started moving in three towards three different locations. ¡®I wanted to avoid using my mana so careless, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯

    ***

    Tristan continued to sneak towards the mountain. A few hours had passed since he had entered the forest, but for him it felt like an eternity. He couldn¡¯t let his guard down even for a few seconds. On his way he had to sneak past seven black Dragons.

    Tristan was confident in being able to fight a Dragon by himself, but he didn¡¯t know how strong the black Dragons here were. Up until now every monster here, had been several times stronger than their normal counterparts outside the barrier. So he had decided to better not mess with those Dragons here.

    ***ROAR***

    Cold sweat ran down Tristan¡¯s back as he heard the roar of a Dragon. He slowly turned around expecting a Dragon behind him. But there was nothing. Tristan sighed, relieved as he once again heard a roar coming from the southeast of his location.

    ¡®One of my decoys must have been caught.¡¯ Tristan smiled happily as he saw how all monsters in his area started running towards the roar. He hid behind a tree and waited till all the monster had moved towards the location the roars were coming from.

    Once he felt like there was no monster in sight, he continued walking towards the mountain. Coming here his goal had been discovering Dunkler¡¯s legacy, but now all he wanted was to deactivate the barrier so he could go home safely.

    ¡®I hate it to admit, but Abigail was right. I shouldn¡¯t have come here. I¡¯m too weak yet.¡¯ Regretting about his decision of coming to the Noir Mountains he continued walking. He was determined to fight a way back home.

    ¡®What are those?¡¯ Tristan looked in disbelief on what he had found. Deep in the forest, he had found hundreds of skeletons. ¡®Are these the people who disappeared here?¡¯ Tristan was shook. ¡®Is this also my future? No, it can¡¯t be. I¡¯m stronger than those people.¡¯

    ¡°Yo, kid drop that nasty illusion spell of yours and come out, so I can take a proper look on your face.¡± A soft male voice said. Tristan looked toward the spot the voice was coming from. He tightened the grip on his ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± He asked as he walked towards the voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡¯s here, why not come and find out¡± The soft voice said, with a superior tone.

    Tristan continued walking towards the voice, ready to kill whoever was hiding from behind the thick fog. After walking a few hundred meters he finally could see someone sitting on a stone throne close to a cave.

    The thing was sitting surrounded by bones of people and beasts. ¡°Much better, right?¡± The voice said with a soft but manly tone. ¡°I like to see the face of the people I kill.¡±

    Tristan shrugged as he heard the soft voice said so. The appearance of the owner of the voice, was in hard contrast to the soft, melodic voice. Sitting on the throne in front of Tristan was a humanoid monster. Its body was completely covered in shadows. On his face two big glowing red eyes looked towards Tristan.

    ¡°You won¡¯t even ask why I came here?¡± Tristan asked, trying to sound as calm as possible. ¡°Why should I? It¡¯s clear you came here to steal my most dearest treasure.¡± Tristan shook his head. ¡°I was sent here by Dunkler. He said I should come here and get his legacy. ¡°

    The monster tilted its head. ¡°Dunkler, that¡¯s a name I haven¡¯t heard for ages. So, you came to get his legacy? Well, I¡¯m sorry, but there is nothing here such as Dunkler¡¯s legacy for you to get. I¡¯m sorry, but it seems like you¡¯ll die here in vain.¡±

    Tristan forcefully swallowed his saliva. He raised his sword towards the monster. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna die without a good fight.¡±

    ¡°HAHAAH¡­ That¡¯s what I wanted to hear!¡± The monster said as he took out a sword that looked exactly like Tristan¡¯s ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s been ages since someone last managed to sneak past the beasts and reach my cave.¡± The Monster said happily. ¡°So, please don¡¯t too fast, I want to enjoy this fight.¡±

    As soon as he said that he disappeared in thin air. Tristan looked dumbfounded at the spot the monster had been sitting on. Out of reflex he moved his sword to his left.

    ***KLING***

    Sparks appeared as both swords clashed into another. The strength behind the monsters attack made Tristan jump backwards.

    ¡°GREAT! ¡° The monster cried out in happiness. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± He once again disappeared into thin air.

    Tristan poured some of his mana into his eyes, so he could be able to see the monster. And it worked. He could clearly see how the monster was about to strike from above. Tristan clumsily sidestepped the swing.

    ¡®Now is my chance!¡¯ Tristan swung his sword towards the monster that was out of balance because he had just missed his target. But the reflexes of the monster weren¡¯t bad either. It graciously avoided Tristan¡¯s attack.

    ¡°YES, YES! That¡¯s it!¡± He screamed in ecstasy. ¡°It¡¯s just as I always wanted. Someone that can challenge me has appeared. I really didn¡¯t expect a kid like you to be so capable. It¡¯s kinda shame that I will have to kill you toda-¡±

    Tristan didn¡¯t let the monster time to finish his sentence and jumped towards him clumsily slashing and slicing towards him. The monster once again easily dodged and parried Tristan¡¯s attacks. Before the monster could get into the offensive, Tristan jumped backwards trying to get a distance between him and the monster.

    ¡°That¡¯s no good. Has no one ever taught you that¡¯s impolite to interrupt your elders?¡± Tristan looked at the monster with a face as if asking if he was serious. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not polite to monster that wants to kill me.¡± ¡°HaHAHa! ... I like your attitude!¡± The monster said before accelerating to his top speed.

    The monster jumped towards Tristan with an incredible speed, even making someone like Dolores look slow next to him.

    So he was easily able to pierce through Tristan¡¯s heart.

    -Or so he thought. The Tristan he had stabbed his sword into was a decoy Tristan had created during their little chat before, its attack.

    A Portal opened a two meter above the monster. Tristan flew out of it and slashed at the monster¡¯s back.

    -But against all expectations Tristan¡¯s sword shattered as it hit the monster¡¯s back. ¡°Steel skin¡± the monster mumbled as he grabbed Tristan¡¯s by his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re a nasty trickster kid. But you aren¡¯t the only one that has tricks up his sleeves.¡± Tristan closed his eyes as he expecting his death.

 Deep in the Mountain III

    Oidche (25.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°You¡¯re a nasty trickster kid. But you aren¡¯t the only one that has tricks up his sleeves.¡± Tristan closed his eyes as he expecting his death.

    ***STAB!***

    Tristan felt a piercing pain as the monster¡¯s sword stabbed directly into his heart. The pain was strong he couldn¡¯t breathe.

    ¡®Is this how it ends?¡¯ Tristan asked himself, as he felt like drowning.

    After a few moments that feeling finally disappeared, and a feeling of weightlessness overtook him. Finally, he gathered the courage to open his eyes. Just to find two big red eyes right in front of his face causing him to shrug.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong kid. I would have killed ya, but¡­ It¡¯s a shame to kill someone as talented as you with the sword. Though, you still have a lot of training to do.¡± The monster was holding Tristan in the air, his sword nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Also, I kind of promised Dunkler to serve whoever he deems to be worthy of being his successor as long as I feel like he is good enough.¡± The monster stepped back and sat once again on his throne.

    Tristan looked at it flabbergasted, while feeling out his chest. But he couldn¡¯t find a wound. He looked down; through the blurriness of his eyes, he couldn¡¯t find any signs of blood. ¡°What?¡± He looked confused towards the monster. ¡°I¡¯m sure you stabbed me with your sword. I felt the pain!¡±

    The confused Tristan seemed like he was about to go mad. ¡°What have you done with me?¡± He asked once again. He searched his body with his eyes, while having his passive active, but he couldn¡¯t find any signs of foreign magic on him.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Tristan who had gone through two near death experiences in less than half a week couldn¡¯t help but feel exhausted. All the stress and frustration he felt since being completely helpless against extremely strong opponents finally surfaced.

    ¡°You, what did you do to me?¡± He looked around.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did something to me¡± He whispered.

    ¡°I have the right to know!¡± He screamed at the monster, who was just smiling at Tristan.

    ¡°Please, please tell me oh great one!!¡± Tristan knelt down in front of it as it was his new master.

    ¡°HAHAHAH¡±

    The monster just laughed seeing Tristan almost go mad. ¡°I always get the same reaction. If I remember correctly Dunkler also cried when I did that to him.¡± He smiled brightly once again as his body slowly vanished into the shadows.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to listen boy. I already told you, I promised Dunkler to serve his successor. So why would I harm you?¡± A soft voice could be heard asking.

    Tristan stood up while still shakin and looked around. But he couldn¡¯t find the source of the voice. Not even with his passive. ¡®Where is he?¡¯ He tripped as he walked towards the throne. His whole body felt heavy. Every step did hurt, but he still pulled himself towards the throne.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°You sure have fighting spirit kid¡± The soft voice said once again. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to, force yourself for now. I won¡¯t harm you. Just relax and rest for now, once you feel better we will talk properly.¡±

    After a few minutes Tristan finally reached the throne. He sat down on it and fell completely exhausted a sleep.

    Oidche (28.10.9978 AS)

    Tristan slept for three days straight. ¡®Where am I? Oh¡­ Yeah¡­ Now I remember. I fought and lost to that monster.¡¯ Tristan paled as he suddenly realized. ¡°Am I dead?!¡± As he shook his head to deny this possibility he felt like someone just hit his head with a pickaxe.

    ¡°Awww¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but hold his head in his hands. Slowly the memories of what had happened after the fight with the monster came back to his mind. ¡°What did he do to me?¡± He mumbled to himself.

    ¡°I just connected our souls.¡± A warm, soft voice said. Tristan who was still sitting on the throne looked around alarmed. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked bewildered. He had never heard of something of people connecting their souls with each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple; you and I are now one.¡± The soft voice said, as Tristan¡¯s shadow started to move on its own. It slowly grew out of the soil. Soon two red eyes were visible and a big red mouth became visible. The monster had grown out of Tristan¡¯s shadow.

    Tristan blinked a few times, he couldn¡¯t believe the creepy spectacle he just had witnessed. ¡°What was that?¡± He asked.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°Do you have something with your ears? I said you and I are one now. From now on I¡¯m your shadow. Your weapon and your sword master.¡± The monster crossed his arms in front of his chest as he said so, trying to look as superior as possible.

    Tristan tilted his head. ¡°Why? I clearly lost the fight.¡±

    ¡°You might have lost, but you fought quite outstandingly for a kid your age. And as I already told you yesterday: I promised Dunkler to serve his successor. After almost nine thousand years he finally sent someone, and youngling no less. So I had to test you a little and I¡¯m not sorry for that.¡± The monster said before starting to laugh maniacally.

    ¡®Can this be? Is he Dunkler¡¯s legacy? It must be so. That¡¯s what Dunkler meant when he said something that would help me achieve extraordinary strength. So all I have to do is learn all I can from this monster and all will be ok.¡¯

    Tristan tried to smile towards the monster. It was still hard for him to do so, since his head felt like it was about to explode. ¡°May I know your name?¡± He asked, trying to sound as nice as possible.

    The monster walked towards Tristan. ¡°My name is ¡®Schattenklinge¡¯¡± He said with a nice smile on his face and took Tristan¡¯s hands just to turn into a black ¡®Zweih?nder¡¯ sword. ¡®Nice to meet you¡¯ He added telepathically while being in the form of a sword.

    ¡°Schattenklinge?!¡± Tristan couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°That¡¯s why he knew the other one was a replica; Tristan was reminded of Dunkler¡¯s words. ¡®Yes the one and only. Although, there might be quite a few swords imitating me, none of them come even close to the real deal, just look at that garbage you used to fight me. Breaking in the middle of a fight, how irresponsible.¡¯

    Tristan nodded. If this had been a real fight, he would have died for sure. ¡°So you¡¯ll be teaching me how to fight¡± Tristan, whose face was gaining color again asked.

    Schattenklinge coiled his way down to Tristan¡¯s feed and turned back to a humanoid monster once he touched Tristan¡¯s shadow. ¡°I promised Dunkler to help his successor to grow as much as I can.¡±

    Tristan once again nodded happily as he heard Schattenklinge¡¯s words. ¡°So you¡¯ll follow me home?¡± Tristan looked at the humanoid shadow. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll follow you home. But I¡¯ll just allow you to go home, once you have defeated every single shadow beast in this forest.¡±

    Tristan looked at Schattenklinge, like he was mad. ¡°Sounds like fun.¡± He said sarcastically. ¡°Of course it will be fun!¡± Schattenklinge said, curling his mouth into a sadistic smile. He created a short bastard sword out of his body and gave it to Tristan. ¡°You can use this sword as a weapon. And now go and enjoy your battle, I will be watching you.¡±

    Tristan looked disappointed. He didn¡¯t expect his kind of training; he wanted to be thought cool and flashy techniques and not to slay dozens of brainless monsters. ¡®I guess it can¡¯t be helped he thought as he grabbed the bastard sword and walked back towards the forest.

    Schattenklinge sat down on his thrones and smiled happily as he remembered his past with Dunkler. ¡°Even his eyes are similar to yours¡± He said as he created small birds out of shadows. He ordered them to follow Tristan. And once again, he created something out of shadows. It was a display, showing every of Tristan¡¯s movements.

 Clair

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (28.10.9978 AS)

    Bella was sitting on a sofa in her private chambers. She was petting, the head resting on her labs. ¡°How was your day?¡± She asked, as she caressed the golden hair of the young girl, resting on her labs. ¡°As usual, the girl said annoyed. Why is it that no one in this world gets me?¡± The girl said sadly.

    ¡°Believe me, that¡¯s not my doing. I just gave you powers. How the mortals treat you, is their choice.¡± Bella said as she smiled as innocently as a little kid getting caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

    The blonde girl sighed. In the past years she and Bella had had the same discussion. Over and over they had discussed about how shitty her life has been because of her. Sadly for her, she had never been able to win it.

    ¡®Does she take pleasure in knowing how shitty my day was?¡¯ She asked herself as she was enduring Bella¡¯s stroking her hair.

    ¡°Clair, if you look at the life of your future husband you¡¯ll realize your life is a piece of cake.¡± Bella, who noticed Clair¡¯s displeasure, said to her to calm her down.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you keep saying that, but at the end, you never tell me what¡¯s supposed to be horrible about his life.¡± Clair answered, sticking out her tongue.¡°Till you tell me what¡¯s supposed soooooooo bad about his life, I¡¯ll assume, my life sucks more than his!¡± Clair said, puffing her rosy cheeks.

    Bella rolled her eyes. ¡°For example, he¡¯ll have to marry someone like you. If that isn¡¯t a sign that his life is cruel, then I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Clair jumped up from Bella¡¯s laps and crossed her arms in front of her breasts. ¡°Why are you always so mean to me?¡± She asked with genuine curiosity. ¡°Because you¡¯re so fun to tease.¡± Bella answered with a playful smile, jumping and hugging Clair.

    Clair happily hugged Bella back. She knew all teasing was just playful banter. By now the both of them had known each other for a very long time. So they both knew how far they could go.

    ¡®Is this how it feels like to have a real mother?¡¯ Clair thought to herself as she just enjoyed the warmth of Bella¡¯s hug. ¡®I wish I could stay like this forever. I wish I hadn¡¯t to go back to those people.¡¯ Clair thought as she kept hugging Bella for a few minutes.

    Clair¡¯s blue eyes wandered over one of the many clocks on the wall and her mood turned sour. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Bella asked, who noticed the change in Clair. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back home¡± Clair said dropping her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; we¡¯ll see each other tomorrow again!¡± Bella said trying to cheer Clair up. ¡°Say, why can¡¯t I stay here with you forever? ¡° Clair asked once again. Bella sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve told it to you many times. You¡¯re a mortal, and mortals can¡¯t stay in this place. Many strong and dangerous people walk around here. What do you think they¡¯ll do to a moral if they run into one?¡±

    **Sigh**If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Well, at least I tried¡­¡± Clair, who had heard the very same answer hundreds of times force a smile on her face to play of her sadness. Bella patted her head once again, before waving at the golden bubbles left behind by the disappearing Clair.

    ¡°I also wish you stayed here with me forever my darling daughter.¡± Bella said sadly.

    ¡°I knew it! It was a bad Idea having you spend time with that girl.¡± Aetas walked into the room as he said so

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Bella smiled at him using one of her charms.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± Aetas said as he tried to resist. ¡°She¡¯s a mortal and part of your schemes after all. I don¡¯t want you to be sad, if something were to happen to her.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t cry, I promise¡± Bella said, sticking out her tongue.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t mistake her for our dead daughter.¡± Aetas said with a serious tone.

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡± Bella said with a strict voice.

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°Princess! Princess!¡±

    Clair was woken up by a soft voice. She slowly opened her eyes and looked towards the source of the voice.

    ¡°Good your highness is awake.¡±

    A smiling blonde woman, not older than twenty, dressed up as a Victorian Maid, said to Clair. ¡°Did your highness have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± She cheerfully asked, while clapping with her white wings.

    ¡°You could say I had a real nice dream.¡± Clair answered annoyed.

    ¡°As expected of your highness, even her dreams are awesome!¡± The maid said with an enthusiastic smile.

    ¡®Why should someone expect me to have nice dreams?¡¯ Clair thought while hiding herself under her blankets not to see the maid in her face.

    ¡°Your highness, I must insist. It¡¯s time to wake up. You¡¯ve a tight schedule for today.¡± The maid said with an apologetic tone.

    **Sight**

    ¡°What do I have to do today? Great some nobles? Spend time with that idiot? Or do I have to listen to that geezer¡¯s lectures again?¡± Clair said annoyed.

    The young Maid looked like she didn¡¯t know what to say. Suddenly the door was shut wide open and a strict looking blonde, also wearing a Maid¡¯s uniform entered. She didn¡¯t look much older than the other maid, but the difference in their auras was immense.

    ¡°Time to stand up Princess! She said as she dragged the blankets away from Clair. ¡°Kayle!¡± Claire exclaimed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I don¡¯t feel like playing the perfect princess anymore!¡± Clair said with a moody voice.

    ¡°I guessed so much.¡± Kayle said as she grabbed Clair from her bed.

    ¡°Kyaaaahhh, what do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Clair said as she was being brought to the bath.

    ¡°Doing my job.¡± Kayle answered annoyed as she threw Clair in the bathtub. Leaving the other Maid flabbergasted.

    ¡°You¡­. You can¡¯t do that to your majesty!¡± The young woman hysterically tried to get Clair out of the bathtub.

    ¡°Yeah! You can¡¯t do that to me!¡± Clair said with a wicked smile on her face.

    ¡°Oh, pardon me! I thought you hated being treated like a princess. Or was all that talk of ¡®I wish I wasn¡¯t the crown princess!¡¯ A big fat lie?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t! Now leave me alone, so I can enjoy my bath!¡± Clair said as she pointed at the door.

    ¡°You have twenty minutes.¡± Kayle said with a strict tone.

    ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t¡­ We have to bathe the princess.¡± The young blonde woman said towards Kayle.

    ***Sigh***

    Both Kayle and Clair sighted at her. Before Kayle grabbed the woman by her ears and both maids left the room.

    ***

    After the bath, Clair was enduring the young blonde maid playing with her hairs. ¡°So what do I have today before my tutor arrives?¡± Clair asked Kayle.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have breakfast with your mother. After that you¡¯re requested to greet Duke Archival and his son to a cup of tea¡±

    Clair sighed. ¡°They¡¯ll surely try to get my hand right? I wish I was in school and I hadn¡¯t to bother with all this stupid pleasing the public thingy.¡±

    ¡°So, why don''t you tell your mother during your breakfast?¡± Kayle suggested.

    ¡°You might have a point there!¡± Clair murmured and exhaled.

    ¡°So how should I approach this

 Clair II

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    The bright sun shone over Clair¡¯s thin face, emphasizing her small nose and her full lips as she walked over the shier endless corridors of the Castle Solei. While she was headed towards the dining room, her blue eyes were glued to the city she could see outside the wide windows.

    From the hill, Castle Solei was build on, one had an amazing view over the City of Lux the capital of Lunae the continent of the seraphs.

    Every day Clair would watch down towards the city and imagine how it would be to be a normal citizen. How it would be live a normal life as a normal girl. Going to school like everybody else, playing with her friends like every girl her age, spend time with her parents like everybody else.

    But unfortunately for her, she wasn¡¯t a normal girl. She was the crown princess of Lunae. One day she would be the ruler of the Seraphs. Clair sighed as she looked towards the classic buildings of the city.

    ¡®I probably won¡¯t be allowed to wander freely around the city, but I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be able to deny me going to school like a normal student!¡¯ Clair thought as she tried to gather all her courage to talk to her parents.

    ¡®Thank you Kayle. Like usual, you¡¯re the only mortal I can count on.¡¯ Clair smiled as she started to walk slower and slower, before finally stopping in front of two giant doors. The guards next to the door bowed towards her and opened the door for her.

    She walked into the big flamboyant room. Two people were sitting on a long table. A woman blonde wearing a tiara and white dress with an open back, allowing her to show off her majestic golden wings was sitting on the head of the table.

    Next to her was a blonde man wearing a gold and white tunic with an open back, allowing him to show off his big snow-white wings. He was looking towards his door, expecting his daughter to enter the room.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The Blonde man smiled towards Clair as he saw her. ¡°Good morning my angel.¡± He greeted his daughter who just entered the room. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± He asked, still smiling towards her.

    Clair just nodded and took the place in front of her father, who was just smiling at her. ¡°Hello Clair, I hope you slept well my darling.¡± Her mother showed her a bright smile. ¡°Are you ready for an interesting day like usual?¡± She asked enthusiastically.

    ¡°Yeah, but mom about that...¡± Clair shyly looked towards her mother. ¡°I know it¡¯s difficult to think of other things more fun than greeting and talking to nobility¡­ But I also kinda want to live like most of the people my age.¡±

    ¡°Clarisse, do you know what she¡¯s talking about?¡± Clair¡¯s father asked his wife. ¡°Glen, I don¡¯t know. Aren¡¯t we providing the best kind of life for her? I mean she is the future of our race, so we wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about letting her go to school!¡± Clarisse said with a terrified tone.

    **Sight**

    ¡®Why did I even bother asking? I should have known their answer even before starting.¡¯ Clair answered her parents with a sad smile. ¡®No! You¡¯ve come this far! If you give up now, your whole life will be controlled by them!¡¯

    Clair inhaled as much air as she could. ¡°MOM!IWANTTOGOTOSCHOOLLIKELLTHECHILDRENMYAGE!IWANTTOMAKEFRIENDSLIKEEVERBODYELSE!IWANTTOLIVELIKEANORMALSERAPH!¡± Clair screamed like a machine gun.

    Clarisse looked at her with pity. ¡°Sorry, darling. But you know, you¡¯re someone really important to our race, so we can¡¯t let you go to dangerous places. What would we do if we lost you?¡±

    ¡°We would lose our savior. We would lose our last ray of light in this age of darkness.¡± Glen added.

    **Sigh**

    Clair once again sighed loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡®All because of this stupid prophecy of mine.¡¯

    ¡°How many times have I told you about your initiation ceremony?¡± Clarisse asked. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you many time how Fors himself appeared at your ceremony and announced that you would lead us to a new age, where we don¡¯t have to fear an attack of those Demons anymore?¡±

    **Sigh**

    ¡®As if I haven¡¯t heard that stupid fairy tail over thousands of times already.¡¯ Claire rolled her eyes,her mother told her about how amazing it had been in the temple as Fors himself descended to give her a prophecy.

    ¡°¡­ And then he spoke: << She who¡¯s the last ray of light in this world shall challenge Fate and change the world with her companion the mightiest him>>¡­¡± Clarisse continued retelling her memories from Clair¡¯s initiation ceremony.

    Clair didn¡¯t say anything to change her parents mind and just silently ate her lunch without saying another word towards her parents.

 Clair III

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    ¡°Can you tell me why it is wrong to interfere with the other two races?¡± An elderly looking woman asked towards her only student: Clair.

    ¡°Because they are dangerous?¡± Clair answered the question with another question.

    The old woman pleased as she heard the answer. ¡°It¡¯s not just that they¡¯re dangerous, it¡¯s also that we¡¯re dangerous to them.¡± Clair looked at her teacher with big eyes.

    ¡°I know you were thinking about things like the Great War, when the Demons tried to take over the world just because they thought they were the superior race. But we stood our ground against them and they finally gave up.¡± The old tutor said proud.

    ¡®But Bella said we were the ones that started the war because of Fors lies! And then the Demons wiped the floor with us... But what does she know, it¡¯s not like she¡¯s a goddess.¡¯ Clair thought amused as she heard the words of her teacher.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not all the evil that comes from associating with the other races. The most critical point on why the influencing the other races is wrong is because of their development. Do you think humans would have magic if we hadn¡¯t influenced them?¡±

    Clair rolled her eyes.

    ¡°If we and those stupid Demons hadn¡¯t given them magic, they would have continued developing with only their technology and they wouldn¡¯t be able to harm us. But no! They has to go out of their way and give them magic and now they¡¯re able to build weapons to harm us. And don¡¯t get me started with those elders!¡±

    The old woman started to become all red as she was ranting about the other races.

    ¡°There is nothing more infuriating than those Elders! They are the breed between Demons and Humans! And the Demons use them to control the Humans, since the Elders are Superhumans and thus rule over their kind.¡±

    The old woman wiped the sweat from her forehead. ¡°The Demons programmed them to hate us! Althought, they couldn¡¯t take over the world thanks to our efforts, they started to take over the human world by brainwashing their leaders. But we won¡¯t make it easy for them. Daily we send brave warriors to prevent stray elders to being recognized by the Demons and to prevent their brainwashing!¡±

    ¡®Does she seriously believe what she¡¯s talking about? Or did she just drink too much Ambrosia this morning?¡¯ Clair thought amused about her teachers passionate hatred towards the other races.

    ***KNOCK, KNOCK***

    A bulky man in his forties entered the room. Most of his face was covered by a bushy beard so that one could only see his deep green eyes. Two big white wings were visible from under his armor.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Clair who couldn¡¯t bear one more word from the old female tutor exclaimed towards her saviour: ¡°Dietrich!¡± She left her place and ran towards the armored knight. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I last saw you!¡± She continued hugging Dietrich.

    ¡°Well I had things to take care of. There were quite a few skirmishes with the Demons near our headquarters in Terra. But nothing to worry about, they were just searching for criminals that are able to travel between the dimensions.¡±

    Dietrich smiled. ¡°But now to our little princess, did you manage to survive the past few weeks?¡±

    ¡°Barely.¡± Claire said with a tired look. ¡°But now that my knight is back, I know everything is going to be ok. And just so you know I didn¡¯t slack off, just because you were gone.  Everyday I trained very hard and I even advanced to the Seraph Lord Level!

    Dietrich patted Clair¡¯s head. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect less from my little genius. What about it, wanna spar a few minutes?¡±

    Clair¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Do you even have to ask?¡± She looked towards her teacher. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss Tutor, I would love to hear more of your rant towards the other races. But I think I shouldn¡¯t waste an opportunity to hone my practical fighting skills. I mean you all want a strong future empress if those despicable Demons ever think of launching an attack towards us.¡±

    Even before the Tutor could answer, Clair was already on her way out of the room.

    ***

    Dietrich and Clair were standing in front of each other in one of the big training rooms of the Castle Solei. ¡°Now show me what you¡¯ve learned in my absence¡± Dietrich said as he drew his long sword and brought his shield in position.

    Clair did the same and got ready for the fight, by drawing her two bastard swords. ¡°You¡¯ll soon realize how strong I¡¯ve gotten in the past weeks.¡± Clair said before vanishing into thin air.

    ¡°I see, you still like to play around with your speed.¡± Dietrich pointed out as he closed his eyes.

    He slowly bowed and evaded a double strike by Clair. Who vanished again as soon as she realized she missed her strikes.

    ¡°Not bad old man!¡± She smiled as she was moving with godspeed through the room. She one again appeared next to Dietrich to scream: ¡°I wish I had that overpowered ability of yours!¡±

    Dietrich forcefully opened his eyes. ¡°You little witch!¡± He roared as he couldn''t help holding onto the ear she had screamed into.

    ¡°Fighting rule number five. Use the strength of your opponent to make him trip.¡± Claire appeared in front of Dietrich making a mocking grimace. ¡°You were the one who thought me that!¡± She once again disappeared into thin air.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Dietrich smiled as his sword started to glow in a golden light, before starting to swing it like crazy. Every time his sword cut through the air a golden light continued slicing everything in its way just to get paired by Clair¡¯s swords.

    Every light slice was dodged or paired by the smiling Clair. ¡°You seem to still be really good old one!¡± She said throwing one of her swords towards Dietrich, who barely managed to dodge the sword.

    ¡°NOW!¡± she screamed as the sword was passing next to Dietrich¡¯s body. The sword suddenly lit up and electricity discharged from the sword onto Dietrich.

    ¡°Got you!¡± Clair mumbled as she once again vanished into thin air and appeared in front of Dietrich to make sure he surrendered.

    ***But***

    Against all odds Dietrich was able to move and grabbed Clair¡¯s arms preventing her from moving. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten pretty good my princess, but there is still a lot you need to learn. Rule number 99 never show all your cards to your enemy.¡± Dietrich said letting go of Clair¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Yes master!¡± Clair saluted towards Dietrich. ¡°New battle rule memorized!¡±

 Duke Archivals Daughter

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    It was already afternoon when Clair¡¯s training session ended. Now she was sitting one of the many rooms used to receive guests. Clair glared bored towards the portraits of her ancestors on the wall. ¡®Nice now comes the best part of the day! Having to endure a fatso and his high and mighty son¡¯

    Despite her young age, Clair had been on countless meetings like this one. Most of them followed the same shame. The noble would introduce his son¡¯s sometimes even his daughter¡¯s assets to Clair in the hope that she might fall for them. Of course Clair has to reject them without hurting their pride.

    That¡¯s one of the reasons why Clair didn¡¯t get rid of her fianc¨¦ yet. Ever since she was engaged, she had a point to flat out reject most of the nobles that approached with the intention of marrying her to their offspring.

    Clair was brought back from her thoughts as the door of the room opened. A young blonde maid introduced the arrival of Duke Archival and his daughter Helen.

    Clair tilted her head. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he supposed to come with his son? Never mind, this way it¡¯ll be less troublesome.¡¯ Claire smiled at the two people entering the room.

    In front of Clair was standing a well build, blonde man, wearing a tunic showing off his pair of big white wings. Next to him was a young blonde girl not older than Clair hiding behind her father¡¯s legs.

    ¡°Your highness, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you!¡± The man bowed in an exaggerated manner.

    ¡°There is no need to hide.¡± He said while smiling to his daughter, that was still holding onto his legs. After a few seconds the young girl finally found the courage to speak up for herself. ¡°Good... Good afternoon your highness¡± the girl said while bowing in front of Clair.

    ¡°If your highness or her guests do need anything please don¡¯t hold back to ask¡± The young blonde maid bowed slightly with a smiling face and left the room.

    ¡°Please take your seats.¡± Clair pointed at the sofa next to her. The tea is served she said with a forced smile.

    The young girl happily took a cup of tea and ate started to eat the cookies, while her father just watched her doing so with a dead expression.

    ¡®Poor girl, he¡¯ll probably scold her after the meeting.¡¯ Clair thought, feeling for the first time pity for one of her guests.Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Your highness, please excuse Helen¡¯s rude behavior.¡± The Duke bowed slowly. ¡°Awww, come on Gabe, drop the act, no one can hear us here.¡± The young girl said as her body slowly started to change to the one of a grown woman.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already made sure no one hears or see what happens in this room for the next few hours.¡± The woman said while still chewing on the cookies. ¡°Or at least until we finish our business here.¡± She finally swallowed the cookie.

    ¡°I missed those cookies soo much. Even after 10¡¯000 years they haven¡¯t changed the receipt, they still taste like my grandma did them!¡± The Helles hugged the plate with the cookie, like a precious treasure.

    ¡°You should try one too Gabe.¡± She gave one cookie towards Gabe, who was glaring at Helles as dumbfounded as the shocked Clair.

    ¡®Are they here to assassinate me? Is it really how it ends? ¨C No! This can¡¯t be how it ends! ¨C I have to live! ¨CI haven¡¯t even met my prince yet! ¨CIf this really is how it ends, then Bella will learn a new side of me! ¨CYeah! I will show her, what it means to defy me! ¨CI¡¯ll have to haunt her for an eternity! ¨CThat doesn¡¯t even sound bad! Muaahahaha I¡¯m such an evil genius!¡¯

    Clair looked at the Helles cramming cookies in her mouth and was once again reminded of her situation. ¡°IDON¡¯TKNOWWHATYOUWANTFROMME,BUTYOUSHOULDKNOWTHATHARMINGMEWON¡¯TGETYOUANYTHINGEXCEPTTHEWRATHOFMYPARENTSANDUNDENYABLEDEATH!¡± Clair screamed once again like a machine gun, while taking a fighting position.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t my descendant a cute one?¡± Helles pointed towards Clair and started laughing merrily.

    Gabe once again bowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry your highness, but it seems like you misunderstood our intentions. We didn¡¯t come here to harm your highness; no we came here following her holiness Bella¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°Wh... Where do you know her?¡± Clair asked not letting her ward down.

    ¡°We were the Reiter from her sister in law her holiness Alexa, may she rest in peace. After her death, we decided to revenge her and ended up as Bella¡¯s Reiter.¡± Gabriel gave her and short explanation of his story.

    ¡°There is no need to be so formal with this brat.¡± Helles said as she continued to munch on her cookies. ¡°As much as it pains me to say, but she seems to be ages behind that Tristan boy.¡± Helles looked slightly disillusioned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what I expected from a sheltered hussy like her.¡± Gabe looked uneasy between the girl and Helles.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± He asked for reasoning, since he knew he couldn¡¯t stop Helles once she started with her rant.

    ¡°I mean that the first thing he did when he met us is trying to save his friends, even knowing he had no chance. And what does she do? She dares to threaten us with the wrath of some nobodies! How can I be satisfied with my descendant if she doesn¡¯t have enough spines to fight for herself?¡± Helles explained.

    ¡°Well... I... ¨CIf you put it like that... I guess... Even I can¡¯t deny your reasoning.¡± Gabe gave Clair the dumbfounded Clair a pitiful smile.

    ¡°Look, she¡¯s so frightened of us, she can¡¯t even speak! I wish I was allowed to teach her stuff, but Bella just ordered us to just babysit her, because she doesn¡¯t have any friends. If you ask me, totally deserved. Who¡¯d want to hang out with a spoiled brat like her?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?!¡± Claire screamed towards Helles. ¡°Who¡¯re you to say such mean things to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Helles Licht and your future best friend!¡± Helles winked at the baffled.

 Harsch Truth

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    Clair took a sip from her Team. ¡° Soooo, you guys were sent by Bella to look after me, because she thought I might lose my mind if I don¡¯t have someone to talk to in this world?¡± Clair asked in disbelief after hearing out Gabe¡¯s and Helles explanation.

    Gabe nodded. ¡°Yes, Bella told us how much you¡¯re suffering without having anyone in your daily life that treats like a ¡°normal¡± Seraph. So we offered to help you out. ¡° ¨C¡° Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m just here because Bella ordered me to.¡± Helles butted in, while she put down the empty cookie jar on the table.

    ¡°So you¡¯re just gonna babysit me like all the other bodyguards and maids I already have?¡± Clair asked with a sad voice adding. ¡°I expected more from Bella.¡±

    ¡°It seems like you misunderstood.¡± Gabe responded. ¡°The only thing we will do is spend time with you.¡± -¡°And with ¡®WE¡¯ he means ¡®ME¡¯¡± Helles pointed at herself, as she said with a disapproving voice.

    ¡°Well,... Bella said you don¡¯t like to be treated as the crown princess, so there must be nothing more satisfying for you than talking to someone that does see you as nothing more than an insect.¡±

    Helles nodded in agreement just to stop abruptly. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t act like I¡¯m a bitch!¡± She smacked Gabe in the back of his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it to be treated as a bitch, then don¡¯t act like one!¡±

    ¡°hahahahh¡± Clair laughed wholeheartedly, like she had just witnessed a comedy skit. ¡°You guys are funny! I think I¡¯m gonna enjoy our time together!¡±

    ***

    After the meeting with the Bards Clair finally had time for herself. Usually she would use that time to just sit all gloomy and drown herself in a good book to forget her day. But strangely enough, she wasn¡¯t doing so right now.

    It was the first time since she had met Bella that she enjoyed her day in the world of mortals. It was the first time, she willingly recalled her day. She couldn¡¯t help but smile as she remembered the comedy show Gabe and Helles had shown her.

    ¡®Next, time I see Bella I¡¯ll have to thank her properly. That woman, Helles seems like an interesting fellow, who doesn¡¯t bother to tell people her opinion. She¡¯s pretty much the person I need in my life.

    ***Knock Knock***

    Kayle entered the room without even waiting for an answer. ¡°Did something good happen today?¡± She asked as she looked towards Clair with a surprised expression on her face. Usually she would find an edgy Clair reading a fantasy novel or a thriller trying to forget her day, but this time Kayle found the Clair happily reading a Rom-Com.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Clair answered with a shy voice.

    ¡°Really? Well, you once said you don¡¯t like Rom-Com because books are your way of leaving this reality and finding peace in far off worlds, where all your worldly problems seem so small.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Clair put on a grimace. ¡®That¡¯s what you get, when your nanny has a degree and psychology and pedagogy. She always figures me out if I want it or not.¡¯

    ¡°You got me. I made some new friends today. And when I say friends I actually mea people I can stand and treat me like an ordinary Seraph.¡±

    ¡°Good for you!¡± Kayle gave Clair a warm smile. ¡°I always knew you could make friends if you tried to!¡±

    ¡°What does that mean? It¡¯s not my fault that most of the people treat me like a goddess! ¨C I just can¡¯t get to like people like that! They just want to be next to me because of my position and not because of who I am!¡± Clair pointed at herself as she said those words with disgust.

    ¡°And who might you be? A spoiled brat, that thinks she can mistreat people just because she¡¯s a princess? Excuse me, but I¡¯ve known you since your birth and to be honest, I don¡¯t know what I or your mother did wrong with you!¡±

    Kayle watched as Clair turned redder and redder. ¡°You see without being a princess you would just be a spoiled edgy brat that thinks she can mistreat people as she pleases. A loner that does realize she¡¯s being mean to other people trying their best to befriend her!¡±

    ¡°No... I¡¯m not an edgy brat! It... It¡¯s your entire fault for treating me like a goddess.¡± Clair pointed her fingers accusingly towards Kayle. ¡°If no one treated me like a goddess, I wouldn¡¯t be so ¡®edgy¡¯ all the time!¡±

    Clair crossed her arms in front of her chest. ¡°Yeah, think about it! The only thing I keep complaining about is people treating me like I was something special, but I¡¯m not special! I¡¯m just an ordinary Seraph like anybody else!¡±

    Kayle rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you the only one that does not understand that you ARE special!? You posses magical talent unheard of! Your magical power should be able to rival the power of Light Empress Helles Licht! You are the only seraph that not only can use white magic, but also dark magic!¡±

    Kayle stopped to take a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t you realize that most of us ¡®ordinary¡¯ Seraphs take your constant complaining about how ¡®awefull your life is as a form of humble bragging? Any girl on Lux would love to change places with you. Being one day the prodigy that is the crown princess! That¡¯s the dream of many, and you go on every day and step on that dream like it¡¯s nothing to you!¡±

    Kayle and Clair had often some arguments, but Kayle had never gone that far. Up until now everything could have been seen as harmless teasing, but this time she was scolding like she had never done.

    Fighting with the tear on her eyes Clair tried to answer to Kayles accusations. ¡°I¡¯m not a goddess. I¡¯m just a mortal. If you see me as someone close to being a goddess you hav-¡°

    Kayle didn¡¯t let her end her phrase. ¡°It¡¯s obvious to everyone here that you aren¡¯t a goddess. But you¡¯re still a person with a lot of influence and power, so it¡¯s obvious that people are gonna treat you with awe and respect. Or do you think that a normal Seraph your age would be able to force Dietrich to fight using half of his streght?¡±

    Not being able to contain her tears, Clair looked towards Kayle that continued ranting about how she should feel bad hating her life.

    Looking towards the shivering girl Kayle finally realized that she had gone too far. ¡°I know the truth sometimes hurts my little angel.¡± She said as she hugged Clair and wiped her tears. ¡°But you know, sometimes someone has to pull you back to reality. One day you¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ¡®This is how I felt when I first met Bella. Yeah, back then I was a bossy child and Bella showed me that I''m just a normal kid. She told me something similar like Kayle did right now. She told me that I was just a mortal and shouldn''t act like being a goddess... So I started to despise people treating me like one. But it''s obvious they''ll treat someone as special as me like a goddess since they''ve never seen a real one!¡¯

    Clair hugged tighter onto Kayle. ''But Kayle is right, even if I''m just a mortal, I''m a special mortal in comparison to all other mortals and I should act like someone in my position. I have to learn to deal with it. But it''s still so hard to smile for ignorant people. I guess I''ll just have to try to endure.¡¯

 Decision

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    After Kayle had left the room, Clair stayed alone behind. She felt too agitated to continue reading her cheap Rom-Com. She just sat there thinking about Kayles words.

    ¡®Nice, now my good mood is gone. Is my dream of being treated like a normal seraph really that selfish? No! It isn¡¯t! It isn¡¯t selfish of me trying to be treated like a normal Seraph! If people think, that being the first princess is so nice, why don¡¯t they try to be the first princess for a day. I bet they would quite after a few hours!¡¯

    Clair started nodding. ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t selfish of me trying to live a normal life! It¡¯s my goddamn right! ... Yeah, no one can tell me it¡¯s wrong of me to desire a normal life. But in a way she kinda is right. It might cause other people to feel bad when I say I don¡¯t like being the crown princess.¡¯

    ¡°Excuse me¡± a young blonde maid entered the room. Clair who didn¡¯t realize the knocking on the door looked towards the young woman.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look familiar to me. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    The young woman looked towards Clair with a shocked expression. ¡°Yes... Your highness... I started working at her highness empress Clarisse¡¯ court.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably the reason I see you for the first time.¡± Clair smiled.

    ¡°Your highness...¡± The young woman looked troubled. ¡°I... I actually woke you up this morning.¡±

    ¡®Dang it! Kayle was right! I don¡¯t pay attention to my surroundings and don¡¯t even realize I might be hurting people around me!¡¯

    Clair forced a smile. ¡°Oh, yeahh, how could I forget that. You did a great job in by doing so.¡± Clair tried to sound as earnest as possible.

    The young woman tilted her head. ¡°If her highness says so.¡±

    ¡°Say you¡¯re a normal seraph, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your highness means by that, but yeah, I was raised a commoner.¡± The blonde maid bowed towards Clair.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Clair hesitated a moment. ¡®Does that qualify her as a ¡®normal¡¯ Seraph? Yeah, it probably does.¡¯

    ¡°If you had the opportunity would you like to be the crown princess?¡± She finally asked, trying to deny Kayles words.

    The young maid clearly did not expect that question. She blinked a few times before answering the question. ¡°Of course I would love to be in the crown princesses shoes. Everybody knows that the crown princess is not only smart and beautiful, but she also got blessed by the gods. We can only expect great things from her. And that¡¯s not all, there are rumors: although young, she¡¯s already engaged with the heir of the Luz family. One of the most prestigious families in all of Lux!¡±

    Clair¡¯s expression darkened as she heard about her engagement.

    The young maid paid Clair¡¯s mood no heed and continued. ¡°As I was saying we can expect great things from the crown princess, since she¡¯s the daughter of Empress Clarisse, who united the continent. Breaking the opposition of the noble houses, ruling their small principalities, by doing so stabilizing our continent that was about to enter a gigantic Civil War. Not only did she prevent the Civil War, but she also managed to take over lone rule of the continent without violence! And she wasn¡¯t even 60 years old by the time she did so! ...¡±

    Clair watched the young maid gush all over her mothers and her life bored. After a few minutes passed she finally decided to stop the fan girl. ¡°So, you would say that all the other people in Lux, not Lunae think this way?¡±

    The maid who was about to continue talking about how amazing the royal family is, realized her emotional outburst. I¡¯m sorry your highness, but I¡¯m just too big of a fan girl when it comes to this topic¡± She bowed deeply. ¡°To answer your question, yes I think most of the people in Lunae would want to change places with your highness at least once in their lives.

    ¡®I hate it when Kayle is right. Especially when it comes to this type of topics! I guess I¡¯ll have to change my behavior to the people around me here in the world of mortals. I¡¯m sorry Bella, but it seems like all my whining is going to happen at your place from now on.¡¯

    Clair pressed her red lips to a force smile. ¡°There¡¯s no problem in liking the royal family. In fact, mother will be really happy when she hears that her subjects are so invested in her well being.¡±

    The young maid smiled embarrassed.

    ¡°But now back to business, what is the reason that caused you to come and get me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah! Your highnesses friends have come visiting her.¡±

    ¡°Friends as in, Viktor and Sariel?¡± Clair asked trying to hide her disappointment.

    ¡°Yes, both of them are waiting for you in the winter garden.¡±

    ¡®By Bella, why do I have to entertain them? I don¡¯t have anything against Sariel, but Viktor is jus just creepy! If it wasn¡¯t for all this talk about trying to be nicer to my fellow mortals... Yeah, I would just run and hide as I usually do when he visits. And I would stay there reading until the next morning! Thinking about it... NO,IHAVETODOTHISONCEANDFORALL!IHAVETOBENICERTOOTHERMORTALSANDSOCIALIZE ALITTEMOREOFTEN!¡®

    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll go and receive them.¡± Clair stood up and walked towards the winter garden.

 Good News?!

    Lux (29.10.9978 AS)

    Clair walked into the winter garden. There she found a blonde boy and a blonde girl sitting at a table sipping tea from expensive looking porcelain cups. The girl noticed Clair¡¯s presence before she could even greet them. She eagerly waved towards Clair. ¡°Hi Clair! You actually came and didn¡¯t decide to hide like you always do.¡±

    Clair waved back and forced a smile with a guilty expression. ¡®Sariel sure knows how to say what she thinks.¡¯

    Sariel was wearing her red hair with blonde stripes open, the shoulder lenght wavy hair covered parts of her sharp face harmonizing well with her green eyes. A pair of small silver colored wings, were visible from behind the brown backless dress she was wearing.

    Sariel was three years older than Clair, thus she had already gotten to the age, where her wings would start growing. Unlike the Demons the racial traits of the Seraphs started to manifest at the age of thirteen. The duration of the process would take about six to eight years depending on the seraphs.

    Another difference to the Demons was the way the society dealt with their racial traits. While the Demons would speed up the process and hide their wings and tails, the Seraph would wear their wings proud, for everyone to see and let the process happen naturaly.

    Thus most of their buildings and clothing were optimized for their wings: The doors would be wide enough for them to walk through without hurting their wings and most of the clothes would be backless so they could spread their wings freely.

    ¡°Seems like you finally decided to stop resisting my charms.¡± Viktor said grinning towards Clair.

    ¡®Not even five minutes into my resolve trying to change the ways how I treat the mortals and I¡¯m already regretting it! Clair thought giving her best not to punch Viktor in his face. ¡®I wonder if there are other people that also sometimes feel the urge to punch someone like him right in to the face? I wonder how much his ugly pointy nose would bleed?¡¯

    An evil grin appeared on Clair¡¯s face as she let her imagination run wild. After a few seconds she snapped back out of her happy place and took a deep breath while she continued smiling like a wicked witch. ¡°That¡¯ will never happen. Even if you were the last Seraph alive and I would be forced to choose to breed between a Demon and you, I would choose the Demon without a second thought.¡±

    As he heard Clair¡¯s malicious words Viktors expression turned dark. His sharp chin started shaking as he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that¡± He finally brought out after a few seconds of wracking his brain trying to come up with an answer.

    Viktor forcefully shoved aside his long blond hair from his face and reattached it to the bun on the back of his head.

    ¡°Mark my words, once we¡¯re married you¡¯re gonna be my bitch! Yeah, you¡¯re gonna be force to do everything I ask for...¡± A perverted grin appeared on his face. Have you seen the body of your mother? Even if you inherited just 1% of those curves you¡¯ll still be a great woman! And I¡¯ll know how to have fun with you. I know you¡¯re thinking that our marriage isn¡¯t going to happen. But me and my family will see that it happens. And believe me our marriage is going to happen in the not so distant future.¡± Viktor said with an angry voice while his black wings trembled behind his back.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Sariel looked disgusted towards him, not believing what he had just had said. She stood up and walked towards the trembling Clair and pulled her towards the garden leaving Viktor behind sitting alone in the winter garden. He showed signs of following them, but Sariel signaled him to stay where he was.

    Clair just stood there trembling while Sariel hugged her. The only reason why Viktor¡¯s words had gotten to her so much was because they were true. She most likely would end up getting married to Viktor and just thinking about herself being defiled by such a ¡®douchebag¡¯ let chills flow down her spine.

    ¡®I can¡¯t do it. They tell me to be nicer to my fellow mortals and this is what I get. I just hope I get to meet my future husband before my marriage happens. I still have a few years until I¡¯m faced with something like marriage, but I still have to find ways to escape them!¡¯

    After feeling Sariel¡¯s warmth for a few minutes she finally signaled Sariel that she was ok. ¡°Don¡¯t think about his childish threats. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t act that way once he grows up.¡± S

    Clair looked towards Sariel as if Sariel had just said the most stupid thing ever. ¡°You know he is two years older than you! Just thinking that someone five years older then me, wants to do that kind of thing to me makes me feel sick.¡±

    Sariel smiled awkwardly as her attempt to cheer up her friend didn¡¯t work out. ¡°But you are the crown princess and have the power of the Gods on your side. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to deal with a nobody like him.¡±

    Clair looked towards Sariel with a blank expression. ¡®Her attempts to cheer me up are getting from bad to worse. I wish she would just shut up! All she¡¯s doing is rubbing salt into my wounds. Usually I would say something really mean to her, right now, but I decided to change the way I treat my fellow mortals, so I have to keep it nice and friendly!¡¯ Clair took a deep breath and force the kindest smile she could. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re probably right.¡±

    Sariel looked baffled towards Clair. She clearly had not expected that answer from Clair.

    ¡°How is the training in the ¡®Horde¡¯ going?¡± Clair asked trying to change the topic.

    Sariel eyes gleamed as she heard the question. With a big smile she started to explain how her training was advancing. ¡°... And you know next month we¡¯re finally getting our first mission on Terra.¡±

    Clair looked at Sariel full of envy. ¡° I wish I was allowed to join the Horde or at least a normal school.¡± She said with a sad voice. ¡°But it¡¯s still nice to hear that you¡¯re doing fine in the Horde.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sariel said shyly. ¡°My instructor told me that if I keep up the good work I might make it to general one day in the near future!¡±

    ¡°Good for you!¡± Clair answered happily. ¡®It¡¯s not like that I really care about your position in our armed forces, but let¡¯s go with the flow for now.¡¯

    Suddenly the door of the winter garden opened. And Kayle stepped in. She charged directly towards Clair and gave her a piece of paper.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Clair asked as she started reading the content of the piece of paper.

    ¡°No...¡±

    ¡°THEREISNOWAYTHISISHAPPENING!¡± Clair shouted happily as she continued reading.

    ¡°HOWDIDYOUMANAGETOPULLTHATOFF?ITHOUGHTMYPARENTSWOULDNEVERALLOWSUCHTHING!!¡±

    ¡°Clair dear, take a deep breath before talking, you¡¯re doing your speed shouting again.¡± Kayle said as she stroke Clair¡¯s head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but how can I remain calm if you give me such good news!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Sariel asked.

    ¡°Nothing big.¡± Kayle replied.

    ¡°Nothing big? No, something really big! I¡¯m allowed to join the training in the Horde!¡± Clair answered happily as she held the permission signed by her parents close to her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but thank you Kayle.¡± She said and jumped to hug her Nanny.

 Training

    Oidche (5.11.9978 AS)

    ¡®My arms are all sore, my legs hurt and my time is almost up! It¡¯s been almost two weeks since I entered this damn forest and it still doesn¡¯t feel there will be an end to this! How many monsters have I killed in the past weeks? I don¡¯t know, I stopped counting at 420! Anyways, who would have thought there were so many monsters hiding in this forest?¡¯

    Tristan jumped to the side, evading the giant tail of a dragon. He activated his flight ability to launch a counterattack even before the landing. The black bastard sword in his right hand easily sliced through the thick black scales of the shadow dragon.

    ***ROAR***

    The beast roared in pain. Its massive body marked with dozens of cuts from the fight against Tristan. Tristan showed it a fearless smile as he knew the dragon was about to collapse every next moment. The Dragon used its remaining strength for a final attack. Its sharp claws landed on the place were Tristan had been standing just a few moments earlier.

    Tristan had evaded the attack of the dragon by flying to the side. In the air he positioned himself on top of the dragon. Then he poured mana into his sword. The sword started glowing and six magic circles surrounded the Dragon. The magic circles started glowing in an ominous black color and a maelstrom of shadows started devouring the Dragon¡¯s body.

    ¡®Shadow¡¯s magic is pretty awesome¡¯ Tristan who was watching the scene from above thought. ¡®No matter how often I see this spell I just can¡¯t help but feel impressed of its cruelty. To think that I would have been denied this kind of magic if I hadn¡¯t met Dunkler. I can¡¯t even think of all the possibilities this new power gives me. So many new spells, so many possibilities to create new spells! Now I just have to clear up the reminding monsters from this forest and I will be able to go home on time.¡¯

    An evil smile appeared on Tristan¡¯s face. As he once again poured energy into the short sword.

    ¡°Hey, what do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Schattenklinge screamed as he saw Tristan editing the magic circles he had taught him.

    ¡°I¡¯m running out of time, you know. Tomorrow I¡¯ll have to go back to school. My clone at home wasn¡¯t programmed for that. And you said I can¡¯t leave this valley without killing every last monster. And there are quite a lot of strong monsters that will take a little time in a 1v1. So I figured out I could speed up the process a little bit by modifying the ¡®shadowstorm¡¯ spell.¡±

    ¡°I knew you were an interesting fellow, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be able to rewrite a spell I thought you in a few days! Especially not creating something so devastating as you are right now. Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to control the spell once you activate it?¡±

    Tristan rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be! I see: You noticed I removed the space limiters. But you see I added some other kind limiters to it. Now the spell doesn¡¯t just destroy everything in a set area, but destroys everything I point towards which means the maelstrom will be able to move where I want it to, but it also stops at will. It¡¯s a little more difficult to cast than the original spell, but more effective.¡± Tristan put on a mocking grin towards the monsters under him.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to say this world goodbye.¡± He poured his mana into the magic circle he had rewritten. And a maelstrom of shadows appeared out of nowhere to where he was pointing towards with his sword. The maelstrom shredded through everything it came in contact with. Even the hard scales of the majestic Black Dragons, didn¡¯t stand a chance to the shadows shredding through everything they touched.

    ¡°HAAHHAH¡± Tristan laughed in disbelief as he saw this devastation caused by one of his spells. ¡®Better! This is way better to the fighting means I had till now. But I still have ways to go to reach the level of someone like Dunkler. I can¡¯t even think of how much stronger then Dunkler someone like Fors is!¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re right, you can¡¯t even start comparing to someone like Dunkler yet. But that spell of yours is a good point of starting. To be honest, I¡¯ve never ever seen someone create a new spell just one week after learning to use ¡®shadows magic¡¯. I¡¯m happy I made the right decision in making you my new partner.¡± Schattenklinge said with a praising tone.

    ¡°Well to be hones thanks to my passive, creating new magic is one of my specialties.¡± Tristan said with modesty in his voice, turning slightly red. ¡°So can I go back now? I cleared the forest from all the monsters with that spell.¡±

    ¡°Still... I kinda feel like you cheated me by using that spell. I hoped to see you swing that sword a little, it would have been a good training, you know.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that is supposed to be a good training. It¡¯s not like those monsters are trouble for me anymore. In the past weeks I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve reached a whole new level of power.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right; when you entered this forest you just had reached Super Devil level. And now you¡¯re about to reach Demon Lord Level! I¡¯m impressed with your growth. But keep in mind, that this power doesn¡¯t make you undefeatable. There are other being strong enough to beat you. Thus, you¡¯ll have to train a lot.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Yeah, I have already experienced complete defenselessness and you¡¯re gonna help me that that never ever happens to me again.¡±

    ¡°Good to know that, I¡¯ll gladly to help you by teaching you everything I know and lending you my powers as much as I can. After all, I¡¯m living in your body from now on¡± Two creepy red eyes grinned happily towards Tristan and fused itself with Tristan¡¯s shadow.

    The bastard sword in Tristan¡¯s hand dissolved into thin air. ¡®So let¡¯s go to your place.¡¯ Schattenklinge spoke into Tristan¡¯s mind, causing him to cringe a little. ¡®Can you stop speaking when you¡¯re inside of me? It¡¯s awkward!¡¯ Schattenklinge laughed wholeheartedly. ¡®You¡¯ll get used to it soon. And it¡¯s not like you want to be seen talking to your shadow, do you?¡¯

    Tristan tilted his head. If he thought about it, this was the easiest way to communicate with his new partner. ¡®Now get ready for the jump, I¡¯ll open the barrier for a few seconds.¡¯ Schattenklinge said. ¡®Ok, boss!¡¯ Tristan saluted.

    A few seconds later Tristan appeared in his laboratory. There he found a familiar face, better said a familiar looking pair of glasses. ¡°Tristan!¡± Abigail happily ran towards her friend. As she was about to hug him she stopped. ¡°Ewww, you stink!¡± She said gagging. She started holding her nose with her right hand. And retreated as far as she could from Tristan.

    Tristan laughed awkwardly at her reaction. ¡°Oh yeah, I trained day and night without caring for stuff like taking a bath. I only took breaks to eat the flesh of the monster I hunted down and to sleep for a few hours.¡±

    ¡°That explains why you look like a caveman!¡± Abigail pointed towards the mirror. Tristan took a look at how he looked like and almost couldn¡¯t recognize himself. He was still wearing the same black pants and white, woolen roll neck he had taken with him as he started his journey to Oidche two weeks ago. From the long brown coat he had taken with him there wasn¡¯t much left. And the rest of his clothes were smeared in blood of the different types of monster he had killed in hand to hand combat.

    His long black hair that usually was all over the place on his head, was so greasy it looked like he was sweating like mad although he wasn¡¯t sweating at all.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll need a shower.¡± Tristan laughed, embarrassed once more trying to play it off. ¡°Well, see you tomorrow.¡± He waved towards Abigail and opened a gate directly to his bathroom.

    ¡®Your girlfriend is quite a cutie you know. But I didn¡¯t expect you to be into the nerdy type.¡¯ Schattenklinge said with a teasing tone.

    ¡®She isn¡¯t my girlfriend. She¡¯s just a dear friend of mine, nothing less, nothing more.¡¯

    ¡®Boooo, booo! You spoil sport. I was looking forward for a little romance story between the two of you! If you don¡¯t have a main love interest, then it¡¯s not fun at all. Who are you gonna fight for?¡¯ Schattenkling continued with the teasing tone.

    ¡®For myself.¡¯ Tristan said with a robotic voice without even giving it a second thought. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯ll fight for the right of being reunited with my parents.¡¯

    Nocturnio (6.11.9978 AS)

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Ares smiled wryly as he saw a youth sitting in his office. ¡°What do you want this time?¡± He asked as he walked towards his own chair. The black haired youth answered with a wide grin on his long bony face. ¡°Why did you assume I came here to ask something of you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on Meliodas, we both know you just come and visit this old teacher of yours once you¡¯re in a pinch and seek for advice from this old man.¡±

    Meliodas laughed happily as he heard Ares words. ¡°You know me just too good teacher.¡± He ran his hand over his slicked back black hair. His black eyes were glued on Ares observing every movement, he did.

    ¡°So what do you wish to ask this time?¡±

    Meliodas cleared his throat. ¡°I heard those bards caused your elite students quite some trouble. Even got your best two students suspended.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with you.¡± Ares stopped Meliodas before he could finish .

    ¡°Well, we also had our fair bit of trouble with the bards. While we were hunting them through Terra we ran into the Horde. And you know what happens when we happen to encounter those birdbrains. Yeah, they attack us without remorse. Over the past few centuries we didn¡¯t interfere with each other. But now, thanks to our eagerness in wanting to hunt down the bards we got into a little conflict with them.¡±

    ¡°So you want me to help you end the conflict before more blood is spilled?¡± Ares said with an alarmed tone. This news was indeed troubling for him, since most his students would end up joining the army.

    ¡°No, actually we ended the conflict last week. The commander of them was reasonable enough to talk it out with us... But still... After the meeting he issued the order to double his efforts in disposing of wild elders, or that¡¯s at least what our spies reported.¡±

    ¡°And now you want my wisdom to find ways to detect Elders before they find them? If it¡¯s that I know quite a few spells that might work with Elders of our kin.¡±

    ¡°Actually, we already switched to those spells. To be honest, what I came to ask you for is a bunch of your students. To be precise I would like to have your newbies. I heard they are all prodigies not older than 12¡±

    ¡°So you found a real young wild elder? That¡¯s rare, usually they¡¯re about 20 when we¡¯re able to localize them and get them to be our allies.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s actually the first time I see a wild Elder this young. This means we¡¯ll have to approach her with the biggest of care. My strategists came up with the plan of using the young prodigies to befriend her and so easily pull her to our side.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little too dangerous to send our biggest jewels out there? You yourself just said how crazy those guys from the horde are acting.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask if we couldn¡¯t provide for their security. Also, we kinda have to hurry. Since our means to localize elders just give us one to two months more time than their spells.¡±

    ¡®Sabrina is probably not gonna speak with me after this one. But I¡¯m sure that Tristan will grow quite a bit if I agree to this. It might be a unique chance for him to grow in real life combats.¡¯ Ares looked at Meliodias who was nervously looking towards him.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll lend you three of our students, but be warned. They¡¯re not the type of students that listen to commands. Maybe you¡¯ll manage to teach them to respect their superiors.¡±

    Meliodas face lit up. ¡°Thank you. Then I¡¯ll be on my way making the preparations for their arrival.

    Meliodas stood up and bowed slightly towards Ares. And left the room.

    ¡®I still can¡¯t believe that he made it to Commander of our army in Terra so fast. It felt like yesterday that he was pranking people around the campus.¡¯ Ares thought as he saw the broad back of Meliodas leave the room.

 Blue Flame

    Solum (23.11.9978 AS)

    ¡°Big sis!¡±

    ¡°Big sis!¡± I hear the small voices of Antonia and Jonny calling towards me. The two are twins and five years younger than me. Though, they both are as misfortunate as me. They also had the ¡®luck¡¯ to land in this place: Fors Love Orphanage.

    I try to put on my brightest smile before turning to them. ¡°You know big sis is reaaalllyy busy right now, so I can¡¯t play with the two of you.¡± I try to sound as earnest and warm as possible as I answer them.

    ¡°But... You promised!¡± ¨C ¡°Yeah, big sis is a big liar! She promised to play with but now she doesn¡¯t want to anymore!¡± Both of them say while looking at me with their big green puppy eyes. They know exactly I can¡¯t withstand a puppy eyes attack.

    ¡°Ok, Ok I will play with you, but only a little. Yeah, just a little.¡± I wave with my index finger in front of the twins to sound as intimidating as I can. ¡°Ever since I entered the ¡®Mage School¡¯ I¡¯ve gotten really busy.¡± I lie to them.

    Truth be told, I don¡¯t have time to play with them, because I want to hone my skills to one day achieve my dreams and not because of the school. Against all my expectations my studying time for like homework and other school related stuff didn¡¯t change much since I was force to change schools and entered the ¡®Mage School¡¯.

    Although, I¡¯m an orphan I¡¯m allowed to join such a prestigious school, because most of the kids here are bastards of the Elders and other types of nobility. Thus, we¡¯re granted scholarships if we show promise with magic.

    Children that show any kind of talent with magic have to join one of many magic schools, between those schools the ¡®Mage School¡¯ is the most prestigious one. It¡¯s not easy to join that school. You either have to be high nobility or be a prodigy.

    Since I can remember I always wanted to join that school. Although, I¡¯ve never met my parents, I always felt like I would be able to meet them, if only I make it big. And what better way of making it big can you think of, then entering the best school in the country and getting a job in the government after graduating?

    It might sound childish, but I know, if I ever make it big, I¡¯ll be able to meet one of my parents. I know that one of them is in our government waiting for me to shine. So every day, I give my all trying to reach that dream of mine. To show my parents what they missed out when they gave me to this people in the orphanage.

    Anyways, last month a small portion of my dreams finally became reality. After taking my first exams in magic, everybody in school went wild, just because I scored the highest score in the history of my old school.

    Right after the tests I was sent to another test center where they measured my magical potential. The score I got in those tests lead to me being accepted into the ¡®Mage School¡¯.

    My expectations for the ¡®Mage School¡¯ were really high, but until know nothing changed much from my other school except the way people see others:. All my classmates like to make it clear, they¡¯re superior to others. Even those that got in through a scholarship like me, like to look down on people outside the academy.

    ¡°Big sis?!¡± Antonia pulls on my sleeves bringing me back to reality.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m coming.¡± I say as I¡¯m being dragged outside towards the big green yard in front of our orphanage.

    ***

    After two hours of playing ball, the twins are finally exhausted. Freeedommm! I¡¯m finally free to do whatever I want. So I hurry up the hill behind our orphanage. From there I have a beautiful view over the city of Solum. It¡¯s getting late and the sun is slowly leaving place for the moon to do her thing.

    I take out some books I borrowed from the library and start changing the words of the new spell I¡¯m learning. A fire ball forms in front of me. As I keep chanting I pour more and more of my mana into it causing the fire ball to increase in size. ¨C Not the result I¡¯m looking for.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    My goal is to change the color of the flame from red to almost invisible blue. Most of my classmates would be happy to achieve such a big ball of flames. To be honest, I myself am quite impressed by its size. But size isn¡¯t what matters the most. It¡¯s the power of the flame. And as far as I know, the clearer and purer the flame the faster the oxidation process is. This leads to greater heat!

    Yeah, what I want to create is a small but powerful flame. I can¡¯t even think of all the ways to use such a flame. For example, I could use it to cut through everything that I want or even as a projectile during a fight, but let¡¯s hope I never end up in a situation I end up using it as a projectile. I don¡¯t want to be responsible for the death of someone.

    The big fire ball in front of my suddenly starts wobbling in a way I didn¡¯t anticipate.

    Shit. Shit. Shit.

    I¡¯ve been pouring so much mana into it, trying to create the blue flame and totally forgot I to use something to stabilize the fire.

    I concentrate trying to stabilize the fire, but I probably won¡¯t be able to do it. If I add more mana to the mix, then I¡¯ll just end up making it worse. I close my eyes.

    Judging by the mount of many I inserted into the flame I¡¯ll be lucky if I survive the failure of this experiment and even if I survive I¡¯ll surely be a disfigured monster.

    I keep my eyes closed for a few moments but nothing happens.

    Finally, I form the courage to open one of my eyes and all I can see is a small blue flame in front of me. I smile and open my second I. Did I make it? ¨CNo I didn¡¯t! A second look over the flame makes me it clear, I wasn¡¯t the one who managed to convert the big red flame ball into a small almost transparent flame ball.

    Besides the blue shimmering I can see that the color of the mana keeping the flame in place isn¡¯t mine. It¡¯s dark, no, not only dark. It is pitch black, I¡¯ve never seen anything so dark. All though it¡¯s there it feels like there is nothing there. It¡¯s the total opposite to my bright green colored mana.

    Just what in the world is this mana? I walk slowly towards it.

    ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡± A young male voice asks me.

    I turn towards the voice and I see a black haired boy probably the same age as me sitting on the branch of the big tree behind of me.

    ¡°No?!¡± I give a short answer. I don¡¯t know who the boy is, but his aura is suspicious. I¡¯ve never seen someone who leaks so much mana nor someone who owns such a color of mana. Most of the people I¡¯ve met so far only leak bright colored mana when they use an artifact or when using magic, but not just from sitting on a tree. The boy sitting on the branch is continuously leaking pitch black mana.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have a death wish then don¡¯t pour so much many into a frail spell like ¡®Fireball?!¡± He reproaches me as he swings down from the tree and starts walking towards me.

    ¡°Frail?¡± I ask. ¡°¡¯Fireball¡¯ aren¡¯t frail at all. They are rough and tough!¡± Yeah, the ¡®Fireball¡¯ spell is one of the strongest spell there is, how can he say a spell like this one is frail?

    ***Sigh***

    His greenish grey eyes look at me with pity. His expression reminds of how my classmates see the people that don¡¯t belong to our school.

    ¡°You see, I didn¡¯t mean that the effect of the spell is frail, but rather that the spell matrix is frail. Actually I wonder why no one has killed himself yet; casting such spell that doesn¡¯t have any safety mechanisms for when you mess up.¡±

    He slowly bows in front of me and picks up one of the books I was using as a helper to cast the spell.

    ¡°You should totally sue whoever wrote this book.¡± He says after taking a look at it. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°The library.¡± I answer.

    Just who is this person? I¡¯m sure he isn¡¯t older than me, but I still feel like I¡¯m standing before someone who¡¯s reached wisdom beyond, of what I¡¯ll ever achieve! I can¡¯t explain it myself, but I feel like everything he said was correct.

    He takes out a pencil from thin air and starts scribbling into the book.

    ¡°Hey, that book doesn¡¯t belong to me! Don¡¯t damage it!¡± I try to stop him. After all I don¡¯t want to be banned from the library; The only place I relax.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, that wasn¡¯t my intention...¡± He looks troubled. He presses his lips to a thin line. ¡°But you know I just can¡¯t help but correct things that are wrong.¡± He tries to smile at me as he hands over the book to me.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask, still looking at him as if I just have seen a ghost.

    ¡°Tristan Halblicht¡± He answers smiling earnestly.

    ¡°And you may be?¡± He asks still smiling at me.

    ¡°Ai, Ai Erui,¡± I answer, smiling back at him.

    ¡°Tirst!¡± I hear a female voice call from afar.

    ¡°Where did you run off again? Wait till I get my hands on you!¡± The female voice draws closer.

    ¡°That idiot.¡±

    The smile on Tristan¡¯s face disappears. He shakes my hand. ¡°Ai, it was a pleasure to meet you here, maybe we¡¯ll see each other again.¡± He says before running off towards where the hysterical female voice is calling his name.

    For a while I just stand there, where his back just vanished behind the trees. ¡°Tristan, I have a feeling we¡¯ll certainly meet again.¡± I whisper and take a look at the book he scribbled something in.

    I can¡¯t help but smile, when I look at it. If I understand correctly, he added different types of barriers to the spell. ¡®So it won¡¯t be too dangerous.¡¯ Is written on the last line he modified. I hug the book and look at the small transparent blue flame, which suddenly vanishes.

 Terra

    Nocturnio (14.11.9978 AS)

    One week had passed since Laura and Tristan were allowed to rejoin classes. The whole week passed without incidents, so why were Tristan and Laura sitting now in front of the office of the principal?.

    ¡°Did we do something wrong? Did he change his mind and is gonna expel us now?¡± Laura asked with a hysterical voice. ¡°I don¡¯t to be expelled from this school, I don¡¯t know if I could bear the boring curriculum of a normal school!¡±

    Tristan didn¡¯t pay any attention to his friend, he had decided to ignore her for the time being. She had been talking nonstop asking the same questions over and over again, since they had been asked to visit the principal¡¯s office after classes ended. Five hours had passed since then, and so Tristan had decided to pretend as if she wasn¡¯t there.

    15 minutes after they arrived in front of the office, principal Kuro finally decided to ask them in. To Tristan¡¯s and Laura¡¯s surprise they weren¡¯t alone in with the principal in the room. But Sabrina was also sitting there looking quite annoyed and another person they didn¡¯t know. It was a young man wearing a beard.

    The young man stood up and introduced himself as soon as he saw the two of them walking into the room. ¡°Hello, my name is Melodias, currently in command of the Devil¡¯s army in Terra.¡± He said, bowing in a graceful manner.

    ¡°I guess you already know Sabrina.¡± Pricinpal Kuro said clapping his hands. ¡°So let¡¯s start with the meeting! Let¡¯s see, where do we start... Oh, yeah! Do the two of you know the job of our army in Terra?¡±

    Laura, who was expecting the worst was lost of words and couldn¡¯t answer the question, so Tristan had to step in to answer the question. ¡°Well, we search for unregistered Elders to pull them to our side and to ensure the safety of our trade routes; the gates.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s mostly correct.¡± Melodias said as he started playing with his beard. ¡° We don¡¯t search for the unregistered Elders to pull them to our side, but to protect them from the Horde; the Seraphs army. Since they hunt down everything they don¡¯t feel align with their principles and Elders are seen by them as our key to world domination. So they decided to launch a witch hunt against the Elders, especially those who aren¡¯t protected by us.¡±

    Laura nodded amazed as he heard Melodias words; it was as if she was a sponge she tried sucking up every bit of knowledge offered to her. Tristan on the other hand looked with critical eyes towards Melodias and Ares.

    ¡°So what does that have to do with us?¡± He asked. ¡°We are just starting up with the military course and we weren¡¯t that successful on our first mission¡± He continued as he looked towards Sabrina.

    Melodias looked troubled towards Ares, he looked like he was screaming for help. ¡°Well, you sure are a direct one...¡± Melodias said as he laughed awkwardly. ¡°Well, you we found a very young but the na?ve Elder girl and we want you guys to bring her on our side... Of course you don¡¯t have to need to worry about protection, since we¡¯ll be there for you twenty-four-seven, providing the protection you need.¡±

    Tristan looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t get it, why did you choose us for this mission and not one of our classmates? Don¡¯t get me wrong, we might be prodigies, but we still almost killed all our teammates during our last mis-¡° Laura rammed her elbow into Tristan¡¯s ribs, who started chocking.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure men of your caliber thought a decision like this through and it¡¯s not our job to question it, right Tristan?¡± Tristan just nodded silently trying to hide his pain.

    Melodias looked flustered. ¡°Well,... What a wise little lady you are. Of course we did think this through and came to the decision you two are the best choice for this job.¡±

    Laura looked towards Melodias with bright eyes, while Sabrina just rolled her eyes and stood up. ¡°I guess, I¡¯m not needed here anymore. All my objections were shut down anyways, so there is no point in me staying here any longer.¡± She once again sent a hateful glare towards Ares and Melodias before leaving the room.

    Ares gaze followed Sabrina¡¯s back, until she closed the door. ¡®I¡¯m sorry darling, but I have my reasons.¡¯ He thought before clapping with his hands. ¡°What do you think Tristan? Would you like to take part in this mission?¡±

    Laura nodded enthusiastically next to Tristan, trying to convince Tristan to be part of the mission on Terra.

    ¡°All we need is your consents, since it¡¯s clear that the fine lady next to you is really keen on going to Terra.¡± Melodias added.

    Tristan still looked indecisive. He was trying to consult his passive; because he knew something was off, how both Melodias and Principal Kuro were approaching the whole situation.

    And there was also the fact that Sabrina was opposing this mission so openly, he was sure she must have had very good reasons to speak up against Ares and Melodias so openly. Tristan was sure; Sabrina must have known the true nature of the mission and was thus trying to protect Tristan by speaking up for him.

    ¡®I know the way they¡¯re approaching this mission might feel fishy to you, but why don¡¯t we go along with it? I promise nothing is going to happen to you or your friend, if things get out of hands, I¡¯ll make sure to step in and save you guys.¡¯ Tristan heard Schattenklinge¡¯s voice say in his head.

    Tristan grimaced and looked towards Melodias ¡°Ok, I accept the mission, so what exactly are we supposed to do and what¡¯s the easiest way to approach the mission without failing?¡±

    Laura¡¯s elbow once again landed between Tristan¡¯s ribs, causing him to choke. ¡°Of course we don¡¯t mind if the mission is a little bit demanding. After all, we¡¯re prodigies and are supposed to behave like those.¡±

    <From now on I¡¯ll do everything that¡¯s needed to reach the top! I¡¯ll work harder than I did before, so that one day I¡¯ll make my mom proud. And I won¡¯t break any rules anymore, I¡¯ll behave like I¡¯m expected to, I¡¯ll show everyone that I deserve this second chance I received. Sorry Trist, I appreciate that you jumped after me, but next time, please let me die if I ever do something so stupid ever again.> Tristan recalled Laura¡¯s speech from the past Monday. Ever since she had been behaving strangely; she wouldn¡¯t talk with them during classes anymore, and would spend most of her free time in the school library, studying different spells. In class she would pay more attention than usual and would even listen happily to topics she used to find boring and repetitive.

    Tristan sighed ¡®I guess, I wasn¡¯t the only one that was shown how powerless I am, during the incident with the Bards. Luckily she didn¡¯t realize I was the one who knocked her out in my efforts trying to save her and my friends.¡¯

    Melodias looked pleased as he heard Laura. ¡°Did I already tell you that I like you young lady? Yeah, I really like your motivation. Unfortunately, we still need the permission of your guardians so we can¡¯t disclose anything about the mission to you yet. How about we meet again in three days once we all the paperwork is cleared up and you two are ready to depart?

    Nocturnio (17.11.9978 AS)

    Meolidas and his men lead the kids through the catacombs of the Academy, three days had passed since their first meeting, in the meantime the kids managed to get Nana¡¯s and Dolores¡¯ permission for the Mission. It wasn¡¯t easy to get the permission from them, considering the difficulty of the mission and the results of the last, nevertheless their ¡®mothers¡¯ agreed to the mission because of Ares.

    With a mad smile on his face Tristan followed Melodias and his men through the catacombs of the Guardian Academy. ¡®What¡¯s wrong partner? You look scary, did something good happen? I want to know what¡¯s so funny.¡¯ Tristan heard Shattenklinge¡¯s creaky voice in his head.

    ¡®Nothing much, it¡¯s just that I always wondered why the Guardian Academy is built like a gigantic Fortress from the inside while the outside looks so frail, like they were trying to avoid something to break out. But with one of the gates being here it makes quite a lot of sense.

    If we get attacked by one of the other races through the Gates we can stall them here for quite some time till the population of Nocturnio is evacuated. Also, if my passive didn¡¯t betray me the academy itself is a gigantic Magical seal, so if our army doesn¡¯t stall for long enough we can still seal the enemy away. I¡¯m actually quite impressed by how save we actually are against the attacks of the other races.¡¯

    ¡®Boooo, booo!! That sounds soooo boring! Where is the fun in stalling and sealing away the enemy?! A real warrior fights his opponent straight on, also it¡¯s more thrilling fighting the enemy haing the pressure of saving the civilians, don¡¯t you agree?!¡¯

    ¡®You have a quite messed up mind don¡¯t you?¡¯

    ¡®Not really, the you kids these days are just too spoiled, also you can¡¯t blame me, I¡¯ve been inside that seal for over 9500 years, my only companions being those wild monsters and when I finally found someone to serve: He turned out to be a spoiled wimp!¡¯

    ¡®Hey, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself just because you¡¯re a little stranger than me!¡¯

    ¡®A little? Hmpf as if! If I wasn¡¯t holding back, during our fight in the forest you would be ten feet under by now, missy.¡¯

    ¡®Oh, shut up! You... You just wait till I got a little more training and catch up to you!¡¯

    ¡®Not in 10000 years, missy.¡¯

    -

    Their conversation was interrupted by Melodias who in front of a large door within a ginormous door. Without Tristan realizing they had walked into a dome shaped room, there was a big barracks build near the only entrance.

    Everything in the room brimmed with magic, wherever Tristan¡¯s eyes wondered there was a magic circle: the walls, the soil, the barracks and even the air! But the enormous door was just that, a simple, very big red door.

    The ¡®small¡¯ door within a huge door was still bigger than the biggest portal on Nocturnio¡¯s ¡®Portal Main Station¡¯, standing a little ahead of the door blocking them was a group of heavily armed soldiers. The Soldiers saluted towards Melodias showing him their respect.

    ¡°Well, from here on we will enter a new world! Aren¡¯t you excited young recruits? I can still remember my first time passing through this door, I was so excited my heard almost stopped beating.¡± Melodias said and laughed embarrassed.

    Laura nodded and looked enthusiastic towards Melodias with her big brown eyes, while Tristas just continued to survey the big room with his eyes.

    Melodias nodded towards the soldiers and they started chanting some random words in a language Tristan had never heard of nor read about it before. ¡®The language of the gods¡¯ Shattenklinges creaky voice whispered into Tristan¡¯s head. ¡®They¡¯re opening the gate to terra.¡¯ He added.

    ¡®Wait, aren¡¯t the gates always open?¡¯ Tristan asked confused.

    ¡®They are, but this door works like a seal, so that no one without the authorization can trespass it.¡¯

    Tristan nodded to himself as he observed the door slowly starting to open under the influence of magic circles? If they really were magic circles, they were really strange ones! Tristan had a hard time trying to comprehend them even while putting his passive at full use.

    ¡®Are you mad?!¡¯ Shattenklinge screamed in his head. ¡®Your ability allows you to see the magic circles, right?¡¯

    ¡®Yes¡¯

    ¡®Well, don¡¯t! Many people have lost their mind trying to figure out magic circles created by the gods, so don¡¯t even try to comprehend them.¡¯

    ¡®You are right, this seal is really complicated, it makes a portal look like a childsplay I would never even hope to understand what every magic circle is supposed to mean, so I gave up on it already, you see I¡¯m not some retarded scholar.¡¯ Tristan giggled at Schattensklinge concerns. ¡®Still, I wonder how these lowly soldiers are able to activate such advanced magic by themselves.¡¯ He added.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    -

    ¡°Before entering Terra let¡¯s go over the three most important rules for during your stay in the world of the humans.¡± Melodias announced with a serious face.

    ¡°The first and most important rule is that Humans aren¡¯t allowed to find out about ours nor the seraph¡¯s existences, so please don¡¯t get yourselves caught by a Human while using magic beyond the level of an Elder. This means spells above ¡®Super Devil¡¯ tier are forbidden to you, not that one of you has reached said level already.¡±

    Tristan grinned happily as he heard that.

    Melodias continued on a serious mood, showing a two with his fingers. ¡° If you realized that the battle is gonna go beyond ¡®Super Devil¡¯ tier, then you have to activate this item.¡± He took out a greenish crystal from his pockets and pointed at it.

    ¡°This item creates a very strong barrier that encloses everyone who¡¯s MR is higher than ¡®Super Devil¡¯ in a radius of 50 meters. So no Human will interrupt your clash, also you won¡¯t damage anything around you.¡±

    Melodias showed a three with his fingers. ¡°Please try to avoid battles as much as possible, running is no shame. If you encounter Seraphs don¡¯t engage them if they aren¡¯t doing nothing suspicious, and with suspicious I mean abducting young Elders. ...¡±

    Melodias continued counting down some rules while Tristan didn¡¯t pay any attention to him, he had already heard the rules earlier so there was no reason to go through them once again. Laura on the other hand was happily listening to every single word said by Melodias.

    Half an hour passed, long since Melodias had ran out of fingers in his hands to count down the rules. ¡°And lastly, the simplest rule of them all, but given your record, I don¡¯t mind repeating it again and again: Follow the commands of your higher ups. Don¡¯t hesitate to follow any orders you receive.¡±

    ¡®What if the order is really stupid?¡¯ Tristan thought, but refrained himself of saying so and just nodded at Melodias. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Laura replied with an earnest tone.

    ¡°Very well, then it¡¯s time to go!¡±

    ***

    Not knowing what expected them on the other side of the gate, made Tristan and Laura feel really excited. Tristan, especially because not even his passive was able to tell him what awaited him in Terra, usually he could use his passive to determine the outcome of a decision, it was like showing him what would happen next, this time however he saw no option ahead of him.

    However, soon after stepping through the portal their expectations were crushed, both of them had really high expectation of the ¡®other world¡¯, but what they got was an exact copy of the room they had just been in. There was the barracks, and the same grayish colored stone walls shaping a dome. The only difference was the uniform of the soldiers present.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Melodias who had been paying a lot of attention to their reactions asked with a smug smile.

    ¡°Nothing¡± Both of them replied disillusioned.

    ¡°Melodias! Welcome back!¡± A very feminine voice greeted Melodias as he was standing in front of the children and his men.

    ¡°Hi, Katy.¡± He blushed and waved towards the petite woman approaching them with top speed. Katy wore a tight black suit and big red glasses that harmonized with her red lips, pale skin and raven black hair.

    Katy hugged Melodias tightly as she reached them, while Melodias just stood there glued to the spot turning red like a tomato.

    ¡°Erm... Thi... This is Katy the Elder that supervises the our stay in terra.¡± He finally brought out, while his men looked at him with pity.

    ¡°And his fianc¨¦e!¡± Katy added while stabbing her index finger into Melodias chest, who just smiled off the pain she just had caused him.

    After a few minutes Katy finally let go of Melodias and looked towards the children, while rearranging her clothes so she would look as professional as possible. Even the way she spoke changed.

    ¡°I believe Melodias already told you, but just keep in mind, Humans don¡¯t know of any of the other races so please behave while your stay that would make my job easier, I don¡¯t want to have the same fiasco I had to deal with a few months ago...- I shouldn¡¯t have said that right?¡± Katy said as she looked towards the face palming Meldias.

    ¡®I knew it, there is something off here! I don¡¯t think it was a wise decision to join this mission.¡¯ Tristan said towards Schattenklinge.

    ¡®Calm down Missy! We are already here, so you can¡¯t do anything about it anymore, live in the now and not the pass!¡¯ Schattenklinge laughed manialically.

    ¡®Yeah, but still -¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t finish the sentence because he suddenly noticed how the magic circle under them was activated.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Tristan exclaimed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we are relocating you to your base for during your stay in Terra.¡± Katy answered with a calm voice.

    Lilith (17.11.9978 AS)

    The grayish colored walls of the room where they were in disappeared from their sights and was replaced by gothic buildings neatly build next to each other around a stone paved plaza.

    ¡°Where are we¡¯¡± Laura asked with big eyes.

    ¡°This is Lilith the base the Demon use here on Terra, well actually one could say it is a flying fortress above Terra.¡± Katy answered.

    ¡°Although, this is our main base here in Terra we have many affiliated buildings on the ground.¡± Melodias added. ¡°And in precisely one of those buildings will be your base during your stay. So don¡¯t make it yourselves too comfortable here, you¡¯ll soon be teleported there.¡±

    ¡°Cool, so you¡¯ll finally go into the details of our mission?¡± Tristan asked, still looking around the plaza not really paying attention to Melodias.

    Melodias started moving towards a big house. ¡°Well, you already know why you are here, we found a special Elder living in the City of Solum, thus we had to find some people to recruit said Elder.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by, special?¡± Tristan asked nonchalantly, his attention till on his surroundings.

    Melodias looked troubled. ¡°Well... you see Demons that mate with Humans have the obligation of taking care of their offspring, but this Elder we found is an orphan! Cases like this are really rare, but unfortunately they happen and what¡¯s more is, that the abandoned Elders are an easy prey for the Seraphs.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something I don¡¯t quite get, why do Seraphs kill Elder like her and don¡¯t just try to recruit them? And if the kill Elders anyway, why don¡¯t they kill grown Elders as well? And why are they even allowed to enter Terra?¡± Laura asked bewildered.

    ¡°You sure have a lot of questions missy.¡± Katty said smiling towards Laura. ¡°Let¡¯s start with your last question, we allow them to enter Terra because it is Fors will, but also because they would go nuts if we allowed the cute Demons to enter and not them. They would start a new war race war if they weren¡¯t allowed to.

    To your second question, it is also Fors will. They aren¡¯t allowed to kill any Elder that fulfills a function as civil agent, because that would weaken us Humans as a race and this whole open the gates for a good dialogue is to improve each race by adapting things they don¡¯t have in their race.¡±

    Katty took out a commu out of her pocket and showed it to Laura. ¡°For example, this thing here, if the Gates were closed, neither we nor the Seraph would have this marvelous little thing that allows us to communicate with other over insane distances.¡±

    ¡°Wait you have commu here too?¡± Tristan asked dumbfounded.

    ¡°Of course we do, do you think we would let such a marvelous thing just to you Demons.¡± Katty giggled.

    ¡°Where was I? Ohhh, yeah¡± Katy took out a crystal out of her pockets. ¡°You see, without Terra you wouldn¡¯t have such a precious item either, it¡¯s a magic generator, most of the devices of the Demons and Seraphs use them to provide them with energy. You see we have a symbiotic relationship.

    And to your first question, they kill young elder because most of them have Demonic blood in their veins.¡±

    Laura nodded as she received the answer.

    ¡°So we will go to terra and befriend this young Elder girl and convince her to come with us to Umbra to one day come back to Terra as a full grown Elder? And all this before the Seraph realize she is an Elder?¡± Tristan asked to clarify things.

    ¡°You catch up really fast, but there was to be expected from a prodigy like you.¡± Melodias answered satisfied.

    ¡°Thank you, by the way, whey is there an arena in a place like this?¡± Tristan asked still looking around the buildings they walked by.

    ¡°You see, that¡¯s how settle disputes here in Lilith. If two parties start arguing they have the opportunity to settle it in the arena, by betting a command spell.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s disgusting¡±, Tristan answered without second thought.

    ¡°That might be true, but it¡¯s still better than having fights all over the place don¡¯t you think so? It¡¯s also really entertaining to watch, if you ever get bored here, don¡¯t hesitated to visit the arena there is always something up there.¡± Melodias said as he started walking a little faster.

    Lilith (20.11.9978 AS)

    Three days had passed since they had arrived to Lilith, Tristan and Laura had started getting used to the live in Lilith. They were received with smiles and pity, since they were the youngest recruits ever to be on duty on Lilith.

    Melodias had told them, he had to prepare a few things before they could actually go to Solum and disappeared soon after he had shown them their rooms.

    ¡°What are you doing Trist?¡± Laura asked as she sat down next to Tristan.

    ¡°Nothing much, just counting people pass by, although this is supposed to be a military base, the live here seems to be any different to any other city in Umbra. Most of them don¡¯t even seem like Soldiers but do look like civilians. Well, they are all our seniors, so it is obvious they aren¡¯t much different to us, most of them are probably here because the pay is really good and the parchments you get for your future life.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that? Aren¡¯t they here to prove themselves as Demons and to make our race proud?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, sometimes I just wonder what¡¯s wrong with you... Aren¡¯t you supposed to be smart and isn¡¯t your mental age supposed to be way higher than your physical age? Anyways, the only reason most of us are here is, because it looks good in any CV, who doesn¡¯t want to employ someone that served protecting our race? Even if most of the people just sit here and hope they actually are never called to the arms, they still get the Veteran stamp and they are seen in a different light back at home...

    Also, this place is the perfect place to make connection with the high society since the only rank that counts here is the military rank you have, so having the high society guys hang out with normal folks like us...¡± Tristan let once again a sight out as he slowly raised from the chair in the Caf¨¦ he was hanging out.

    ¡°Wait, so you mean that it is possible to raise once social status by working hard in the military?¡± Laura asked with shining eyes.

    Tristan rolled his eyes, of course, so why else do you think so many people would volunteer for this? No offence to your na?ve idealism and patriotism, but I doubt people do it for those reasons.¡±

    ¡°So, the higher the military rank ones have the higher your status will improve!¡±

    ¡°Oy, didn¡¯t you hear what I said?¡±

    ¡°Ehh, did I say that out loud? Well, where are we going anyways?¡±

    ¡°I overheard that in a few minutes two guys will be fighting in the arena, and I don¡¯t intent to miss such a fight, I can¡¯t wait to see the amazing spells our seniors will show us!

    ***

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe they dared call that cheap brawl a duel! They didn¡¯t use high level spells, just some shadows magic attacks and a few defensives spells and that''s all! Truly disappointing if you ask me¡¯ Schattenklinge complained as Tristan¡¯s mood got even darker. ¡°Didn¡¯t Melodias say that the fights in the arena were entertaining?¡± He complained to Laura.

    ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t that fight entertaining? I¡¯ve never seen people fighting with such passion!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, passion I don¡¯t care about that, all I wanted to witness is some high end techniques!¡±

    ¡°Ohhhh~ we have a demanding and rebellious recruit over here, I better watch out~¡± A female voice belonging to a red-haired beauty said towards them.

    Tristan stared at the woman dressed in a human military uniform behind them. Her sharp face looked was softened a little as her big full lips formed a smile.

    Her green eyes were glued onto Tristan¡¯s.

    ¡°I finally found them!¡± She clapped her hands and jumped up and down with her small slender body.

    ¡°Melodias is looking for you two.¡± She added and grabbed Tristan¡¯s and Laura¡¯s hand with her slender, almost bony hand and started pulling them towards Melodias¡¯ tower.

    ***

    ¡°I believe you already got to know Erika Halblicht?¡± Melodias asked while pointing his hand towards the red-haired woman wearing a human military uniform that had escorted them to the tower.

    Both Tristan and Laura nodded after looking towards the woman.

    ¡°From now on, till the end of your mission, she¡¯ll be your aunt.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to meet you!¡± the woman said while she jumped and hugged Laura. ¡°You both are just soooo cute!! I can hardly believe you¡¯re soldiers!¡± She said while rubbing her cheeks to Laura¡¯s, who had just stood there trying to endure the embarrassment.

    ¡°Erika is an Elder and as you heard she¡¯ll be playing your young aunt that has to take care of her nephew and niece after their parents died in an accident. ¡°

    ¡°Well then, now learn this till you move to Solum in three days.¡± Melodias handed them a big book. Tristan eyes couldn¡¯t help but twitch a little when he read the title of the book. ¡°The backstory of the Halblicht siblings.¡± written by Leonora Black, Tristan¡¯s favorite rising new author.

    ¡®This is the sad backstory of the twins Laura and Tristan Halblicht.¡¯, were the first few words Tristan could read once he opened the book. ¡®Twins?! But Laura and I don¡¯t look even remotely alike!¡¯ Tristan sighed and closed it instantaneously while Laura finally managed to free herself from Erika¡¯s claws.

    Solum (23.11.9978 AS)

    Laura, Tristan and Erika were standing in front of an old villa in the outskirts of Solum, it was so early in the morning the sun wasn¡¯t even up. ¡°This will be your new home kids! Hey, don¡¯t look sad I know you miss your mom and dad, but let¡¯s do the best out of the situation we are, ok?¡± Erika said giving her all to sound as empathetic as possible.

    ¡°Yeah, sure¡± Tristan said while rolling his eyes. ¡°Anyways when are our things arriving? And why did we have come here so early, again? It¡¯s not like a Fors forgotten place like this is gonna run away from us!¡±

    ¡°Shut it bro! Don¡¯t you see how hard aunty is trying for the two of us?¡± Laura said as she walked behind Tristan who had just entered the house.

    ¡°The trucks come on eight, heeyy, wait you two, don¡¯t go in without me!¡± Erika said as she ran behind the Tristan and Laura closing the door behind of them.

    ¡°And how do you like it here in Terra so far?¡± Erika asked eagerly once they were inside.

    ¡°I really like it here.¡± Laura answered with a happy sounding voice.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty cool here, especially the use of mana crystals for almost everything is really cool. Although, humans lack magical talent they sure know how to craft magical artifacts.¡± Tristan answered as he was looking outside the window marveled at the cars passing in front of the house.

    ¡°Yeah, they are, by the way, do you remember the plan for today?¡±

    ¡°Of course pretend like we are just moving in and later on go scout our surroundings.¡± Tristan answered.

    ***

    It was already afternoon when the moving trucks left the villa they were staying in and Tristan finally got time to scout the surroundings of his house.

    ¡®Let¡¯s see the girl we are to persuade is staying at an orphanage close to our base, it should be behind that hill. Well, let¡¯s go and check it out the faster we can talk her into joining us the faster I can go back home and continue my training. I have still so much to learn and yet I¡¯m here playing bodyguard for some random brat, just because you persuaded me to come!¡¯

    ¡®Aww, come on, how is it my fault now? All I wanted is to have a little fun in this beautiful world, I was just feeling too boxed after spending so much time sealed in that mountain.¡¯

    ¡®... Yeah, I probably would have been forced to come here anyways and since we are here we should try and make the best out of it and finish this mission as fast as possible.

    ¡®Who is that?¡¯ Shattenklinge pointed towards a girl that was standing there trying to evoke a fire ball.

    ¡®Ohh, she is trying creating a magic circle for a simple fireball spell, who would have thought that humans also like to use that spell, let¡¯s move closer and see how she does.¡¯

    Tristan jumped on a tree and started observing the girl.

    ¡®Well, she seems your age, and she does seem pretty capable, I have never seen a fireball that big.¡¯ Schattenklinge said.

    ¡®Is she trying to kill herself?¡¯ Tristan who could see and analyze the magic circle the girl was using couldn¡¯t help but jump down the tree to help the girl who was starting to lose the control of the spell.

 On the Way

    Solum  (23.11.9978 AS)

    It¡¯s early in the morning, long before sunrise, I¡¯m sitting in the dining room of the orphanage. Next to me Jonny and Antonia are sitting enjoying the breakfast I prepared. Although, they don¡¯t have to wake up so early, they still do to spend time with me before I go to school.

    ¡°They seem to have taken a liking in to you.¡±  Says Mari a black haired girl the same age as me, because of this she is the girl I get along the best in this orphanage. All the other kids in this orphanage are either ways older or way younger than me, like Antonia and Jonny.

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t mind playing big sister for them.¡±  I answer while sending warm looks towards the both of them.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind it¡¯s ok.¡±  Said Mari sitting in front of me putting  her muesli on the table. ¡°Anyways, how is the new school?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good it¡¯s not much different than our old school; it¡¯s just that they explain things deeper than in our old school.¡±  I explain, before taking a big bite from my toast. We both used to visit the same school, but I was transferred out of the school.

    ¡°Ohh, cool, did you guys also already start learning about catalyst and how to use them?¡± Although, she visits a public school it doesn¡¯t mean that she doesn¡¯t have talent with magic. Actually she¡¯s more talented that most of the people on this world, unfortunately her talent doesn¡¯t go beyond a bigger mana pool than others and a high affinity to sensing magic.

    ¡°Yeah, we started learning about how to use enchantments.¡±  I answer, after sipping on my black coffee.

    ¡°So you didn¡¯t learn about the other two types of catalyst?¡± She asked with a surprise tone in her voice.

    ¡°Yeah the teachers decided that we would be learning the catalyst one after the other since they are so important to be able to cast magic properly.¡±  I take another bite on my toast.

    ¡°Well, it seems like you really take your subject material really serious and go through it way deeper than we do, because we just learned about the three types of catalyst and we were already forced to choose one. You sure have it good.¡±  She says with a sad voice, while she tries her best to smile.

    She knows just too well about my motivation of becoming the best mage there is, to one day be able to be noticed by my parents, since she has the same dream.  It must be really hard for her not being able to join the ¡®Mage Schoo¡¯ while being as talented as she is.

    I decide to not to pursue the conversation and finish gulp down my toast as fast as possible. ¡°Boy time sure passes by fast! I gotta get going or else I¡¯ll be late.¡± I say with a fake smile while standing up and walking towards the kitchen.

    ¡°Big sis! Is it already time?¡± Antonia and Jonny scream in chorus.

    ¡°Yes, bit sis has to get ready to go to school, or she¡¯s gonna be late.¡± I answer trying to sound as caring as possible.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Noo, we don¡¯t want big sis to leave!¡± They both scream in unision.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, big sis is going to play with the two of you for a while after she¡¯s back home.¡±  I reassure them while stroking their hair.

    ***

    After cleaning up the dishes I walk to over to our orphanages storage, there I get my bike and my journey to school starts. It¡¯s a two hours ride, because the school is located on the northern part of the city, where all the rich people live and the orphanage is located on the southern suburbs where the not so wealthy people live.

    In Solum there aren¡¯t any slums nor ghettos like on other cities around the world, so my way to school is pretty save. Still there is quite a wealth disparity between the people in the southern suburbs and those in the northern city.

    The most dangerous part of my way to school are the shuttles, many people commute from the suburbs to the northern city and not everyone can afford the newest shuttle and well, the older models were as save and easy to handle as the new ones, so I¡¯ve gotten used to see one or two accidents on my way to school.

    Lately I¡¯ve been getting better in avoiding the shuttles though, I¡¯ve started to ride my bike through short cuts were there aren¡¯t many people driving with the shuttles.

    ***

    Let¡¯s see what¡¯s on today schedule...

    History...,

    old runes ...

    and maths...

    *Sight*

    I hate days like today, were I don¡¯t get to use my practical skills but have just to sit there and listen to some old hag brambling about theories every five years old would understand.

    And what¡¯s up with those homeworks they give us?  I mean I don¡¯t mind homework, but I couldn¡¯t care less about the past or about learning how to count, I mean if you can use enchantments what¡¯s the point in learning that useless stuff?

    *Sigh*

    How come I always start thinking about this kind of depressing things, on my way to school? Anyways, I should try and think about more happy things, like for example yesterday! Yeah I finally got managed to create blue flame!

    *Sigh*

    To be honest it wasn¡¯t me, who managed to do so, it was that boy, what was his name again? Tristan? He sure was strange, not only how easy he was able to wield magic, but also his aura...

    It was completely different than the usual auras I¡¯m able to see thanks to my ability. Yeah, I¡¯ve never seen such a strong aura. Usually the intensity of the color of the aura helps me to judge the strength of an individual, but with him... Not even a teacher at school has an aura as intense as his!

    Just thinking about his aura gives me shivers, watching his aura was staring into nothingness! I never thought a color like that black existed!

    And don¡¯t get me started on his magic knowledge.  He rewrote a spell that has been in use since over 800 years in front of my eyes like it was nothing! I don¡¯t even want to think of how many people have tried to improve that spell and he goes and does it in a few seconds!

    I bet there is a simple explanation to it, yeah there has to be an explanation to his skill.  Maybe he was a grand master and was just using a youth spell to look the same age as me! Yeah, there is no way on earth someone as old as me is better than me in magic!

    No one in my class can hold a candle to me, when it comes to magic, so there is no way he is the same age as me! Yeah, never in ever! He must be some kind of grand master, having fun living the live in the body of a youth.

    *Sigh*

    Once again I ended up thinking about something depressing!

    Well, luckily I¡¯m already in front of the school gates, so I won¡¯t be having time of thinking depressing.

    While walking to my classroom I greet a few students I got to know a little better than the rest in the last few months since I transferred to this school. Once I reach my classroom, go straight to my sitting place.

    There is no time to socialize, since I always reach school on the dot.

    Once I sit down, the teacher, a silver haired woman in her seventies, enters the room and takes out a piece of paper from her bag. Smiles brighter than usual ¡°Looks like the class is getting bigger once again!¡± she says with an loud voice.

    ¡°Please welcome your new classmates, the twins Laura and Tristan Halblicht.¡±  She says and starts clapping followed by my classmates.

 Two of a Kind

    Solum  (23.11.9978 AS)

    ¡®Wait, wha-, what is, is he doing here? Why was he introduced as a classmate and not a new teacher?! Is he the same age as me? No! No, that is not possible! Someone like him, someone with so much magical knowledge can¡¯t be the same age as me! I refuse, I refuse to believe it!¡¯ Ai was glaring daggers at her new classmates, especially, Tristan as they introduced themselves.

    ¡°We just moved to this City here from Cef, a small city compared to Solum located in the Continent of Cevenpi. We are looking forward to be here in the same class as you, so please take good care of us!¡±  Laura said she and Tristan bowed towards her new classmates, who started clapping to their introduction.

    ¡®That voice, could it be? That¡¯s the ¡®Idiot¡¯ who was calling for him, so it was his twin sister!¡¯ Ai thought as she heard the end of their introductions. ¡®Is she also as talented as he is? Yeah, probably, that¡¯s why she was allowed to join this school; she also leaks extreme amounts of mana. Her pure purple mana is quite different to Tristan¡¯s, but as intense as his...¡¯

    While Ai was still glaring at them the teacher assigned the twins their seats. ¡°Look over there, on the last row, there are two free seats on each side of Ai, the red haired girl. Come on, hurry over there so we can continue with class, we have a lot to learn¡±

    Tristan and Laura nodded to the teacher and walked to their assigned seats.

    ¡®... If my ability didn¡¯t fail me, than she might be as strong as he is... I guess, I won¡¯t be competing for the top spot in class, but third place isn¡¯t as bad is it?  Who am I kidding?! If I want to be noticed by my parents, then there is no other way then being the very best, if I want a good job in the government in the future, I can¡¯t comfort myself with being third. Yeah, I won¡¯t give up and be the number one in class by the end of the semest-¡®

    ¡°Hi is this seat free?¡±

    ¡° End of semst- Eeehhh¡±  Ai was taken by surprise by Tristan¡¯s voice and forcefully brought back to reality. ¡°Ermm, yeah, YES, it¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you my name is Laura¡± Laura introduce herself trying to sound as nice as possible.

    ¡°Yeah, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°The world sure is small; I saved you yesterday and now we¡¯re in the same class, talk about coincidences.¡±  Tristan muttered while taking his place.

    ¡°Yeah, talk about coincidences; you are in the very same class as me, who would have guessed that a prodigy like you existed in this world.¡± Ai said a little annoyed.

    ¡°Trist, what did you do to her yesterday? Was it when you ran off after you left me and aunty carry all the stuff inside?¡±

    ¡°As if you carried something, you guys just told the people from the moving company where they should put the stuff, since you got carried away, I had no other choice but leave the house.¡± Tristan said while smiling as fake as possible.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see what aunty says when I tell her you went out and tried to hit on cute girls.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous that she¡¯s cuter than you.¡± Tristan replied with an earnest voice.

    ¡°You guys do realize that I¡¯m sitting in between of you guys, right?¡±  The blushing Ai added.

    ¡°Ohh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±  Tristan bowed to her.

    ¡°You there, you newbie stop talking too much or do you want to explain the class how our ancestors received the gift of magic from our one and only God: Fors?¡± The old teacher asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was trying to figure out where we were. I was just trying to catch up so I asked her where in the book we were, right Ai?¡±

    ¡°No, he was trying to distract me from your class madam.¡±  Ai said while grinning mischievously towards Tristan who had turned white.

    After being ridiculed by the teacher in front of the teacher for not knowing anything related to the history of Terra Tristan walked back to his seat.

    ¡°You... M Y R E V E N G E will be sweet.¡±Tristan whispered to her with a hoarse voice.

    ***

    ¡°Don¡¯t make much out of what my stupid brother says.¡± He likes to often talk big but in the end he doesn¡¯t have the guts to back it off.¡±  Laura reassured Ai, who had gone white since Tristan had threatened her.

    ¡®Kyaaaaahhh, What if he uses the blue flame against me? I don¡¯t know if I could survive something like that! Noooo, think rational, he would probably not kill; yeah he won¡¯t commit a crime just to get it back to me. But what if he does? I don¡¯t know him enough yet, to judge his character. Fors, what was I thinking when I ridiculed him in front of the whole class?¡¯ This had been Ai¡¯s ever since Tristan had whispered those words to her.

    Right after the lunch break started she was approached by Laura, who asked her to show her the school and the best places to take her lunch.  So the two girls were now eating their lunch together at the rooftop and enjoying some small talk.

    Laura was giving her best to entertain Ai with girl talk.  The past few days she had spent day and night trying to figure out what young humans girls liked, so she could interact more natural with her peers, especially her target: Ai.

    ¡°Did you make your lunch yourself? It looks really tasty.¡±  She said with a bright smile.  ¡®Human girls¡¯ lesson number 98, compliment your friends for their cooking skill. Booyaa, I¡¯m totally gonna ace this mission and get my credibility in front of the teachers back.

    ¡°Yeah, at the orphanage we have to cook for ourselves, only the really young ones get their meals cooked for them, believe it or not, in spite the fact of most of us being the bastards of nobility, we don¡¯t live in luxury, so I had to teach cooking to myself at the age of six.¡±  Ai answered absent minded and stood up.

    ¡°I have to return this one back.¡±  She took a book out of her school back.¡±I guess you can make it back to class by yourself?¡±

    Laura nodded frozen in her smile. ¡®Wait, wait what? I¡¯m pretty sure that wasn¡¯t the answer I was supposed to get! No, no, not fair that was definitely not in my books! This stupid girl will be a harder nut to crack than I thought; I only wish Trist would help me out a little instead of threatening her and leaving us alone as soon as he gets a change!¡¯The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ***

    Ai had no intention to be rude to Laura; she just did say what was up in her mind. She really just wanted to bring back the books she had gotten from the library before the deadline ended, since she didn¡¯t have time to bring them back after school. Actually, she didn¡¯t even realize her actions might have offended Laura.

    In contrary she really liked Laura¡¯s mature way of showing friendliness, because she was the first person in this school that showed that kind of friendliness to her. Not that she had been bullied by her classmates, but she didn¡¯t like to interact with them, because they were too childish for her. That feeling was mutual though, her classmates didn¡¯t like to interact much with her because of her mature way of acting one could even say dry way of approaching things.

    Thus, Ai had to spend most of her spare time in school in the rooftop reading books or the school¡¯s library where she could lend out books and retreat to different fantastic worlds or learn about the secrets of magic.

    So it wasn¡¯t strange for her to walk into the library during lunch time, when most of her peers would be eating lunch in the cafeteria or playing with each other in the school¡¯s yard.

    Although, today had been a little strange, in a way that she had made a friend and gotten a threat from the guy sitting to her left in class, she didn¡¯t expect much as she pushed the door of the library open and entered the broad room, that like usually smelled like lavender from the librarian¡¯s perfume.

    She had to stop in her tracks as she saw the boy walking from one bock shelf to the other in the section of magic theory and applied magic. The black haired boy would take one book out, browse through it and put it back with a sigh.

    The stupefied Ai stood there for more of ten minutes watching Tristan browse through the books, rapidly losing interest in most of the books he took out of the shelf, just setting aside a  few of them. Still a notable mountain of books had formed next to him.

    ¡®Nice and I thought my day couldn¡¯t get any worse and now I have this guy intruding my Fortress of Solitude...

    Calm down girl, you just have to bring back the books and go back to class; but I want that book! The librarian told me that it would be here today! Yeah, but he¡¯s here... what if he takes his revenge here? There is no one around here to save me! No didn¡¯t Laura just say that he was too big of a good guy to do anything to anyone...¡¯

    Ai forcefully swallowed her saliva and walked forward towards where Tristan was, taking books in and out one after the other.  She walked straight towards the ¡®Fire Magic¡¯ corner and started looking for the book she was looking for ever since the release date was announced.

    ¡®What that can¡¯t be! Why isn¡¯t it here?  The librarian promised me that the book would be here before lunch break, but why isn¡¯t it here? No one comes here during lunch break! So why isn¡¯t it here?!¡¯

    Ai¡¯s big green eyes wandered searching from the shelf looking for a certain book, she first carefully examined the shelf the book was supposed to be and than her gaze started wandering over the other shelves, after a while her eyes finally landed on the big tower of books Tristan had put aside to read. She couldn¡¯t help to grind her teeth as she found the book she was looking for under the mountain of books Tristan had set aside.

    ¡®Should I give up? No, giving up now would mean admitting that he¡¯s superior to me! That¡¯s just like giving up on my dream! Also no one can read that many books in the four weeks you can lend them out! That¡¯s impossible; I bet he¡¯s just trying to show off.¡¯

    ¡°Very optimistic of you to think that you could read all these books in the little time you get to lend them out¡± said Ai who had walked up to Tristan with a poisonous voice, looking towards the book she wanted.

    Tristan continued browsing the books not even spending a glance towards Ai as he answered her. ¡°Not really I¡¯m used to more, but unfortunately this library doesn¡¯t have any other good books, so I have to content myself with those.¡±

    ¡®Why don¡¯t his words face me, why is that I believe his words like they are facts written in the encyclopedia? Did his skills with fire magic really impress me so much?¡¯

    ¡°What... why do you look so stupefied? Never seen someone that really loves the art of magic and reading?¡± Tristan sounded as annoyed as possible as he turned around towards Ai.

    Ai, whose eyes were still fixated on the book she had wanted to lend out from the library was finally brought back to live. ¡°Ehhh... Oh... no... not really I actually also love those two things it¡¯s just that no  matter how hard I try I would never be able to read that many books in fourth weeks.¡±

    ¡°That you can¡¯t do it, doesn¡¯t mean others can¡¯t¡± Tristan answered while taking a book from under his tower of books. He reached it towards Ai. ¡°Here you can have it for this week, it¡¯s the book you wanted, right?¡±

    Ai¡¯s eyes glowed as she saw Tristan gesture. ¡°Yes thank you!¡± she said reaching out for the book out in Tristan¡¯s hands, but all she grabbed was empty air.

    Tristan showed an evil smile. ¡°You really are too easy; did you really think I would give you this book so easily?¡±

    Ai¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡®Noooo what have I done! Now he has something he can use against me, what should I do?¡¯

    ¡°Won¡¯t you even ask what I want from you?¡± Tristan said waving his hands in front of the petrified Ai.

    ¡°Erm... what ... do... you... want from me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s way better.¡± Tristan said with a smile only a real demon could show. ¡°Nothing much, just an apology and you to be my tour guide through the city, I think those are things even someone like you could handle right?¡±

    ¡®Wait that¡¯s all he wants? I thought he was about to ask for something unreasonable.¡¯

    ¡°I bet you thought I would ask for something unreasonable.¡± Tristan smiled.

    ¡®Wait can he read my mind?¡¯

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t, but you are just too easy to read, at least try to make it more difficult for me, ok? And no I¡¯m no villain like you¡¯re trying to picture me, I¡¯m just new to this city, have no friends here and my personality is a bit too much for some people. So I¡¯m looking forward for your tour next Sunday.¡± Tristan said with a radiant smile and giving Ai the book she was searching.

    ¡°...¡± Ai took the book and embraced it as if it was her lifeline.

    ¡°Erm, th- ... thank you very much!¡± She finally stuttered. ¡°Not only for the book, but also for saving my live yesterday night, I now know what I was trying to do yesterday was really foolish of me.¡±  She bowed towards Tristan, tears in her eyes as the words left her lips.

    ¡°And also, ... I¡¯m sorry for humiliating you in front of the whole class earlier this morning. In a spur of jealousy I just did it without thinking... I¡¯m terribly sorry for what I did...¡±  She continued trying to hide her crying face behind her small fingers.

    ¡®Why am I even crying over this? I¡¯m so stupid, crying over something like this... But... How could I be so patty about something as stupid as being the number one in class?!  It¡¯s not like only the number one gets a good job later on, and my grades are still more than good enough to get the position I¡¯m aiming for! How could I let out my frustration on this poor boy who just has moved to this big scary city?¡¯

    Suddenly Ai felt Tristan¡¯s hand on her head, he was petting her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m also sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have teased you so much, but I just couldn¡¯t help since your reactions were so funny.¡± Tristan also bowed in front of Ai. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry! I didn¡¯t realize my teasing was weighing down on you so much.¡±

    ¡°Ehh?¡±

    Ai¡¯s big tear filled eyes stared Tristan who was bowing in front of her.  She wiped the tears and tried to control the sobbing as she silently observed Tristan, not knowing how to react.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I sometimes like to treat the people around me like one of my magical experiments, I test different formulas on them to see how they react and behave during different situations. Actually, I get a kick out of it... it¡¯s quite funny to see them struggling... Anyways, with you I went a little too far, so I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡±  Tristan said with a warm smile on his face.

    ¡°You... you are a demon do you know that?¡± said Ai puffing her rosy cheeks like a blowfish.

    ¡®If she just knew, haahha¡¯ Schattenklinge laughed merrily. And Tristan answered her with an awkward smile.

    ¡°You know, if you used your teasing to get a tour through the city from me... doesn¡¯t that mean you owe me something?  Maybe magic lessons?  You know so that I don¡¯t blow myself up next time I experiment with spells.¡± Ai asked with a meek smile, her eyes still red from earlier.

    ¡°Fors, why didn¡¯t I realize earlier what kind of woman she is?!¡±  Tristan sighed out loud with a sarcastic tone of voice.  ¡°Well, no matter what kind of woman she may be, but I can¡¯t say no to someone who seeks magic knowledge!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±  Ai said as she hugged Tristan with a jump.

    ¡°Really, but only if you don¡¯t crush me before our first meeting.¡±  Tristan said with an over dramatic voice.

    ¡°Ohhh, I¡¯m sorry... It¡¯s just I couldn¡¯t help to feel overjoyed when I heard someone as talented as you is gonna teach me!¡± Ai said, her cheeks turning redder than they already were.

    ¡°Well how about tomorrow evening in the same time and place we first met?¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Ai answered with a big smile.

 First Report

    Solum  (23.11.9978 AS)

    It was late in the afternoon as Tristan and Laura finally reached their base, the sun had already taken its leave behind the Sol-Mountains surrounding the City, only a few rays of red light could be seen from behind the mountains.

    At home, they were greeted by Erika, who was eagerly expecting them having prepared traditional human dishes for them to try. She signaled them to enter the house ¡°Before you tell me how your day was, we will have some good food!¡± She said with a caring smile on her face.

    She led them to the table full of dishes, both of them had never seen before. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be rude, but what is this?¡± Tristan asked with a disgusted face as he poked at one of the green, slimy tentacles on his plate.

    ¡°That¡¯s Landoctopus in Rooshslime.¡± Erika answered while chewing on her tentacle.

    ¡°Oh,¡­ thanks for clarifying that, somehow I don¡¯t even want to ask what Landoctupus nor Roosh are¡­¡± ¡®It can¡¯t be worse than the dragon innards I had during my training with Schattenklinge.¡¯  Tristan thought as he finally persuaded himself to take a bite of the slimy tentacles.

    ¡°Surprisingly, it¡¯s eatable.¡±  That was Tristan¡¯s verdict as he finally swallowed the tentacle as he went for the second piece.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite a picky eater!¡± said Laura as she was happily digging in, the food in front of her. ¡°This food is way better than Sandeel and Blackslimesnails!  I can hardly believe the Roosh belong in the same family as them, they taste at least ten times better!¡±

    After a short pause, she added. ¡°Maybe, because they are cooked and seasoned properly and not raw, like I¡¯m used to eat them.¡±

    Tristan turned white as she realized that he was eating vermin, fighting the urge to vomit, he swallowed the rest of the food on his plate without even chewing it, so that he couldn¡¯t feel the taste. ¡°This food is so good, but unfortunately I¡¯m too full to eat another bite, maybe next time.¡±  He brought out with a fake smile on his face as he finished his plate.

    Erika and Laura didn¡¯t pay Tristan any heed as they happily finished off their servings.

    Humans on Terra suffered of overpopulation so they didn¡¯t have the luxury of being picky eaters. So most of the most traditional dishes were made out of vermin like creatures, most Demons or Seraphs couldn¡¯t even think of eating.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to your reports after you helped me out with the dishes.¡± She smiled and whispered ¡°Remember, we still have to stay in our roles, even if we are at home, so even if you don¡¯t want to we have to act like a family.¡±

    Tristan and Laura nodded in unison and helped Erika with the dishes.

    After a while they were finally able to report what they had learned about their target: Ai.

    It was Laura¡¯s turn to retell what had happened during their first day of school.

    She took her time to emphasize her efforts of making a friend out of Ai, but in the end she had to admit, that her efforts were wasted.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry Trist, but you should have helped me and I can not fail this mission! This mission was a second chance sent by Fors himself to me and it¡¯s up to me to make the best out of this situation! Even if it means that I have to rat you out. I¡¯m so sorry I hope one day you can find the way to forgive me.¡¯ Laura sent Tristan a sad glance and swallowed loudly.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have failed so hard if a certain someone would have actually tried to fulfill the mission instead of antagonizing the subject¡­¡±  Laura said as she told Erika about Tristan¡¯s behavior towards Ai and how he had even threatened her.  She did her best trying to put Tristan on the worst light as she could.

    Erika¡¯s small green eyes stared Tristan with disbelief.  She understood Laura¡¯s words, but still couldn¡¯t believe them.  From the information she had gotten on both of the children she knew she could trust them with her life, not only were they extremely talented and had immense amounts of mana in them, for their age of course, but they were also really loyal to their friends and missions.

    She knew of their misbehavior during a mission, where they had abandoned everything to save their family and comrades, but the circumstances back then were completely different and one could even say their actions back then were noble.

    So now Erika was standing in front of the question: Do I have to give up on my assessment of those two, especially him? Or do I continue trusting in both of them?

    After a few seconds of thinking she came to the conclusion of having Tristan defend himself against the accusation Laura had made.

    ¡°So, what do you have to say about it? Your actions do sound really contra productive.¡±  She tried to sound as cold as possible as the words left her full lips.

    ¡®What was that? Did Laura really do what I think she did?¡¯

    ¡®Mauahahah, looks like your friend snitched you out! Maybe a few stiches here and there and she will remember who the boss here is.¡¯  Schattenklinge said with a taunting voice.

    ¡®By Bella, can you shut up for a moment? I need to concentrate on the best course of action to get out of this situation.¡¯

    To his discontent, he had to once again completely rely on his passive ability to show him the correct answer.

    ¡®Why do I always feel so dirty when I use my passive? And why do its answers always feel so wrong? Well, never mind that, it¡¯s an useful ability I just don¡¯t have to rely too much on it, so that I can get out of sticky situations when I need to by myself, but right now I can¡¯t lose too much time.¡¯

    Laura¡¯s eyes filled with guild and Erika¡¯s eyes filled with tension were glued on him as Tristan finally slowly swallowed his saliva to give an answer.

    ¡°I can¡¯t deny Laura¡¯s words, everything she said is true, I know I can¡¯t take back my actions nor can I excuse them, but still, I ask the two of you to trust me.  I will bring Ai to our side in no time; you only have to give me permission to continue with my approach.¡±  He said as he bowed towards Erika.

    ¡°Please allow me to go to school tomorrow by bike and also don¡¯t expect me tomorrow for dinner, I have some preparations that need to be done so that my plans come to fruition.¡±

    Erika looked at Tristan in disbelief. ¡®Did he really just say what I heard he did? How does he expect this work out? Does he think he can go continue to do whatever he wants?

    Well, does he know I don¡¯t have the authority to punish him, without Melodias¡¯ knowledge? It will be a pain having to go through all that paper work to get him removed from this mission! Gosh, this is giving me headaches!¡¯

    Erika started massaging her temples.

    ¡°Good one month! You have one month until I start the preparations to get you removed from this mission.¡±

    ***

    After the meeting was over Laura walked into Tristan¡¯s room.  ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ratting you out, it¡¯s just that I really want to succeed this mission and I can¡¯t do it alone¡­¡±  She said with an earnest voice.

    ¡°Never mind that, I¡¯m used to come out on the short end¡± Tristan said as he searched his backpack for one of the many books he had lent out from the library.

    ¡°But I won¡¯t be helping you out with your approach, don¡¯t get me wrong, I won¡¯t be getting in your way, but I won¡¯t help out either. As long as you don¡¯t get in my way I won¡¯t get in yours. So make sure go give your best I know you can do it. As for me, I have my own schedule here in Terra and playing false friends with that poor girl isn¡¯t on it.¡±

    Tristan smiled at Laura and signaled her to leave the room.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You heard me, now if you could excuse me, there are plans to make¡± He said as he showed her the way out of his room.

 What Plan?

    Tristan¡¯s Lab (24.11.9978 AS)

    With a mechanical sound one of the many clocks in Tristan¡¯s Lab changed the date. It was finally midnight. Tristan and Abigail though, didn¡¯t pay it any attention since this wasn¡¯t the first time they had spent the whole night building things or creating theories in Tristan¡¯s Lab.

    ¡°Are you sure you can hang around here, I mean you are on a mission and all.¡± Abigail said, poking her head from behind the magical computer screen she had created with her ability.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love it that you couldn¡¯t stand being without me for so long and came seeking me out, but I would prefer if you took your mission seriously.¡± She added as she peeled one of the lollipops next to her and started sucking on it.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°How many times to I have to tell you, not to eat that thing? It¡¯s not healthy! And I¡¯m not neglecting my mission just because I came here to train and to look after my experiments! This is all part of my plan¡­ I just have to figure out by myself how that plan looks like¡­¡± Tristan said troubled.

    ¡°Also, it feels like an eternity since I came here to work on new inventions with you. First, I was stranded deep into the Noir Mountains and had to hang out with that thing.¡± Tristan pointed at the creature made out of shadows, who was flirting?! With one of Tristan¡¯s swords.

    ¡°And when I finally made it back, it doesn¡¯t even take one¡± Tristan formed a one with his hands ¡°Not even ONE week before I get enlisted to this stupid mission! ¡®Saving a helpless Elder girl, my ass!¡¯ All I want is time to relax while conducting my experiments with your help and time to train with whatever that thing is!¡± He pointed once again towards Schattenklinge, that was getting more and more intimate with the sword.

    ¡°And please remind me to throw that thing away after he is done defiling it.¡±

    Abigail looked at him with big eyes, before she pushed the glasses that were too big for her small face so they wouldn¡¯t fall. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t have an actual plan? I thought you always have a plan.¡±

    ¡°I usually do, but not this time. My plan is to rely on my sixth sense.¡± Tristan answered after calming down a little.

    ¡°I see that¡¯s why you¡¯re more over the edge than usual. You always freak out when you have to rely on it, so why are you relying on it this time?¡± Abigail asked with great interest.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t always run away from it, that ability is a part of me anyways and that thing that told me to rely more on it.¡± He pointed at the place where Schattenklinge and the sword had been just a few moments ago, but there was no trace of Schattenklinge nor the sword.

    ¡°Still, I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°Well, you see Schattenklinge told me, that I can 100% rely on that ability, because this ability isn¡¯t all about seeing into the future, but to see the world from another point of view and to never end up in checkmate.¡±

    ¡°What does chess have to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I can trust Schattenklinge¡¯s words, every time I activate this ability, my world¡¯s turns into a chessboard and it chooses my actions according to what it perceives the most efficient way of putting the enemy King in checkmate.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°How come Schatty knows so much about that ability?¡±

    ¡°Well, he said it is the same ability that Permix used to beat Dunkler without using magic over the tier of Emperor!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that sound amazing, but that means¡­ The times it didn¡¯t show you the future¡­ It didn¡¯t show you because you were the one in checkmate?¡±

    Tristan expression turned bitter as he nodded to Abigail¡¯s question.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty much it. That¡¯s why Schattenkling told me to try to rely on it a bit more, until I feel like trusting it. Didn¡¯t work so far, just this afternoon I had to use it again in another situation than this mission and yet it felt so wrong, but don¡¯t worry I will soon learn to control it!¡±

    Tristan smiled at Laura, who smiled back.

    ¡°Long story short, I¡¯m using this mission to train this ability of mine, since I don¡¯t care about the success of this mission, I mean I don¡¯t care about Elder¡¯s and Humans anyways...¡±

    ¡°Except for you¡± Tristan added when he realized his words. What he wanted to say is that he didn¡¯t care about anyone else but his friends and family, still for a certain someone it sounded completely different.

    ¡°Kyahhhh, smooth lady killer, I can¡¯t blame you since I¡¯m so cute, but I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m still too young to start something serious with you!¡± The blushing Abigail said soon after she hid her face behind the computer screen she had created with her ability.

    ¡®Did I seriously just got shut down?¡¯ Tristan thought baffled as he realized what he had said and the reaction he had received from Abigail.

    ***

    Solum (24.11.9978 AS)

    ¡®Wait, what is he doing here so early?¡¯

    Ai looked like she just had seen a ghost as she saw Tristan standing next to his bike in front of the orphanage.

    ¡°Wha¡­ What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I came to get you to go to school with me.¡± Tristan answered with a bright smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your sister to go to school with?¡± Ai said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like the idea of morning gymnastics like I do, but I think she just isn¡¯t a morning person.¡±

    ¡°I see, but why did you come to my place?¡±

    ¡°Why not, I didn¡¯t want to go there by myself and so I thought how about going with my new student.¡± Tristan said with a teasing voice.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°What did I get myself into when I asked you to be my Tutor? Ok, I hope for you, you can keep the pace with me, because I won¡¯t stop and wait for you, since we don¡¯t have time to fool around on our way.¡±

    ¡°I promise, I won¡¯t get in your way.¡± Tristan smiled at Ai.

    Soon after they were on their way and to Ai¡¯s displeasure she was the one falling behind Tristan.

    ¡°After that discourse before the trip you seem pretty slow.¡± Tristan said with a taunting voice.

    ¡°By Fors, just shut up for once please.¡± Ai answered.

    Although, she complained about Tristan talking too much, she had never enjoyed a ride to school more than the one she had with Tristan.

    ¡°I heard you were almost as mean as I was with you to my sis.¡± Tristan said as he got down from his bike once they had reached the parking area for bikes in front of the school.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Although, I can¡¯t stand my sister, I don¡¯t like to see her depressed and yesterday she was really depressed since she couldn¡¯t make friends with you.¡± Tristan added as he looked Ai directly at her eyes.

    ¡°Well,¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to, I just didn¡¯t know how to react to that new situation. Actually, I was quite happy to share my lunch time with her, as you probably realized by now, most of our classmates behave like children so I didn¡¯t know how to react to her¡­¡±

    Ai looked troubled. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to explain but it was really strange to suddenly have someone same ages as me act that mature for once. Same goes for you, if you weren¡¯t such a¡­ a goofball¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to talk to you so casually.¡±

    Tristan smiled at her words. ¡°So you wouldn¡¯t mind talking to her and setting things straight?¡±

    ¡°Well,.. I¡¯m not sure¡­ won¡¯t she be mad and isn¡¯t it better if just hang out with you?¡±

    ¡°I know her, from the way of how she reacted yesterday she isn¡¯t mad, but sad, and it looked like she wouldn¡¯t give up no matter what. So, you better set things straight with her or else you¡¯ll have to bear her desperate attempts to befriend you.¡± Tristan said in a half joking manner.

    ¡°Oh, ok, than I will give my best.¡±

    ¡°Good girl¡± Tristan said while petting her head.

    ¡°Heyyyy, what do you think you¡¯re doing? I¡¯m not pet!¡±

 First Training or Just a Long Chat?

    Solum  (24.11.9978 AS)

    ¡°¡­ And today Ai came to me and excused herself for being rude to me the other day, she told me she was just a little overwhelmed by my friendliness¡± Laura smiled happily.

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long till we¡¯re friendly enough with each other, so we can reveal ourselves to her and convince her to come with us to Umbra!¡± Laura¡¯s smile got even brighter expecting a praise by Erika.

    But-

    ¡°Do you have an idea where he went off?¡± Erika asked Laura with an anxious tone.

    ¡°No clue, yesterday he said though, it would get late for him.¡±  Laura answered with an annoyed tone.

    ¡°Yeah, I know what he said, but I still can¡¯t relax, it¡¯s not wise for a young Demon to roam through the streets of Solum without other Demons!  The Seraphs are just waiting for one of you guys to get cocky and careless to strike them down.¡±

    A small gleam fear sparked through Laura¡¯s dark brown eyes as she heard Erika¡¯s words.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like they will attack out of nowhere, but one can¡¯t be careful enough, especially in turbulent times like this.¡±

    *Sigh*

    ¡®I should better contact the guards.¡¯  Erika stood up and walked out of the room and Laura took out her Commu and called Tristan.

    ¡°Where are you? Aunty is getting really anxious!¡±  She said with an accusing voice.

    ¡°Tell her not to worry about me; I¡¯m just hanging out with a friend. I¡¯ll be back before ten!¡±  Tristan said irritated.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care about what you¡¯re up to anyways, but aunty says this city isn¡¯t safe and we have to pay more attention than usual walking through the nights.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thanks for the warning, but I know to take care of myself.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, like I said I don¡¯t care, but right now she¡¯s going to check on you, so you better give her a call.¡± Laura said and hung up on Tristan.

    ¡°She hungup.¡±  Tristan said to  Ai who was close by listening to Tristan¡¯s call.

    ¡°So, are you going back?¡± Ai looked troubled.

    ¡°Nah, not yet, I still have time till my curfew, my aunt just likes to worry a lot.¡±  Tristan gave a fake smile and put the Commu by side.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°So where were we again?¡±

    ¡°I was telling you about my special ability.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, you mentioned you had a special ability no one else has and that¡¯s why you¡¯re better at magic than most of us. You also said that ability might be useful for our cause.¡±

    Ai nodded slightly.  ¡°Yes, I have a special ability that allows me to see mana.¡±

    ¡°I hate to break it to you, everyone can see the mana when a spell is activated.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean the light one sees when a spell manifests; I talk about that I can see the mana even after the spell was activated.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you mean you can see the mana-signature of things?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by mana-signature, but I can see the different colors of mana that were used and can also see the intensity of mana that was used to create certain spells.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what the mana-signature is. Only the most skilled of Dem- MAGES are able to feel the mana signature of spells and artefacts.¡±  Tristan swallowed his saliva and took a deep breath.

    ¡°I once read in a book that there is a theory all living individuals have a mana-signature and that they would pass it down to others living or not living things by using magic¡­ The book also mentioned that the theory is not proven yet, because most of the Demo-MAGES lack the ability to feel the mana to that extreme.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s say that theory seems 100% spot on because I just can¡¯t feel the mana, but I can see the different colors of it! And it¡¯s true, everyone has a different color of mana.¡±  Ai smiled happily.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s my color?¡± Tristan asked with a playful voice.

    ¡°Pitch black.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°And the intensity of it is scary. I¡¯ve never felt someone leaking so much mana like you. Not even your sister is on that level.  She also has crazy amounts of mana, but she doesn¡¯t come close to you.  Seeing your mana is like staring into nothingness.¡±

    A chill ran down Tristan¡¯s spine.

    ¡®Did she realize we aren¡¯t humans? No, maybe she just thinks that we¡¯re crazy talented, but still I have to be careful around her by not unleashing my full powers in front of her.¡¯

    ¡®As if you were hiding your power, unleashing your full strength won¡¯t change anything if you can¡¯t feel your mana to the point you can perceive the world like that human girl!¡¯ Schattenklinge butted in in Tristan¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡®I can¡¯t still believe that someone that can see magic circles like you lacks the ability to feel mana!¡¯ Schattenklinge said with a mocking tone.

    ¡®Shut it!¡¯

    ¡®You can¡¯t deny the truth.¡¯

    Tristan smiled wryly towards Ai.

    ¡°Hey, I agreed to teach you about magic for free because I thought, I didn¡¯t have anything else to learn from you, but now I want to learn to feel mana with your help. How about it? You help me to learn to feel magic and I help you with magic theory¡­  Since you can feel and see mana to that extend, I¡¯m sure your mana control is impeccable.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my mana control is pretty good; I just like the knowledge of the correct spells.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll help me?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but only a little.¡± Ai answered blinking to Tristan.

    ¡®Hey Missy, someone is coming rapidly closer!¡¯ Schattenklinge warned Tristan.

    ¡®How many?¡¯

    ¡®Six, but don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re with you.¡¯

    ¡®So, why did you warn me?¡¯

    ¡®Because the girl will get suspicious if she sees them.¡¯

    ¡®Good point.¡¯

    Tristan took out a book from his backpack and gave it to Ai.

    ¡°Please read it until our next training session. There are a few good spells I thought you¡¯d like to learn in there.¡±

    Ai took the book and smiled and answered with a sad voice. ¡°Thanks, does that mean that¡¯s all for today?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes, it¡¯s almost time for my curfew, but don¡¯t worry tomorrow we¡¯ll train a lot and not just talk like today. I¡¯m already looking forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Ai said as she waved behind Tristan who was already on his bike.

 Holly Cré”špe

    Solum (25.11.9978 AS)

    ¡°Did you read the notes I gave you yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Ai saluted to Tristan.

    Both of them were sitting, next to each other on an old sordid bench from the long forgotten panoramic viewpoint they had first met.

    ¡°Good, so let¡¯s start with a light spell, it¡¯s getting dark anyways and I don¡¯t want to sit here in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Ok, but isn¡¯t such a spell a little too easy?¡±

    ¡°You might say so now, but you¡¯ll soon realize it isn¡¯t as easy as you might think.¡±

    Ai, stood up and cleared her throat and started to chant the words needed to create the spell.

    Tristan smiled mischievously as saw how the magical circle started to form in front of Ai.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of magical backslash?¡± Tristan asked as he threw a small green ball, he had hidden in his pocket towards Ai who was trying to cast the spell.

    ¡°Kyaaaaah¡±

    Ai was thrown tow meters into the air and landed directly on her behind, her straight red hair all frizzy. The look in her face frozen from the shock she had just suffered.

    Trying to hold back his laughter Tristan reached his hand to help her up. She mindlessly took it, still in shock of what had happened to her.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to harm you, but a magical backslash is something that everyone has to go through that wants to create his own magic.¡± Tristan said as he thought back to all his failures trying to create the magic circle behind the Commu.

    After a while Ai finally recovered from the shock she had suffered, or at least a little. Her blank face turned slightly red from anger and shame and her eyes filled with anger were glued on Tristan as she shouted: ¡°WHAT WAS THAT? WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!¡±

    ¡°That was just a little test to see if you¡¯ve ever experienced a magical backlash, or if you know what it is.¡± Tristan stated with a calm voice, causing Ai to avert her eyes from Tristan face towards the ground.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Tristan cleared his throat and started his explanation: ¡°When casting magic you concentrate your mana on a certain point in your body and then you let it flow out of your body. While doing so, all of your senses are concentrated on that certain point, which means you don¡¯t pay attention to anything else. If you get interrupted while being on this trance like state you end might end in shock, which causes instinctively your mana to flow back towards your body colliding with the mana flowing outside your body. This can be really harmful since a small spell like I made you cast already caused you to jerk back about two meters behind, you don¡¯t want to start imagining what might happen if something like that happens when you cast a strong spell.¡±

    Ai nodded as enthusiastically as she heard the new information.

    ¡°Thus, your first lesson will be learning to add a security mechanism to every spell you cast, so you don¡¯t receive a magical backslash and get hurt badly as you cast your magic.¡±

    ¡°Cool, but what about the book you gave me to read yesterday? There wasn¡¯t a single word written in there about magical backslash or whatever.¡±

    ¡°Well, I kinda forgot about the magical backlash while writing that book for you.¡± Tristan smiled as innocently as possible.

    ¡®It¡¯s not like I knew that most of the spells Humans use don¡¯t have the security mechanism integrated in them. Luckily, yesterday I had a good read on those books from the library.¡¯ Tristan thought.

    ¡°You see I always add these security mechanisms whenever I cast a spell without thinking about them. So, I kinda forgot you might not add them.¡± Tristan tried to sound as earnest as possible.

    ¡°Admit it, you just wanted to zap me!¡± Ai said in a joking manner.

    ¡°Yes, yes, you got me, I just wanted to get the kick out of seeing you in pain.¡± Tristan said in a teasing manner causing Ai to blush a little.

    ¡°Oy, don¡¯t get the wrong idea there, we¡¯re way too young for stuff like that!¡± He added flustered after remembering how Abigail had shut him down a few days ago. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s get started with the theory behind these security mechanisms we spoke of¡­¡±

    Arcadia (25.11.9978 AS) (Seraph¡¯s main base on Terra)

    Clair walked the streets of the outpost Arcadia with a big grin on her face, causing everyone on her way to turn towards her and bow. In the past such behavior would have bothered her, but not anymore. She was so happy she couldn¡¯t care less about the commotion her sole presence was causing in the outpost.

    Clair was escorted by Sariel on her left, Dietrich on her right and Kayle was walking slightly behind them.

    ¡®This is my first visit of an outpost and nonetheless as a member of the Horde!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad, you came to visit me!¡± Sariel said with a big smile on her face. ¡°I just got appointed a mission on Terra for the first time and I¡¯m glad to know that you¡¯re here to cheer for me.¡± She bowed slightly.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you doing well, I hope your mission goes well.¡± Clair said with a fake smile. ¡®As if I would come for such a puny reason as to cheer you on, I just used visiting you as an excuse to leave that stupid castle behind.¡¯

    Although, Clair was now officially part of the Horde, she was just treated more like an honorary member than an actual recruit. Up until now she had not taken part in any of the Hordes mission and maneuvers, and it started to look like it wouldn¡¯t happen anytime soon.

    She was taught all necessary things, a member of the horde should know by Dietrich, but that was all.

    So, she used the fact that Sariel would be joining a mission in Terra as a reason to visit one of the outposts. And maybe even visit the Human world!

    ¡°This outpost is awesome!¡± She said in awe by the people who were all hiding their wings and looked more like Humans than Seraphs.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to visit Solum, the capital of the Human Continent!¡± She said as they all entered a plaza in the center of the outpost.

    ¡°About that, you¡¯ll have to behave, if you want to visit the Human world.¡± Kayle said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you running around without permission.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I promised that to mum, so she would let me come here.¡± Clair reassured Kayle. ¡°So, when are we going?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be visiting Solum this Sunday. I know there, a good place to eat cr¨ºpes and drink hot chocolate.¡± Dietrich answered with a fatherly smile.

    Solum (29.11.9978 AS)

    It was Sunday and Tristan was on his bike on the way to the city center accompanied by Ai on his left on her own bike.

    ¡°Where are we heading to?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s classified.¡±

    ¡°Come on, I know you¡¯re showing me the city, but you got all worked out about a certain place so I want to know what that place is!¡±

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll have to show some patience, since it¡¯s the last place we¡¯ll visit today! Our first stop is going to be the National Library our second stop will be the Great Park and the last stop will be a surprise.¡± Ai said in a playful manner as she disclosed her plans for the day.

    Tristan just followed her with a sigh.

    ***

    ¡®I can¡¯t believe that huge library didn¡¯t have a single useful book! Most of their books about magic are so outdated, using them as reference to research magic should be a crime! I know Humans were never meant to know any magic, but still! At least their knowledge in Alchemy and Physics isn¡¯t as bad.¡¯ Tristan thought to himself while sitting next to Ai on a bench in the Great Park.

    ¡°We spend more time than I thought, in the library.¡± Ai said while looking at her clock.

    ¡°Yeah, the books were so interesting I couldn¡¯t help myself but to get a few of them.¡± Tristan said as he touched his backpack full of books, mostly of the genre Fantasy.

    ¡°Yeah, but there is no time to relax, we still have to go that place.¡±

    ¡°Come on now, you¡¯ve been teasing that place all day by now, so please tell me, where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get going and I¡¯ll tell you on the way, we have to cross the whole park area to reach it anyways, that¡¯s about 8 kilometers from here.¡±

    While they were pedaling Tristan realized that in the short time he had known AI they had already become friends. And not just fake friends like he had anticipated earlier, by now he genuinely cared for the single-minded Human girl.

    Tristan was surprised to see how fast he had learned to trust Ai. Being with Ai felt for him as natural as being with Abigail, it was probably because Ai and Tristan also spent their time with training and gathering knowledge.

    The past week they had spent a lot of time learning magic after school. Ai would teach Tristan to feel mana signature of others and he would help her develop a new magic, they were nowhere near close to that goal yet, but thanks to her special ability Ai was able to progress quite fast in comparison to others.

    A smile appeared on Tristan face as he thought about it.

    ¡°Yesterday, you said that your aunt doesn¡¯t cook well, so I thought I might treat you to some real good food.¡± Ai said as they were almost out of the Great Park.

    ¡°That sounds good, so we¡¯re heading to a restaurant?¡±

    ¡°Something similar.¡± Ai said as they entered a big shopping district and they had to dismount from their bikes.

    The streets were filled with shops and little caf¨¦s. Although, it was almost winter the temperature was still high enough to enjoy a coffee outside on one of the many tables filling the pedestrian area of the shopping district.

    They parked their bikes and Ai lead Tristan through the pushing of the crowd directly towards a small, crowded shop, called Holly Cr¨ºpe.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s as crowded as usual.¡±

    ¡°So you come often here?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I just came once before and since then I wanted to come here with a friend.¡± Ai blushed a little as she let these words slip.

    ¡°Cool, next time we should invite my annoying sis too the more we are, the merrier, right?¡±

    Ai nodded, as they finally stepped forwards since they were next in line. They gave their orders: Hot Chocolate and a strawberry Cr¨ºpe and Hot Chocolate and a chocolate Cr¨ºpe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and do some window shopping, while eating!¡± Tristan suggested as they had received their orders by the friendly elderly lady attending the costumers.

    ¡°Sounds great!¡± Ai responded with a big smile and rushed outside the shop, followed by Tristan.

    While hurrying outside the shop Tristan bumped into a blonde girl wearing a dress in pure white. It came close to a miracle that Tristan¡¯s Hot Chocolate didn¡¯t spill on the blonde girl¡¯s white dress, but just on the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Tristan tried to excuse himself as fast as possible, but was lost in his tracks as his eyes met the blue eyes of the girl he had bumped into. Was he under her spell? Tristan didn¡¯t care; all he wanted is to keep staring at her deep blue eyes that reminded him of a clear mid-summer night sky.

    ¡°Are you ok, Clair?¡± Kayles voice brought Clair, who stood there like petrified in front of Tristan, back to the real world.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Erm, ¡­ It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Clair said in a gentle tone, while stepping closer to Tristan. ¡°I was the one who got too excited when I heard about this shop, which caused me to not pay attention and I ended up running into you.¡±

    ¡°May I replace your Cacao?¡± She added with a smile brighter than the morning sun, stepping even closer to Tristan.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡®Hey partner, did you notice that bulky man over there?¡¯ Schattenklinge asked and pointed towards Dietrich, who was standing slightly behind Kayle who was reaching a handkerchief to Clair.

    Schattenklinge¡¯s words caused Tristan to finally snap back to reality. Thanks to the fruits of his training of sensing the mana signature of things he had started with Ai, he soon realized they meant trouble. They were leaking so much pure mana, it made a chill run down Tristan¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Thank you very much, but I don¡¯t think that will be necessary.¡± Tristan answered with a fake smile.

    ¡°¡­ But I really don¡¯t mind replacing your Cacao.¡± Clair insisted, a little annoyed that he didn¡¯t take on her offer.

    ¡°No, really I didn¡¯t want to drink it anyways.¡± Tristan said as he reached for Ai¡¯s hand and pulled her into the crowd behind him.

    ¡°Tristan, hey Tristan, wait!¡± Ai complained as she was dragged by Tristan into the crowd, where the two of them soon vanished from Clair¡¯s view.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?!¡± Clair¡¯s lips curled downwards as she watched Tristan holding Ai¡¯s hands while vanishing.

    ¡°Indeed, something was wrong with that youth¡­¡± Dietrich added with a serious voice, glaring at the spot Tristan and Ai had vanished.

 Target

    Solum  (30.11.9978 AS)

    I walk right behind Tristan as we enter the classroom, today as now days usual we rode our bicycles to school, but unlike we always do, we did so in silence. Ever since, he ran onto that beauty in front of that shop, he¡¯s been acting all strange.

    Back then he wasn¡¯t only rude towards the girl and her companions, but also to me! He pulled me by the hands almost ripping of my arms, trying to run away from that girl. When I asked why he did so, he just responded to me that we¡¯re going back home for today and so our date has ended.

    I¡¯m still quite mad at him for ending such a wonderful Sunday like that. I mean, I don¡¯t always get the change to spend my time with someone that shares the same interests as I do, just for the sake of hanging out and not for learning.

    I¡¯ll make sure to get an apology out of him. Yeah, that¡¯s something I could live with! I don¡¯t know him for that long, but I get the feeling I can gauge his character quite well by now and apologies aren¡¯t his forte, that¡¯s for sure! Fors, will it fun to tease and apology out of him!

    ¡°Are you ok?¡±

    Laura¡¯s greeting brings to the real world, without realizing it, I have walked to my place.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I try to reassure, though I really am not. Yesterday, I spent the whole night thinking what could have caused Tristan to react that way. I came up with countless theories about what could have happened to him, but none of the seemed plausible, except for three.

    Number one, he fell head over heels in love with that girl, and didn¡¯t know how to react. I mean she was extremely beautiful, so beautiful I almost fell for her¡­ Although, I know it¡¯s the most plausible of the three theories I don¡¯t want that theory to be true, also Tristan is too secure to be intimidated by that girl, so he wouldn¡¯t react that way if was in love with her, also we are still kids!

    The next theory I came up with is that the man behind the girl was his long lost father! I mean, I know from Laura they live with their aunt because their father left the family and their mother died soon after. Maybe, just maybe, that man was there with his new family and this caused Tristan to react that way!

    I like that theory, especially since it doesn¡¯t contain indecent actions from Tristan¡¯s part. Also that man had a really strong mana signature just like Tristan and Laura, that¡¯s what makes this theory so viable.

    The last theory is probably the one most childish of them, I don¡¯t even know why I don¡¯t dismiss it like the others and put it as high as the other two¡­ The theory contains me actually being the daughter of one of the Elder ruling Solum and that Tristan was sent by the government to protect me, because those evil goons after my life!

    Fors, just thinking about that theory is embarrassing¡­ All just wishful thinking from my side, but no matter what, I just can¡¯t bring myself to dismiss this theory, deep down I hope that this theory is true.

    ¡°Are you sure? Well, whatever you probably had an awesome weekend, didn¡¯t you?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah, yesterday I had so much fun, until a certain someone had to kill the mood.¡± I glare towards Tristan when I speak these words, causing Laura to look suspicious between the two of us.

    ¡°Erm, what happened, why are you glaring at Trist, as if he was that certain someone¡­ No! Don¡¯t tell me he actually is the mood killer!¡±  Laura looks clearly astonished.

    ¡°Hey Trist, I thought you wouldn¡¯t do mean things to girls, especially when they are my friends!¡± Laura stands up and slams her hands on Tristan¡¯s desk.

    Tristan unimpressed between Laura and me and then he sights.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t pay attention to your little chat earlier, what¡¯s this fuss about?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday you did something mean to Ai! And now she¡¯s sad! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to disturb my friends?!¡±

    I can feel all the eyes in the classroom are now glued on us!

    ¡°Thanks to whom do you think she was having so much fun yesterday?¡±  Tristan shows a fearless smile towards the Fury that has become out of Laura.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Yesterday, me and Ai were having fun all through the city, but then we had a really displeasing meeting with people we rather not meet, at least not yet.¡±  Tristan explains with a calm voice.

    ¡°You mean, you two were on a date?¡±

    ¡°Not a date, we were just hanging out as the good friends we are.¡± Tristan sends me a gentle smile.

    Why did I just cringe a little as I heard these words? Anyways, this approves the second theory I had; he probably met his dad¡¯s new family and freaked out. Damn it! Knowing this I can¡¯t probably tease an apology out of him!

    Laura walks backs to her seat and slumps into her seat like a potato bag.

    ¡°Every time you disappeared from home, you were with her, weren¡¯t you?¡± asks the pale Laura with a tiny voice.

    ¡°What can I say, you got me, I was hanging out with her all the time.¡±  Tristan says with an embarrassed voice.

    I feel myself blushing as the whole class breaks into a commotion, as they hear Tristan¡¯s words.

    ¡°Sorry, for yesterday!¡±  Tristan¡¯s bows towards me while apologizing with an earnest voice.

    By Fors, I just want to vanish into a cave in the Sol-Mountains.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this commotion is all about, but class is about to start, so please return to your seats.¡±  The teacher said as she entered the room.

    Arcadia (25.11.9978 AS) (Seraph¡¯s main base on Terra)

    Dietrich was in his office standing in front of Viktor and Sariel. ¡°I hope you know of the threat the Elder present for our race.¡± He said with a powerful voice, causing the two youngsters to nod rapidly.

    ¡°So, I suppose you know what the goal of outposts like this one is?¡± Both nodded once again.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Dietrich gave a satisfied smile.

    ¡°You probably have already heard of the Wild Elder spotted in the City of Solum, yesterday we had the luck to run into him while showing her highness the city. Obviously we couldn¡¯t apprehend him back then to avoid bringing the princess in danger, but now that we know the area he frequents it won¡¯t take long till we get him.¡±

    Dietrich showed them a serious expression. ¡°That¡¯s where you come to play. Both of you will get to lead a team of 20 recruits to command, with these forces I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be hard for you to apprehend or to eliminate him.¡±

    Viktor and Sariel saluted as they received their orders. ¡°Yes, sir we, won¡¯t fail you.¡± Both replied in unison.

    ¡°Very, well¡± Dietrich once again gave a satisfied smile. ¡°If you need something, I¡¯ll be off taking care of her highness.¡±  Dietrich said as he left the room.

    ¡°Finally, finally a chance for Clair to see my might in action!¡±  Viktor exclaimed happily and also left the room.

    ¡°Vicky wait for me!¡±  Sariel exclaimed as she left the room, leaving it seemingly empty, seemingly since there was another person in the room, someone none of them had noticed Clair. She had used her invisibility spell to follow Dietrich wherever he went to prank him.

    But now all her zest for pranks and mayhem had been lost. ¡®Did Dietrich really give the orders to kill someone? No that can¡¯t be!... But I heard it for myself... They want to kill him, the rude boy¡­¡¯ She started trembling as she realized what her ¡®friends¡¯ were about to do.

    ¡®Pathetic, I shouldn¡¯t be trembling over things like that, it¡¯s not like missions were games anyways.¡¯  She started hugging herself. ¡°I knew all along, missions are no child¡¯s play.¡± She started whispering over and over again.

 Second Report

    Solum  (30.11.9978 AS)

    Laura was sitting next to Erika in the living room; she was glaring at Tristan who was walking the room up and down in front of them. After they had come back from school Tristan had requested for a group meeting before, he his usual leave.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this all about? Didn¡¯t you insist to work things out on yourself?¡±  Erika asked as she was sitting on the couch having her legs and arms crossed in front of her.

    ¡°Well¡­ I kinda did.¡±  Tristan answered, struggling to act shy.

    ¡°I managed to become friends with the target, with that I mean real friends.¡± Erika looked impressed at Tristan and showed him a warm smile.

    ¡°And you already convinced her to join us from her free will?¡± Erika asked with an impressed voice.

    ¡°Actually, I did not, not yet at least. The reason I requested this meeting was because yesterday we met a party of Seraph while hanging out close the Great Park.¡± Tristan answered with a serious voice.

    ¡°How do you know about them being Seraphs? Did they try and fight you? If they did, I¡¯m sure I would have heard of it.¡±  Erika was now also standing and staring directly into Tristan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No, we did not fight.¡±  Tristan said while shaking his head.

    ¡°So, how can you be so sure of their race?¡± Erika asked once again.

    ¡°Ai¡¯s active lets her see the mana signature of people, and she told me today those people had a strange aura just like we do and thus, she falsely assumed they were the new family of our long lost father.¡± Tristan reported, what had happened after he had apologized to Ai during lunch break.

    ¡°Good to know.¡± Erika answered lost in thoughts.

    ¡°I know, I was the one that requested you to withdraw the bodyguards around us, to not arise needless suspicion, but I get the feeling this might get ugly if we don¡¯t increase the security around her.¡± Tristan continued to suggest a way of solving the problem.

    ¡°But please do it without her noticing it, which will be really difficult since she has that troublesome ability, but I still believe in our agents.¡±  Tristan gave a fearless smile as these words left his mouth.

    ¡°So you want to tell me, that you really want to continue the mission? Right now, is the correct time for the two of you to retreat, no one would get mad if you did so, you know.¡±  Erika gave them a reassuring smile.

    ¡°Never!¡± Laura butted into their conversation.

    ¡®I can¡¯t let this mission end yet! I haven¡¯t gotten any merits yet, I tried by best, but as usual, I¡¯m a step behind him¡­ How frustrating! How come I can¡¯t surpass him just once? If I keep being this weak and useless, I won¡¯t be able to reach mom¡¯s dream. I have to show them, that I¡¯m ready and someone to count on!¡¯ Laura bit her lips as Tristan¡¯s and Erika¡¯s eyes were now glued on her.

    ¡°No, she is right, I can¡¯t stop now.¡±  Tristan said with an earnest smile. ¡°At first I didn¡¯t like the idea of coming to Terra to become the fake friends with that poor girl, but now I genuinely care for her, so I can¡¯t let her on her own, especially when she needs me the most!¡±

    Erika gave him a warm smile. ¡°Although, I¡¯ m impressed about your resolve, I can¡¯t let you run wild, especially because you got already noticed by the enemy. By now I¡¯m sure they already have the area you were spotted in guarded and secured.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Tristan nodded as he heard Erika¡¯s words. ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish, but would you let us handle this? You just need to place your guards in the safe distance from us, so they can react if something happens.¡±

    ¡°IF SOMETHING HAPPENS? REACT? You say those words so easily, but how about ACTING BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS? I promised to take good care of you, so I can¡¯t let you get harmed!¡± Erika replied hysterically.

    ¡°What about you put as many guards as you want around us, and Laura and me become an inseparable duo that always acts together?¡±  Tristan suggested, while Laura nodded wildly, by now standing next to Tristan.

    ¡°You, mean that the two of you will take care of each other?¡±  Erika asked in deep thought.

    ¡°Yeah, where ever I go with Ai, she¡¯ll be there with me and vice versa.¡± Tristan reassured while Laura kept nodding.

    ¡°Yeah, we may not look like it, but we can take care of ourselves.¡±  Laura finally added.

    ¡°You may say so, but I really can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Pretty please, we can¡¯t betray our friend and leave her while she needs us the most!¡±  Laura said using her most effective weapon: her puppy eyes.

    ¡°Gosh, don¡¯t look at me that way. Fine, I will talk with Melodias about it and then we¡¯ll see.¡± Erika said, taking out her Commu and leaving the room for a while.

    Solum  (30.11.9978 AS)

    Tristan and Laura were on the way to Tristan¡¯s and Ai¡¯s usual training spot, Erika and Melodias had allowed them to continue the mission, under the condition they both look out for each other.

    ¡°Thanks for helping me out there.¡± Tristan said with an earnest tone.

    ¡°No problem, I didn¡¯t want this mission to end either, at least not until I got my chance to shine.¡±  Laura answered.

    ¡°Yeah, I guessed so, but still thanks for helping me out, after I treated you so badly there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all forgotten, you had your reasons and I had mine, so we¡¯re quit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°One month, I got one more month to show, what I¡¯m capable of.¡± Laura said and smiled determined.

    ¡°Yeah, I they gave us one month to convince Ai about joining us, this blows up all my plans.¡±  Tristan said with a disappointed voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s so you, you always have a plan¡­ So what was your plan?¡±

    Tristan gave a devilish smile before answering. ¡°Actually, I had no plan; I was just acting on my gut feeling.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Laura walking and looked Tristan, who also stopped, in disbelieve.

    Tristan continued smiling. ¡°Thinking back, I don¡¯t think I could have come far, if I was trying so hard like you did, also she and I have a lot in common, so being real friends with her is no actual problem.¡±

    ¡°You, know that I hate you.¡± Larua said before she started to laugh out loud.

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (30.11.9978 AS)

    As usual Bella was sitting on a red couch in her private chambers, the head of a young blonde on her laps. Bella gave a charming smile as she said. ¡°It¡¯s been long since you visited in such a bad mood.¡±

    ¡°Really? How can I not be in a bad mood when my people are slaying the innocent?¡±

    ¡°So, what are they planning to do?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a God, shouldn¡¯t you know the best?¡±

    ¡°Just because we¡¯re God¡¯s it doesn¡¯t mean that our society doesn¡¯t have any rules.¡± Bella said offended. ¡°Just for your knowledge, it¡¯s rude for a God to peak over the mortals under the juridification of another God.¡±

    ¡°But to mess with me is totally ok?¡±

    Bella nodded happily ¡°You my little angel are an exception. Also, it would look bad if I spend all day looking after Fors world, I just can sometimes steal a small peak over his world... So tell me, what did you find out.¡±

    ¡°Well, you see there was a guy with greenish-grey eyes who walked in to me¡­¡±  Clair told Bella everything that had happened after her meeting with Tristan.

    ¡°So, you said greenish-grey eyes? Couldn¡¯t it be greyish-green?¡±  Bella asked with an evil smile.

    ¡°If I think about it, yeah, greyish-green might be the better way to describe it.¡±  Clair answered getting a little suspicious of Bella¡¯s reaction. ¡°Wait¡­ Bella? Did I miss something? Why do you know the color of his eyes?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know, I promise, my long lost brother¡¯s eyes had the same color.¡±  Bella denied trying to hold back a giggle.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Ok, but what should I do? They are trying to kill him now, and he¡¯s completely innocent!¡± Clair asked with a sad voice.

    ¡°How can you be so sure, he¡¯s innocent? Also, why even bothering with him?¡± Bella answered Clair¡¯s question with more questions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why I assume he is innocent, but I just feel like he is. And I can¡¯t let him all alone if he is innocent!¡±

    ¡°I never knew you cared for others, I always thought, you were really self-centered.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not! So, can you help me out this time?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, your highness, if you really think you should safe him, than you can use this item.¡± Bella took off one of the many rings she was wearing and gave it to Clair. ¡°If you really, believe you have to safe him, than this ring will lead you to him.¡± She gave Clair a teasing smile.

    ¡°Anyways, our time is up, now give mommy a kiss and go back to the world of mortals.¡± Bella said while hugging Clair till she vanished in a sea of golden bubbles.

 Closer to Her Dreams

    Roche(7.12.9978 AS)

    ¡®What am I even doing here? I know my friends are about to commit something despicable, by  killing someone innocent!¡¯ Clair thought her as her ship was reaching the port of Roche, the second largest City in the Human world.

    *Sigh.*

    ¡®Well, time to play the princess! And I should stop caring about some random Human, if I think about it, he probably wasn¡¯t the first one! There were many Wild Elders killed before him and there will be a lot killed after him and right now I don¡¯t have the power to change his situation anyways. Yeah, once I¡¯m Empress, I will change some rules regarding the Wild Elders.¡¯

    Clair smiled as her ship got closer and closer to the port.

    ¡°It looks like her highness can¡¯t wait to be back on land.¡± Dietrich remarked.

    Clair nodded, acting relieved. ¡°This was my first tour with a ship! I didn¡¯t know it would be so exhausting to travel from one City to the other! Who would¡¯ve thought that the Human Continent consists out of five big islands?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, not many Seraphs know about the geography of the Human Continent.¡± Dietrich nodded.

    ¡°Their political situation is also quite intriguing.¡± Clair added.

    They were now on their way to meet a party of Elder representing Roche. Unlike the other Worlds, Terra had no centralized government.  Terra was divided into five big islands, each of the islands represented a Country or how they called it a Continent.

    All of the portals to the other worlds were situated in Solum, thus they were the main representative of the Humans towards the other races, but not everybody was happy with that order. Especially the rulers of Roche weren¡¯t happy about the rise of Solum, since Roche used to be the central hub before the Portals. So, they used every method possible to oppose Solum¡¯s policies even if this meant to be allied to the Seraphs and to antagonize the Demons.

    ¡°Yeah, but thanks to that, we have at least some friends her in Terra.¡± Dietrich said before breaking out in loud laugher.

    Solum (7.12.9978 AS)

    Laura was sitting on an old bench observing her friends with a big smile on her face, sweat running down her neck. They had been out here training for almost two hours straight, everybody was concentrating on what they needed most.

    She didn¡¯t quite understand why Tristan was spending so much time meditating instead of in close combat; didn¡¯t his passive and active abilities make him the perfect close quarter fighter? She took out a water bottle and drank out of it, while Tristan also seemed to stop his training and stood up.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Tristan asked and Ai, who had been practicing different types of fire spells nodded.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all warmed up now and yesterday I finally had a break through with my new spell!¡±  Ai smiled and gave Tristan a piece of paper.

    ¡°So what do you think?¡±  She finally asked while glaring at Tristan with expecting eyes.

    Tristan gave her a thumbs up. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look as bad as I expected, and it won¡¯t hurt you badly if you fail the spell.¡±

    ¡°Badly?¡±  Laura asked as she walked towards the two of them.

    ¡°Yeah, this is her best one so far, what about trying it out Ai?¡±

    Ai smiled relieved as she herd Tristan¡¯s words and without further ado she started chanting the spell.

    As the spell finally activated and dozens of blue fire tentacles grew from the ground, these tentacles soon started to encircle Ai, who was smiling from ear to ear. ¡°Hehehe, what do you think of my new spell?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Laura stared at Ai and Tristan in disbelieve. ¡®Wait, that spell looks awfully similar to the Shadow¡¯s Whip, one of the Schatten-Clan¡¯s most well-known spells! No, that can¡¯t be Trist can¡¯t use Shadow¡¯s magic, so he couldn¡¯t possibly teach her that spell¡­¡¯

    ¡°Thanks Tristan, without your help I would be still trying to create a blue flame, if you had not taught me so well in the theory of magic I wouldn¡¯t have been able to create this spell!¡± Ai said close to tears.

    ¡®So, it was him and I thought¡­ and I thought, all he was capable of, was his illusions to get close to his opponents¡­¡¯  Laura sighed to herself as she realized her miss calculations. ¡®This will make him an even harder hurdle to overcome, to reach the top! How can I even hope to dream of the top, if I can¡¯t even overcome a Demon without passive?!¡¯

    ¡°So, want to try the controls?¡±  Tristan asked Ai intrigued.

    ¡°You can bet on it!¡±  Ai answered confidently.

    ¡°Well, here I come!¡± Tristan said as he accelerated his body to an incredible speed.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Ai cried out loud as Tristan appeared in front of her.

    ¡°What?¡± s Tristan asked as he stopped his tracks next to Ai and gave her a small kiss on the cheeks.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I wasn¡¯t ready yet! And¡­ don¡¯t go doing that kind of thing to a girl; she might get the wrong idea!¡± Ai shouted and her fire tentacles slapped towards the place Tristan had been.

    ¡°That¡¯s better!¡±  Tristan said as he easily evaded the tentacles coming at him. ¡°That¡¯s right come at me with all you¡¯ve got!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me, if I hurt you!¡±  The blushing Ai answered, sending her tentacles at Tristan.

    Laura, just stood there like petrified. ¡®Are they really as old as I am? How come they are so relaxed after casting such high end spells? Flash Step, the spell that Tristan is using is at least High Super Devil level! Since when did he surpass the Low Dragon level he was supposed to be in? And the same goes for Ai¡¯s new spell, if I had to classify it, I would say it¡¯s at least High Dragon level! Isn¡¯t it irresponsible to use spells above one¡¯s limits?¡¯

    Tristan just continued to jump around to evade the fire tentacles Ai was throwing at him.

    ¡°You seem to be able to control your tentacles really good, but how about your defense?¡± Tristan asked and accelerated towards Ai, who ordered her tentacles to form a shield around her, causing Tristan to jump back.

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Tristan exclaimed, and clapped his hands. ¡°But I think it¡¯s the time to stop for today, before you lose-¡±

    Before he could even complete his sentence Ai collapsed in front of Tristan, causing Laura to face palm.

    ¡®Thought so, she couldn¡¯t possibly be able to hold such a spell for long.¡¯ Laura sighed and walked up to Tristan.

    ¡°Why did you allow her to cast that spell?¡± Laura asked Tristan.

    ¡°Because she created her own spell out of already existing ones, do you know how amazing that is?¡±

    ¡°But you knew this would happen,  didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course I knew! I was the one that helped her to develop the spell in the first place. It¡¯s obvious I knew how draining such a spell would be, especially if it is a mix out of 25 already existing spells. But she needs to learn were her limits are by herself!¡±

    ¡°25?¡±

    **Sigh**

    ¡°Did you think a simple spell would be able to do everything she showed?¡±

    ¡°So she was holding 25 spells active at the same time without them interfering with each other?! How?¡±

    ¡°She was cheating, her active allows her to see and sense mana, so she can tune her mana better than most of us, so she can easily activated different spells without them interfering with each other¡­ And I also helped her to pick, spells that wouldn¡¯t interfere with each other.¡±

    Laura nodded.

    ¡°Say Trist, you¡¯re really good with magic theory, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I pride myself of being the smartest Demon alive.¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ I¡¯ve been stuck quite a while with my magic studies¡­ So¡­ wouldn¡¯t you mind helping me out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, when we¡¯re back home, I¡¯ll help you find your own magic style.¡±  Tristan smiled at Laura while he tried to wake up Ai, who had lost consciousness.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Laura showed a genuine smile, like she hadn¡¯t since the incident with the Bards.

    ***

    ¡°Why do you look so concerned?¡±  Ai asked as she finally woke up after a while.

    ¡°Well, you ended up losing consciousness on us!¡± Tristan said and reached Ai some candy. ¡°Eat this, will do you good to regain your strength.

    ¡°Erm¡­ So, I¡¯ll have to rework the spell?¡± Ai asked with a disappointed voice.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to; you just need to tweak it a little.¡± Tristan smiled and picked her up for a piggyback ride. ¡°Don¡¯t worry for now we¡¯ll bring you home.¡±

    Ai hugged Tristan tighter and looked towards Laura. ¡°You know, I¡¯m really glad I got to meet the two of you! You are the best friends I¡¯ve ever made! It must have been destiny for me to find people that care so much for me and that help me as much as you guys do.¡±

    Laura and Tristan looked at each other and smiled wryly.

    ¡°Thanks, I guess, I can¡¯t speak for Laura, but I¡¯m also really glad I got the opportunity to share my time with you.¡±  Tristan conveyed his honest feelings.

    ¡°Same¡­ same goes for me!¡±  Laura said while blushing a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you feel the same way, so how about we use the holiday next week to go to the Holly Cr¨ºpe?¡±

    ¡°Sounds great, but won¡¯t there be more people than usual, I mean the Festival of the Five Continents will be taking place in the city center.¡± Tristan did his best to reject her invitation without openly denying her.

    ¡°That¡¯s the best part! We could go and watch the festivities and eat delicious Cr¨ºpes!¡±  Ai said hyped.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re really hyped to go.¡± Laura pointed out.

    ¡°Well, Tristan himself said so last time, the more we are the merrier!¡±

 And the Festival Begins

    Solum (13.12.9978 AS)

    Tristan was sitting on the couch in their living room hearing the sound of the falling rain, as Erika entered the room accompanied by Laura.

    ¡°Tomorrow is the day isn¡¯t it?¡±  Erika asked nervous. ¡°Do you really want to continue? It might get really dangerous, even with all this preparation you might end up in danger. ¡°She added while looking concerned at the two kids.

    ¡°Yeah, we have thought this through, she¡¯s not quite ready to know the truth yet and we can¡¯t let her all alone during these turbulent times.¡±

    Laura nodded, approving to Tristan words.  ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t leave her alone now; she¡¯s starting to open up towards us! We almost have her where we need her to!¡±

    ¡°Good, as I already said, I like your resolve, but I still don¡¯t like the idea of you putting yourselves willingly in danger. If it wasn¡¯t for Melodias words, I would have already forced you to withdraw from this mission.¡±  Erika said with a serious voice.

    ¡°As you said, we are doing it willingly, we know about what could happen in the worst case, but that won¡¯t stop us from being there for a friend.¡± Tristan said with a determined tone of voice.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°I should have known, people don¡¯t change that fast¡­ You already almost killed everybody in your company for your friend, but I won¡¯t allow you to go that far this time. I know standing up for a friend is honorable and all, but leading other friends to their demise for one single friend is just plain stupid.¡± Erika said with a serious voice.

    Laura looked at discouraged at Erika, as if she was about to give in and withdraw from the mission willingly. ¡®I know I want to continue the mission, not only for Ai, but mainly because I want to show what I¡¯m capable of!  But if I get bad ratings, then it¡¯s not really worth, sticking along with the mission!¡¯

    ¡°I-¡°

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact, that I couldn¡¯t see myself in the mirror anymore, knowing I could have done something for a friend.¡± Tristan relied before Laura could say she wanted to withdraw.

    Laura forcefully swallowed the words she was about to say and gather her resolve and finally brought out a: ¡°I¡­ I think so too. I will stay here!¡±

    *Sigh*

    Erika looked at the two of them, almost tears in her eyes.  ¡°At least I tried.¡± She whispered only for her to hear before jumping at the two sitting in front of her hugging, like this would be their last chat.

    ¡°Well, then let¡¯s go over the plan for tomorrow¡­¡±

    Solum (14.12.9978 AS)

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing how many people are attending the festival?¡± Ai asked and took a bite of her strawberry cr¨ºpe.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t believe there are that many people present here.¡±  Tristan answered absent-minded, scanning the crowd for possible enemies.

    Laura just nodded, while anxiously looking around for enemies. Despite the cold weather sweat droplets formed on her forehead, she wiped them with a handkerchief continued her watch over the crowd.

    ¡°Is something wrong with her?¡± Ai asked Tritan while pointing at Laura.

    ¡°Nope, she¡¯s just not used to crowds, that¡¯s all.¡± Tristan said with a fake smile, while continuing to search the crowd for potential threats.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?! Look over there, near the sportswear shop!¡±  Ai pointed towards an alley leading outside the shopping district. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go over there? It¡¯s less crowded and we will have a better view of the Festival, there we can decide where to go next!¡±

    ¡®Shit, I blew it!¡¯ Laura closed her eyes in remorse and bit her lips. ¡®I can¡¯t probably refuse such an invitation¡­ And Erika even warned us how dangerous alleyways are!¡¯ Laura thought and threw Tristan a glance saying: ¡® Trist please help me!¡¯

    ¡°Great Idea!¡± Tristan said as he took Ai¡¯s and Laura¡¯s hands to lead them towards the alleyway ahead of them.

    ¡®Noooo, nooo that¡¯s not what I meant, I meant to safe me from going in there!¡¯ Laura said as she unwillingly trotted behind Tristan, who was walking faster than usual, worming his way through the crowd in front of him, not caring about others, but Ai¡¯s and Laura¡¯s hands.

    ¡°So, here we should be safe from the crowd!¡±  Tristan said with a serious tone, finally letting go of the two of them, taking out his Commu.

    ***

    ¡°Do you think he noticed us?¡± Sariel asked Viktor, who didn¡¯t even spare a glance before jumping to the next rooftop, trying to keep track of Tristan who was using the crowd to hide from him and his allies.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably, our eyes met after all before he suddenly started moving with his friends! The movements were so sudden; I don¡¯t think it was coincidence.¡±  Viktor said to Sariel who also followed Tristan¡¯s every movement, trying to keep track of him.

    ¡°If he knew, we were here, doesn¡¯t that mean that he knows about the races? And if so, is he still considered a Wild Elder?¡± Sariel asked looking troubled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause some diplomatic trouble for our people.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t care, as long as the Princess is around here I have to show what I¡¯m worth, so she can look forward of having such a capable man as her husband in the future, and so let me manage the continent all by myself!¡±  Viktor keeping up with every movement Tristan was making.

    ¡°That bastard, he¡¯s not older than 12 and he¡¯s already a harem¡­ Just so lucky¡­ but that luck seems to have run out as of today!¡±  Viktor whispered to himself putting a sadistic smile and taking out his Commu.

    ¡°To all forces, the target is moving towards the alleyway near the sportswear shop, please stand by to capture the target!¡± He said and jumped once again to the next rooftop not letting Tristan slip his watchful eyes.

    ¡°Fors, why do I have to work with someone like him?! Poor, Clair to have someone like that as her fianc¨¦; now I know why she¡¯s always so edgy!¡±  Sariel said only for her to hear, while rolling her eyes and jumping after Viktor.

    After landing, she took out her Commu. ¡°To all forces, the target run into an alley near the sportswear store, please get ready to apprehend him!¡± She ordered same as Viktor did earlier.

    ¡°How does the plan look like?¡± Sariel asked Viktor, her eyes still glued on Tristan, who had walked into the alleyway with the girls.

    ¡°We jump down there and kick their asses, we¡¯ll figure out what happens after, we¡¯re down there¡±  Viktor said as he took his Commu and issued the his command. ¡°I¡¯m going in, right now, make sure to cover the possible escape routes!¡±

    Shortly after he jumped down towards the place Tristan and his companion were.

    ***Sorry¡­We¡­ Engaged¡­ With¡­ The¡­ Enemy¡­ Can¡¯t¡­ Move¡­ To¡­ Assigned¡­ Area¡­***

    Sariel heard the voice of a female recruit coming out of her Commu. ¡°Viktor wait!¡± She said, but her companion was already gone. ¡°By Fors¡¯ beard! What did I deserve to have to work with someone like him?!¡±  She said and jumped after Viktor.

 In an Alleyway

    Solum (14.12.9978 AS)

    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±  Laura said with an annoyed voice. ¡°Why did you lead us over here? I was just fine over there; I don¡¯t mind the crowd at all, so why don¡¯t we go back?¡± She pointed at the crowd having fun visiting the various stalls of the festival.

    ¡°They are moving just intercept anyone coming towards our location.¡± Tristan said through his Commu.

    ¡°Looks like the fun is about to start¡± said Melodias in ecstasy. ¡°We won¡¯t let any of them, get near you!¡±  He added while sounding as if he had started to move.

    ¡°Well, I guess two will come to our way anyways.¡±  Tristan said happily, putting his Commu back in his pocket.

    ¡°Was that a Commu?!¡±  Ai asked with sparkling eyes at Tristan, not even questioning the talk he just had had in front of her. Tristan nodded and answered. ¡°I¡¯ll lend it to you sometime later and Laura, can you shut up for a moment?¡±

    Laura¡¯s bloodshot eyes landed on Tristan. ¡°Why should I shut up?! Didn¡¯t Erika say not to go near alleyways?¡±

    ¡°She did, but they had figured us out anyways.¡±  Tristan said as he looked towards the two shadows in the rooftop above them. ¡°And you don¡¯t want to involve innocent bystanders in such an uncivilized fight, right? You better channel your animosity towards our enemies and not towards me.¡±  Tristan added with a casual tone.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Both Ai and Laura shouted at Tristan in unison finally snapping back to their normal selves.

    ¡°There they come, so I take on the idiot and you two, take on the girl, but Laura, make sure to take care of Ai.¡± Tristan said, while he pointed towards Viktor, who was headed directly towards them.

    ¡®Eavesdropping the conversations of others isn¡¯t nice at all!¡±  Schattenklinge said to Tristan, who took out a small device from inside his ears. ¡®Well, if they are stupid enough to use one of my products without my permission, then they deserve being eavesdropped.¡¯

    ¡®I still feel like you cheated.¡¯ Schattenkling answered with a bored tone. ¡®I didn¡¯t cheat, I first had to pinpoint their location, before I could hear in their conversations. I¡¯m just lucky I picked up sensing mana quite fast thanks to Ai¡¯s help, I still can¡¯t see the colors, but I¡¯m already able to feel the intensity of the mana.¡¯

    ¡®And another cheat, why do you just learn abilities that are like cheating? Why don¡¯t you learn some hand to hand combat or some good ol¡¯ shadow¡¯s magic, like any other Demon your age?¡¯  Schattenklinge said with a disgusted voice.

    ¡®Because I¡¯m no normal boy, I was forced into this situation by some messed up pervert, so let me pick up the best abilities to beat a crazy god, when the time comes.¡¯ Tristan answered with an annoyed tone, before adding. ¡®Now get ready to fight, that idiot should be arriving soon. If I estimated his abilities correctly, he shouldn¡¯t be stronger than me.¡¯

    ***

    Clair was looking at the festival with a bored expression, while playing with the ring she had gotten from Bella. Dietrich and Kayle were sitting next to her, also watching the festival from a balcony of a skyscraper near the place she had met Tristan for the first time.

    They had returned to Solum after having finished their business at Roche. Today was Clair¡¯s last day in Terra, she would be returning home after the end of the festival. Thus, her mood had already been foul adding oil to the fire was the business of her friends killing an innocent soul! She had heard from the odd communication devices, Dietrich was using, that her friends were about to engage their target.

    Her heart tightened just thinking about it. ¡®What should I do, should I use the ring, to save him or not? If I use it, I might be able to save him, but it will mean this is my last day outside of the palast! Yeah, if I use it, I will rot inside that golden cage of them!¡¯

    *Sigh*

    ¡°Is something wrong with?¡±  Kayle asked as she saw Clair looking quite sad, towards the people enjoying the festival.

    ¡°Eh¡­ What¡­ Nothing, I¡¯m just jealous of the people down there enjoying their lives all carefree and all.¡±  Clair, who was brought back to reality said with a sad voice, trying to calm down Kayle.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped, we¡¯re just allowed to watch from the outside, but it¡¯s still quite exciting to see a different continent!¡± Kayle remarked.

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Clair said with disinterest looking towards Dietrich, who had suddenly stood up, his Commu in his hands.

    ¡°Sorry, looks like something came up, I¡¯ll need to go and take a look for myself!¡± He bowed towards Clair and ran out of the room.

    ***

    Viktor jumped from the rooftop, he had been standing, not paying attention to Sariel¡¯s protest. It was his moment to shine, an annoying woman, wouldn¡¯t stop him from getting his glory.

    Midair he performed the movements for a roundhouse kick directed at Tristan¡¯s thorax, for him the best option of taking Tristan out in one go. The girls next to him wouldn¡¯t be able to realize what  had happened and he would be free to transport Tristan¡¯s unconscious body to a less crowded place to finish him off.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    At least that was, what he hoped would happen, but-

    Instead of his kick landing on Tristan¡¯s chest and breaking some of his ribs, Viktor¡¯s kick went through Tristan.

    ¡°Wha-¡± Viktor couldn¡¯t even bring out a word of surprise as Tristan¡¯s fist landed directly on his nose and sending him flying for a few meters. Tristan smiled pleased as he took off the deformed and bloody knuckleduster and let it disappear into thin air.

    Ai and Laura looked at him in disbelief, not being able to follow the events.

    ¡°Viktor!¡±  Sariel landed next to her comrade and tried to tend his wounds, but his wounds were already closing by themselves.

    ¡°He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay! He¡¯ll pay!¡± Viktor roared as he stood up with a swing, pushing Sariel by side.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t have that much money¡± Tristan mocked him and a threw blue crystal into the air. The crystal dissolved into dust that formed a magic circle, from this magic circle a barrier spread through the alleyway surrounding the five youngsters.

    ¡°Now we should be able to fight without caring about bystanders.¡± Tristan said still a superior smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that girl to you; I will take on the troublesome guy.¡±  Tristan said and jumped towards Viktor while summoning two bastard swords.

    Viktor took one of the swords he was carrying on his back and also jumped towards Tristan. Tristan sliced at Viktor midair who barely managed to stop Tristan¡¯s attack.

    Almost not able to land on his feet Viktor was completely open to Tristan¡¯s next attack: Tristan used the fact that he was able to fly and accelerated in midair once again towards Viktor. Not being able to parry the attack Viktor tried to dodge it, but was not entirely able to:  One of Tristan¡¯s swords bored its way into his left upper arm.

    ¡°Fuuuckkk!¡±  Viktor roared in pain and jumped backwards.  ¡°You piece of shit ain¡¯t an Elder! You a Demon!¡±  He pointed out in broken English, his face still distorted in pain. While steam started to pour out of his wound.

    Tristan¡¯s sadistic smile disappeared as he saw the wound he had just inflicted close this fast. ¡®What¡¯s with that, Seraphs have superior healing abilities than we, but that doesn¡¯t explain why he¡¯s regenerating so fast!¡¯ ¨C ¡®It¡¯s his active; He¡¯s a phoenix!¡¯ Schattenklinge explained. ¡®People with that kind of active are the most troublesome to deal with, since they¡¯re basically immortal.¡¯

    ¡®Basically immortal? So that means they can be killed?¡¯  Tristan asked with a smile. ¡®Of course, there is nothing in this world that isn¡¯t mortal.¡¯ Schattenklinge answered. ¡®So how can I kill him the easiest?¡¯ Tristan asked once again showing a sadistic smile. ¡®The brain is the only part of their bodies they can¡¯t regrow.¡¯  Schattenklinge pointed out.

    ¡®So, I just have to behead him, isn¡¯t that kinda too easy?¡¯ Tristan asked disappointed. ¡®No, I din¡¯t mean it that way! I meant that you have to smash the head or find some other way of destroying his brain in one go!¡¯ Schattenklinge said with an ecstatic grin on his face.

    ¡°Ewww.¡±  Tristan said out loud with a disgusted tone.

    Meanwhile, Viktor¡¯s wound had closed up completely, his anger reaching levels he didn¡¯t know were possible: Why didn¡¯t he attack while I was regenerating? Is he mocking me? These kinds of thoughts came to his mind as he changed the sword he had been using to the other sword he was carrying on his back.

    ***

    Even before Sariel could grasp the situation, Laura was already charging full speed at her. As usual Laura had deactivated the gravity around her body and used acceleration magic to charge at her opponent. In no time she had reached Sariel, her left foot lunging for a kick.

    ¡°Shit!¡±  Sairel activated her magic just in time and Laura¡¯s kick was stopped by a seemingly invisible wall.

    ¡°Not this again!¡±  Laura said and jumped backwards landing at the very same stop she had started her charge.

    ¡°Wha¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡±  Ai asked, still in shock about the events unfolding in front of her.

    ¡°They attacked us and we¡¯re striking back.¡±  Laura pointed towards Sariel, Ai nodded after hearing those words. ¡°Now if you excuse me, I¡¯ll have to kick her ass!¡±  Laura said before disappearing once again from Ai¡¯s field of view.

    With a speed eyes couldn¡¯t follow Laura charged at Sairel, who was standing helplessly in front of her, not knowing what to do, or that was how it felt to the charging Laura.

    Once again, she appeared in front of Sairel raising her fists about to strike Sariel¡¯s defenseless face. ¨C But right before hitting, she once disappeared from Sariels line of sight.

    Laura had enough experience fighting against telepaths. She had often beaten Seria, who used the very same tactic as Sariel, in mock battles. Laura was sure she could win against any telepath, thanks to her speed and agility.

    Thus, she used the very same tactic she would use against Seria by disappearing from her line of sight and then striking from a blind spot!

    ¡°Bullseye!¡±  Laura exclaimed as her heel hit the mark.  The heel should have buried itself into Sariels left shoulder blade ¨C But

    Nothing of the like happened; it was as if Laura had just kicked a block of solid adamantine. Pain spread from Laura¡¯s left foot over her entire body.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±  She screamed in pain, trying to hold the tears in her eyes.

    ¡°Princess Clair is faster than you.¡±  Sariel determined with a proud smile, before turning serious again and this time going over to the offensive.

    ***

    Viktor¡¯s poured his mana into the sword and sword started burning in an almost invisible blue. With a satisfied smile he charged towards Tristan as fast as he could. Tristan also charged at Viktor full speed and sliced at him.

    Viktor barely managed to parry Tristan¡¯s strike, causing sparks to lighten up the scene.  Not letting his bastard sword touch Viktor¡¯s flaming sword for too long, Tristan stroke at Viktor over and over again, but Viktor deflected every one of the strikes causing more sparks to fly around between the two of them.

    After a while Tristan jumped backwards, seeking distance from Viktor.  Although, he didn¡¯t let his Swords touch Viktor¡¯s flaming sword for long, his two swords had gone all blunt. Viktor smelling an advantage wouldn¡¯t let Tristan change his weapons, and jumped after him every time Tristan sought to increase the distance between the two of them.

    ¡®He isn¡¯t that stupid as I thought.¡¯  Tristan reflected annoyed.  ¡®Even if he¡¯s an idiot I shouldn¡¯t have underestimated him.¡¯  He thought, as he tried to evade as many strikes from Viktor¡¯s flaming sword. He knew his swords wouldn¡¯t be able to hold much longer.

    ¡°AHAHah, where is your stupid grin now asshole?¡±  Viktor taunted him with a sadistic smile on his face.  ¡°Just wait till I burn you down, AHAHAh¡±

    Tristan replied with a devilish grin as he once again sought to put distance between the two of them and was promptly followed by Viktor.

    ¡®One time an idiot, always and idiot.¡¯ Tristan thought as he opened hundreds of gates leading to his armory around Viktor, not letting his opponent time to react, he poured mana into the catalyst stone on his bracelet and activated his telekinesis spell.

    Hundreds of spears and swords poured down like rain towards Viktor, who desperately tried to evade the weapons. Unfortunately for Viktor he wasn¡¯t fast enough, and ended up as shish kebab.

    Tristan stopped his tracks and threw out his bastard swords and grew a sword from his shadow. ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to stop the child¡¯s play.¡±  He smiled at his jet black swords. ¡®Finally, let¡¯s go partner!¡¯  Shattenkling exclaimed in Tristan¡¯s ears.

 New Contestant?!

    Solum (14.12.9978 AS)

    Laura felt like she was about to get smashed by two invisible walls. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    Sariel had not moved one inch since the start of their battle smiled at the panicking Laura. ¡°Given up already? Sounds like a plan to me, the idiot over there is getting his ass handled.¡± She pointed towards Viktor who was all bloody crawling on the floor.

    ¡®And again, he¡¯s ahead of me!¡¯ Laura thought while anger lit up in her heart. ¡®I don¡¯t think he took the easier opponent, if I think about his personality he probably chose to fight the stronger one! So why aren¡¯t I able to handle a single Seraph? I shouldn¡¯t be much weaker than him! Why didn¡¯t I notice the enemies before anyone else? Why is he always ahead of me? All he does is read books in his free time, meanwhile I spend my days off training with mom!¡¯

    ¡°So why doesn¡¯t my training pay off?!¡± Laura screamed as she burst free from the invisible cage she was forced into, by creating a vacuum around the cage she was in.

    ¡°How?¡± Sariel exclaimed in surprise. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be able to escape from ¡®Impenetrable Fortress¡¯!¡±  She said the name of her active, while dumbfounded.

    The exhausted Laura landed on all fours.  ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± She slowly stood up, still shaky, she walked she sent Sariel a bright smile.

    ¡°Why are you smiling? You are still in the back foot, aren¡¯t you? You can¡¯t use that one leg anymore and you used all your mana to burst out from that cage and you can¡¯t pass my ¡®Impenetrable Fortress¡¯ no matter how much you try! What should be funny about your situation?!¡±

    It was the first time in Sariel¡¯s life that she had lost cool. Chills ran down her spine as she saw Laura smile so genuine in such a situation. She just couldn¡¯t get why she was so happy about a small win, in a forlorn situation.

    ¡°Say, you think you¡¯re the only one that is able to use long range attacks?¡±  Laura asked and casted her magic, creating a gigantic magic circle above Sariel¡¯s head.  The magic circle activated and Sariel was thrown towards the circle at full speed.

    ¡°Wait!!!¡±  Sairel screamed as she lost the soil from under her feet.

    ¡°Not done yet!¡±  Laura answered creating another magic circle under Sariel.  Once again as the magic circle activated Sariel was sucked towards the floor and landed face on, on the floor. Not even Sariel¡¯s defensive barriers could help her since Laura was pushing her down with a force equal to 1000 times the usual gravity.

    Laura took two pills out of her pocket and swallowed them in regret. ¡®Sorry mom, I ended up using them, although you told me avoid the use of them.¡¯  A tear flowed down her cheeks as the effects of one of the pills she had taken kicked in:  Laura suddenly felt a burst of power going through her body, all the fatigue from the fight was gone, no, not only the used power was restored, but she could feel power beyond of her limits.

    ¡°AHAHAHAH¡± She laughed maniacally as she felt the power covering her entire being.

    The ecstasy caused by the sudden power burst was soon gone as the effect of the second pill kicked in: Laura felt her feelings going numb: the pain coming from her left leg, gone; the pain of being squeezed in Sariels invisible prison, gone and so was the pain caused by her regrets.   Feeling numbness in her soul, Laura smiled like a broken doll as she wiped the tears from her face.

    Her bloodshot eyes landed on Sariel, who was still struggling to move under the effect of her gravity magic.  ¡°Here. I. Come.¡±  She whispered loud enough for everyone else to hear.

    ***

    Tristan charged with all he got at Viktor, who was still struggling to get the words and lances out of his body. With an elegant slice, Viktor¡¯s head was chopped off his body. Blood spread all over the ground, while Tristan jumped back, avoiding Viktor¡¯s blood getting on his clothes.

    ¡°I wish there was a more elegant method.¡±  Tristan summoned a gigantic war hammer from his armory.  ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s time to smash.¡±  He said as he leapt over Viktor¡¯s motionless body ready to smash Viktor¡¯s fuming head.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°WAIT!!DON¡¯TKILLHIM,EVENIFHEISAWILDELDERHEDESERVESTOLIVE!!¡± Tristan stopped his tracks as he heard a Siren¡¯s voice screaming hysterically.

    ***

    ¡®I just can¡¯t take this anymore!¡¯

    *Sigh*

    Clair stood up and walked towards the door of the room, soon to be stopped by Kayle.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±  Kayle asked with a dubious tone of voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to refresh myself a little.¡± Clair answered with an honest voice.

    ¡°Oh.¡±  Kayle took back her seat.

    Clair ran out of the room toward the restroom. Once there, she closed the doors and opened the Windows. ¡®Now that is done, all I need to do is to figure out how this ring works.¡¯

    ¡°I want to save that Elder!¡±  She said at the piece of jewelry, but nothing happened.

    ¡®Hmm, what¡¯s wrong with this ring? Why doesn¡¯t it transport me towards that boy?¡¯  She thought as she once again said the words ¡°Please take me to that boy, he really needs me to safe him!¡± while remembering Tristan¡¯s face, his greyish green eyes and his rude behavior towards her. She remembered how she had tried to hide the dissatisfaction of his rejection back then and the annoyance she had felt as he had run away with another woman in his hands!

    With her eyes still closed, she felt being sucked into nothingness, and how the room she had been in, distorted as a new scenery overtook it.

    Not knowing where she was, she felt the urged to scream her honest feelings towards the world:

    ¡°WAIT!!DON¡¯TKILLHIM,EVENIFHEISAWILDELDERHEDESERVESTOLIVE!!¡±

    Clair slowly opened her eyes, noticing the change of scenery, but what was the scene being displayed in front of her eyes?!  Of all the things she could have imagined to find in this place, the first thing she saw wasn¡¯t one of them:  Viktor¡¯s headless body.

    ¡°Gods, not another one!¡± The annoyed Tristan looked towards Clair with a bored look.  ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind waiting your turn, I still have to rid myself of  this idiot.¡± Tristan once again started gaining momentum as he moved towards Viktor swinging the oversized Warhammer, ready to smash the fuming head.

    Clair observed Tristan¡¯s action and hesitated for a moment. ¡®What is going on? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be the one getting killed and not the one killing that idiot? On the other hand, I don¡¯t mind killing that idiot, if so, my future wouldn¡¯t look so grim¡­  But if he kills that idiot, I would have to fight him one on one and someone strong enough to wipe the floor with that idiot must be strong¡­¡¯

    With a nod, she decided, what would be the wisest thing to do and not what her gut feeling told to. She vanished into thin air and suddenly appeared in front of Tristan that was charging at Viktor.  With a graceful movement she performed a roundhouse kick which sent Tristan flying.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not confident of being able to beat you all by myself¡± She said and summoned two bastard swords similar to the ones Tristan had just thrown away. She said nothing more and once again disappeared from Tristan¡¯s field of vision. Without slowing her pace, she swung her swords aiming at Tristan throat.

    ¡°What?¡± Clair exclaimed as Tristan had blocked her attack with the jet black blade of his sword.

    ¡®What was that?!¡¯  Tristan was as surprised as Clair as he blocked the attack. ¡®Sorry partner, I had to take action, so I took over your body, and if you don¡¯t mind I would like to take over for now, you still have to train a lot to be able to match her speed.¡¯  Schattenklinge pointed out. ¡®Don¡¯t mind me, I already thought I was a goner.¡¯  Tristan answered as he let Schattenklige complete control over his body.

    Clair once again disappeared. ¡°Tell me why! Why are you so strong? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be just an Elder?¡± She asked Tristan as she continued moving in god speed around Tristan.

    ¡®If you can, don¡¯t kill her, just paralyze her or something the like.¡¯  Tristan asked Schattenklinge as the latter was controlling his body. ¡®My foresight ability doesn¡¯t want me to hurt her.¡¯  Tristan explained to Schattenklinge, who didn¡¯t care about anything, but the joys of the battle, he was about to fight.

    ¡°HEYAREYOUMOKINGME?!¡± Clair¡¯s voice sounded irritated, as she hadn¡¯t received an answer from Tristan.

    ¡°Your highness, watch out he isn¡¯t an Elder, he is a full Demon!¡± said Viktor once his body was completely recovered.

    Tristan or better said Schattenklinge, didn¡¯t pay Viktor any heed and disappeared into thin air.  He had matched Clair¡¯s speed and began swinging his sword at her with steady moments.

    For the first time in Clair¡¯s life, someone had matched her god speed. Clair didn¡¯t know what do to, but to try parrying all the incoming attacks. She managed so, quite well, but in a moment of carelessness she was sent flying by a stark swing of Tristan¡¯s sword she barely managed to parry with her own swords.

    Clair¡¯s body landed next to Sariel¡¯s battered body. ¡°Your highness¡­  I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Sariel whispered to Clair before losing consciousness.

    For the past minutes Laura had been using her body like a punching bag. Sariel¡¯s barrier didn¡¯t stand a chance against Laura¡¯s fist covered in gravity her magic, with every punch Laura landed, she changed the gravity point around Sariel¡¯s body, causing Sariel to lose control over her body and to soon lose the protection of her barriers.

    Laura smiled like only like a devil could and once again charged towards Sariel¡¯s motionless body. She wanted to make sure Sariel stayed motionless forever.

    So did Schattenklinge, one leap was enough for him to cut the distance between him and his prey.

 The Last Man Standing

    Solum (14.12.9978 AS)

    Ai was standing next to the walls of the barrier erected by Tristan, as soon as the fight had started. She was holding her shaking hands in front of her chest, trying to contain the trembling of her body. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to cry. No, she couldn¡¯t cry if her friends were fighting the fight of their lives, a fight to live and death, a fight like the one she hoped never to be part of.

    Ai didn¡¯t know what was going on, all she knew was that the ones fighting were using magic beyond someone their age should be able to use, especially Tristan and the new comer girl. Both of them were using high end spells to move faster than anything Ai knew. Every swing of their swords filled the air with as much mana as needed to cast her Fire-Octopus-Spell.

    The fight in front of her was finally reaching its climax, when the guy Tristan had killed a few times already stood up and ran with all his might towards his companions.

    -But he was too late.

    ¡°Princess!!!¡±  Ai heard the young man cry out as Tristan appeared in front of the girl lying next to her friend.  As Tristan was setting up for the last swing of his sword during the battle, Ai felt the air rapidly change around the Princess.

    ¡°Get out of there!¡±  She roared, trying to get the attention of her friends, but they didn¡¯t seem to have noticed her warnings. Without thinking a second time she activated her Fire-Octupus-Spell and tentacles made out of blue flames, shoot from under her legs.

    Her fiery tentacles moved as fast as they possibly could, almost matching Tristan¡¯s earlier speed. They flew past Viktor who was trying to prevent Tristan from taking Clair¡¯s head and finally reached Laura¡¯s left leg.

    Once Ai had caught Laura she pulled her friend with all her might, putting all her efforts of not burning her, towards her.

    ¡°Whatttt?!¡±  Laura screamed as she was being pulled towards Ai with an immense speed. Soon she realized what was going on and started complaining towards her friend. ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t done with-¡°

    A deafening sound interrupted Laura¡¯s complains.

    ¡°Tristan!!¡± Ai screamed at the cloud of dust in front of her, while slowly falling on her knees not being able to contain her tears anymore. ¡°I. am. sorry. I. could. not. reach. you. in. time.¡± she whispered only for her and Laura to hear.

    The earsplitting sound came from the magic, Clair had activated trying fend off Tristan. A mass of lightning had struck were Laura and Tristan were standing ready to end the live of the two girls.

    Clair used this opportunity take Sariel¡¯s body out of the battlefield to a secure position, soon joined there by the pale Viktor.

    ¡°Your majesty, are you ok?¡±  He asked while panting, although, he was immortal and posed an unnatural amount of mana, he had reached his limit. He had never had to use so many high level spells and also have to regenerate his complete body in one fight.

    ¡°Yes, can I entrust Sariel to you?¡± Clair asked mindlessly trying to look past the cloud of dust she had just created, with one of her strongest spells.

    ¡®Kyaaahh, I feel so stupid! I came here to save him, and then he tries to kill me! - And in the end, I was the one who killed him. I bet Bella knew he wasn¡¯t an innocent Wild Elder but a Demon, that¡¯s why she reacted that way back in then. So stupid, just so stupid of me! And now I¡¯ll probably also be punished for this! ¨C SO STUPID! ¨C But thanks to me coming here, those two are still alive.¡¯

    Clair smiled bitterly, being able to sve her ¡®friends¡¯ was nice and all, but having to kill the one she had set out to safe was a hard for her to take in.

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    Clair froze as she heard a male voice coming from the cloud of dust. ¡®Impossible no one should be able to survive such an attack ¨C unless they are on the same level as that magic, or even higher.¡¯  Clair held her breath as she was trying to find the owner of the voice inside of the cloud of dust and dirt.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know you aren¡¯t supposed to use magic above Super Devil level in Terra?¡±  Tristan voice pointed out with a bored tone.

    ¡°-¡± Clair didn¡¯t know how to answer. She knew she was at the disadvantage, both her friends weren¡¯t able to fight anymore, and wasn¡¯t confident she could win against that monster, being able to keep his calm after receiving such an attack.

    ¡°Trist, you¡¯re ok?¡±  She could hear two female voices in chorus. ¡®Shit, shit, shit! The other girl is ok too? This is bad! Maybe, mom was right and I shouldn¡¯t have been allowed to leave the palace yet! But I can¡¯t let this end, not yet!¡¯ Clair stood up and started to chant the most complex spell she had up her sleeve. It wasn¡¯t her strongest spell, but it was still stronger and its area of effect was bigger than the one she had used to safe Sariel and herself earlier.Stolen novel; please report.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine!¡± Tristan said as he jumped backwards.  ¡®Sorry partner, I let you get hit by such a spell.¡¯  Schattenklinge apologized. ¡®It¡¯s just it¡¯s been so long since I had such a formidable opponent and I made the rookie mistake of not counting on the possibility of a magic spell.¡¯

    ¡®No problem, but be more careful next time, my body feels all sore thanks to you now.¡¯ Tristan responded as she leapt towards his companions. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m sorry I had to use shadow¡¯s magic to protect your body back there. Who would have thought that someone so formidable with the sword could chant a spell of that caliber in such a situation¡¯ Schattenklinge pointed out with admiration.

    ¡°Can you still go?¡±  Tristan asked Laura without paying attention to Schattenklinge¡¯s cheap excuses for his carelessness.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Laura gave a short answer.

    ¡°Good, and thanks Ai, for warning me there, without you I would have been a goner.¡±  He showed a thumbs up to Ai, who wiped her tears from her face and answered him with a bright smile.  ¡°You bet I did! You can count on me and leave me cover your back!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have time for explanations, but would you mind staying behind a little bit? Our enemy isn¡¯t someone to be underestimated and to be honest, your capabilities aren¡¯t on par with hers.¡±  Tristan said with a serious voice, while Ai looked a little disappointed, but still acknowledged Tristan¡¯s warning and nodded silently.

    Tristan smiled at her satisfied and created a barrier around Ai, using the same crystal he had used at the start of the fight.  Then he turned towards Laura. ¡°I have reason to believe we¡¯re fighting against Princess Clair Licht, the daughter of Empress Clarisse Licht, the ruler of Lunae.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that claim a little too far fetched? I mean what would the Princess of the Seraphs be here in Terra fighting against us? I don¡¯t know much about Seraphs, but I don¡¯t think they would let the heir of their Empress roam freely through Terra.¡±  Laura answered.

    ¡°I know, but¡­ Well, never mind, then, just be careful around her, earlier she used Low Demon Lord tier magic, when she defended herself and her companion.¡±  Tristan answered with a serious voice.

    ¡°Demon Lord level? Isn¡¯t it forbidden to use that type of magic here in Terra?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I hope she doesn¡¯t use it again or the barrier won¡¯t hold and we might end up exposed and you know what that would mean?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so should I cover you? I¡¯m not confident I can keep up with her movement for a melee fight¡± Laura looked at her crushed left leg.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±  Tristan smiled. ¡°Can you speed me up, I got a bad feeling about the amount of mana she¡¯s gathering up there.¡±

    Laura nodded and activated her active and changed the gravity of the air around Tristan, allowing him to move more aerodynamically through the room.

    ¡°Ready?¡±  She asked Tristan, who gave her the thumbs up. After receiving the signal she once again activated her active creating a magic circle that would suck Tristan towards the place where Clair and her companions were.

    ¡®I¡¯m counting on you!¡¯ Tristan said to Schattenklinge, who once again took control of Tristan¡¯s body allowing Tristan even faster than before.

    Clair finally ended the chant of her spell, and smiled satisfied at the spell she was about to activate, when she suddenly saw Tristan shadow shooting through the cloud of dust towards her, his swords pointed at her.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Luckily for Clair, her spell activated before Tristan could reach them.

    The last thing Tristan saw, the gigantic magic circle on the ground-

    **BOOOOM**

    Once again, Clair¡¯s view was filled with a cloud of dust.  Just now she had performed a High Serpah Lord spell that had consumed almost all of her mana. She had used it as a last resort to make sure she and her friends survived the battle. She smiled received as she fell exhausted to her knees.

    The barrier around them was blinking in blue and red at some parts even allowing her to see the real world.

    ¡°Cheats! I call cheats!¡±  Tristan, who was hidden by Schattenklinge in a cocoon of shadows exclaimed before using his magic to  dissolve the cloud of dust. ¡°Like I said, you aren¡¯t allowed to use magic above Super Devil tier in Terra!¡± He once again roared at Clair, who started trembling all over, tears dropping down her pale cheeks.

    Tristan looked behind and found the trembling Ai inside the barrier he had created earlier. She looked even more confused than earlier.  In front of her was the unconscious body of Laura.  With the new skill he had learned he quickly checked if she was still alive before once again turning towards the helpless Seraphs in front of him.

    ¡°Look at the barrier she won¡¯t hold any longer and then some humans might witness me killing your highness¡¯ friends.¡±  Tristan said and marched towards the three seraphs.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Clair asked curious.

    ¡°I know everything.¡±  Tristan smiled confidently. ¡°And also that idiot over there gave it away calling you princess.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±  Clair stopped trembling, for some strange reason she felt at ease while talking to this demon, even though he was about to kill her and her friends.

    ¡°So, you really are Clair the Holly princess, to be honest, I¡¯m impressed by your strength.¡±  Tristan said. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for Schattenklinge, you would have been killed at least three times¡­ I have still have ways to go and a lot to train if one day I want to be able to fight against Fors.¡¯

    ¡°May I have the honor of knowing the name of my killer?¡± Clair asked resigning herself to her death.

    ¡°Tristan, Tristan Halblicht.¡± Tristan said, continuing the walk that felt for him almost like an eternity.

    ¡°Tristan, what a nice name, nice to meet you.  My name is Clair Licht, but you already know it¡­¡± Clair smiled coy, completely forgetting the situation she was in.

    ¡°Well, I read about you in a book about the society of the other races.¡± Tristan answered. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill you, having someone in your position owe me her life is  more worth than killing you and turning an entire race against me.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll also spare my friends?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Tristan finally reached them and got ready to kill the defenseless Viktor and Sariel.

    ¡°Oh.¡±  Clair covered her mouth with both her hands.

    ¡°GET AWAY FROM THE PRINCESS!¡± Tristan heard a deep manly voice say, causing him to violently turn towards the owner of the voice and scream ¡°WHAT NOW?¡±

    ¡°Dietrich!¡± Clair exclaimed happily as she saw the big beardy man trotting towards her.

 Goodbyes

    Solum (14.12.9978 AS)

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to do anything to your princess anyways, I¡¯m not as stupid as getting a whole race of birdbrains mad at me.¡±  Tristan said annoyed, to the man moving towards him. ¡°So would you please be kind enough and let me kill this idiot.¡±  He pointed his black long sword towards the motionless Viktor.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t let you do as you please.¡± Dietrich answered with a serious voice.  ¡°And don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too rude for someone in your situation?¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡±  Tristan said in a careless tone. ¡°You might be right, I don¡¯t stand a chance against you as I am now, but that guy over there does.¡±  Tristan pointed to the point where Dietrich had entered the barrier; Melodias was standing over there, a serious expression in his face.

    ¡°If I gauged your abilities correctly, he¡¯s an inch stronger than you.¡± Tristan said with a poisonous voice. ¡°Of course, this evaluation is free of bias.¡± Tristan added, smiling like only a devil could.

    ¡°Kyaaahh¡± Clair exclaimed in surprise, expecting her new friend  to be in danger.

    Tristan taunts had caused Dietrich to suddenly lose his cool: In no time he had  reached  his top speed and hand swung his swords towards Tristan throat.

    ¨CBut

    Tristan or better said Schattenklinge was able to easily dodge the attack and to leap towards Melodias, hiding behind him.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Melodias called out towards Dietrich. ¡°I knew that the Seraphs don¡¯t have any type of honor, but to attack a child at full speed¡­  I thought you were better.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    It took Dietrich a few seconds to recover from the shock of Tristan dodging his attack as if nothing had happened.  He had known about the princess¡¯s speed, but he had never imagined someone to match or even surpass that speed.

    ¡°As if that one is still a child.¡±  Dietrich pointed towards Tristan who continued to smile like a devil while staying safe behind Melodias.

    Melodias answered proud. ¡°Well, he is one of our prodigies, he¡¯s only 10 years old.¡±

    Dietrich¡¯s and Clair¡¯s eyes almost popped out as they heard Melodias¡¯ words. ¡°To believe someone the same age as the princess can be stronger than her!¡±  Dietrich let out slip as he was deeply shocked.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Really, and I here thought, he just looked younger than he really is.¡± Clair said amused.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m the one that is impressed by the princess!¡±  Tristan exclaimed full of guilt, of having Schattenklinge take over a few times. ¡°As I already said earlier to her, she was a formidable opponent and she showed me that not all Seraphs are birdbrains, just most of them.¡±  Tristan sent a devilish smile at Dietrich, getting some giggles of Clair.

    ¡°Tristan, that¡¯s enough.¡± Melodias said with a serious tone. ¡°So, how about it, old man? Should we go at it again or should we call it a day?  We could say this incident was a draw and both parties retired without any serious loses on each side.¡±

    Dietrich looked annoyed at Melodias. ¡°I don¡¯t mind counting this little encounter as a draw. But we are going to keep hunting for the Wild Elder walking around this city and trust me as soon as we meet it we¡¯ll eliminate it!¡±

    Trying to hold back his laughter Tristan, who had walked towards Ai and helped her out of the barrier he had encircled her earlier.  ¡°I hate to have to break it to you old man, but that won¡¯t be possible, we already saved that Wild Elder from your claws, right Ai?¡±

    He said reaching for Ai¡¯s hands with a bright smile. ¡°Tell me, what you would rather do; Go to a school that actually teaches you useful magic, where all the students are as talented as you, or die by the hands of that man over there!¡±  He pointed towards Dietrich whose face was getting darker and darker.

    Ai looked puzzled at Tristan.  ¡°Why do you even such an obvious question who would chose the latter one? No one could be so stupid of wanting to rather die than enjoying such a magnificent school! ¨C Also, why am I even answering such a question right now, I should be the ones asking questions!¡±  She said and took Tristan¡¯s hand to stand up.

    ¡°How about we leave your questions for later, I promise you can ask me anything you want.  Yeah, me and Laura will spend days answering your questions so don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll clear all your doubts¡­ Now that I think about it, where is Laura?¡±

    ¡°She is unconscious over there.¡± Ai pointed. ¡°¡­ Heyy! You avoided my question! Why does it feel like I¡¯m making a pact with Mephistopheles himself right now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon, now help me with her legs, I don¡¯t have any intentions to give her a princess carry to the infirmary.¡±  Tristan said as he was looking if Laura really was just unconscious.

    He touched the catalyst on his armband and started casting healing magic.  The magic he used on his friend wasn¡¯t on the same level of the magic a Seraph or Leo could use, but it would still help Laura to get  better.

    ¡°So, that girl is the Wild Elder?¡±  Dietrich asked disgusted, as he saw her. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±  He said not sparing them a second look, pointing towards the Seraph squad that had just entered the crumbling barrier. ¡°Carry them to the infirmary, I¡¯ll carry the Princess.¡±

    He took Clair in a Princess carry, and walked towards a spot in the barrier, where the barrier had almost completely crumbled away.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m taking my leave, I hope not to meet any of you soon again.¡±  He said with cold worlds, while the annoyed Clair was waving at Tristan, who had passed the task of healing Laura to a group of Demon¡¯s that had come through one of the holes in the barrier.  Tristan bowed towards her with exaggerated movements, causing Clair to blush a little.

    ¡°Hey Dietrich, I know you want to play cool and all, but I think I¡¯m still able to walk by myself.¡±  She said to Dietrich, who gave her a shocked look, before disappearing into a sea of golden bubbles.

    ¡°Why do I feel sorry for her?¡±  Tristan asked Ai, who answered him with a confused look.

 Explanations

    Lilith (14.12.9978 AS)

    Tristan and Ai were sitting on their beds in the infirmary of Lilith. Just a few moments ago, they had to go through several medical checkups. The results were obvious to Tristan, but surprising for the medical team: Besides a few scratches here and there and being depleted of mana they didn¡¯t have any serious injuries.

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll be fine?¡± Ai asked, after arriving from Solum they had been split up from Laura and brought to separate rooms.

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯ll be fine, she just used too much mana to fight and didn¡¯t realize when she had reached her limits.¡± Tristan said waving with his hands. ¡°Her injuries were already cured there on the battlefield by me and those other guys that came later, right now she¡¯s just undergoing through some test, like we did. I bet she¡¯ll wake up tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.¡±

    Ai looked relieved at Tristan. ¡°So¡­ now that it¡¯s sure that we¡¯re safe do you care to tell me what is going on here?¡± She finally asked putting all her courage together.

    Tristan looked like he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Erm¡­ I¡­ I actually don¡¯t really know to start¡­ Ahh, yeah, that¡¯s probably the best way to start. Did you know that the Human¡¯s aren¡¯t the only race in this world?¡±

    If I didn¡¯t witness that battle right now when wouldn¡¯t have believed Tristan. ¡°Well, if you count in beasts and monster than there are countless, but if you count only intelligent then yes, the only race I know of are the Humans.¡± She replied, curios of taught something new.

    ¡°Actually, there are three races¡± Tristan said, showing forming a three with his hands. ¡°Three and a half if you count in the Elder, the three major races are: Humans, Seraphs and Demons. The ones we fought today were Seraphs, so yeah¡­ I¡¯m actually a demon.¡± Tristan said sounding a little insecure towards Ai.

    In the Human Worlds Demons were portrayed in a really bad: As creatures that just cared for themselves and that tricked people into contracts they couldn¡¯t break, always ready to seduce Human girls. This picture of the Demons for common Humans was created by Fors himself and not even the Elder could do anything against it.

    Not only the Demons were portrayed in a bad light: the Seraphs were portrayed as winged beasts that would hunt young children.

    ¡°So, you really are something like Mephisto?¡± Ai asked shocked.

    Tristan remembered the story he had read during his stay in Solum, about a Demon tricking a guy too smart for his own good, to sell him his soul, if he showed him a way to live a fun life, spoilers: it didn¡¯t end well.

    ¡°No, well, I¡¯ve never heard of a Demon taking the soul of someone! And, you also have Demon¡¯s blood running through your veins!¡± He pointed at her.

    As he said that the Door of the room went open, a nurse entered the room and walked up to Ai.

    ¡°We almost forgot to take a blood sample to find out which clan you belong to.¡± The nurse said without batting with the eyes and started doing her job. Not even a minute passed and she was already gone with a vial filled with Ai¡¯s blood in her hands.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m also a Demon?¡± Ai pointed at herself.

    ¡°Kind off¡­ You¡¯re actually a Demi-Human, we call your kind; Elders. Most of the elders have a Human mother and a Demon as father, thus they are stronger than your normal Human, but still weaker than a Demon.¡±

    Tears filled Ai¡¯s eyes. ¡°What do you mean by that? That¡¯s not how it was supposed to be! I¡¯ve been working hard for them and you are telling me that I won¡¯t be able to meet them even if I reach the top?!¡±

    Tristan left his bed, walked towards Ai and hugged her. ¡°Ai, I can understand that you¡¯re in pain right now, but believe me everything will get better.¡± He whispered at her.

    ¡°How can you tell me that? I was an unwanted child! I always was, but I¡­ I¡­ I convinced myself my parents would be waiting for me! If you tell me that, then that just means that I¡¯m an unwanted child, nothing especial, just some random child in this world, who is a little better than the rest of¡­¡± Tears kept falling down her cheeks as she screamed these words in Tristan¡¯s breast.

    Tristan continued hugging her as tight as he could. ¡°I know your pain, better than you might think, but there is no reason to be sad about not having parents that love you. You don¡¯t need to show off your effort to nobody else, but you! In the end you¡¯re the only one that you have to prove that you¡¯ve made it! If you want, I also can be the one that you need to show your growth, I won¡¯t let you down; I¡¯ll be always there to cheer you on, so why don¡¯t you cheer up now?

    Ai looked up towards Tristan, while her tears kept flowing down her pale cheeks. ¡°You really will always be there for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m your friend after all, I¡¯ll always be there for you.¡± Tristan gave her the brightest smile he could.

    Ai wiped the tears from her cheeks and answered Tristan with an angelic smile. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you on this, but if you ever let me down, I¡¯ll hunt you down¡± She said as she bore her index finger in between Tristan¡¯s rips.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Tristan answered, trying not to give in to the pain.

    ¡°So, what now?¡± Ai asked Tristan, sure to get an answer from him.

    ¡°One thing is for sure, you can¡¯t return to Terra.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because, if you go back the seraphs will hunt you. You see the Seraph don¡¯t like Elders, because they see them as the puppets of the Demons, because we take our time in educating them in magic and the how this world works. And yeah, the Seraphs don¡¯t like us, because of the Great War that ended up erasing both races from the Human¡¯s memories¡­¡± Tristan said and continued telling Ai about the differences between the races and the reason she was being hunted by the Seraphs.

    ***

    Laura slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by Ai¡¯s cheerful voice. ¡°Hey, Tristan she¡¯s awake, she¡¯s awake!¡± ¨C ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it already, but try not to bother her too much, she probably doesn¡¯t even know what happened.¡± She heard Tristan¡¯s voice coming from the other side of her bed.

    ¡®I¡¯m alive! I thought, I was going to die there, what happened? How could I survive a direct hit by such an attack? Fors, thank you so much!¡¯ Tears suddenly started running down her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m alive, I¡¯m alive¡± she whispered over and over as she was being hugged by Ai.

    ¡°Of course you are, I wouldn¡¯t have let you die there!¡± Tristan answered her with a smile.

    ¡°Yeah, Tristan healed you until the pro¡¯s arrived.¡± Ai said still euphoric of seeing her friend fine.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Laura asked confused.

    ¡°Well, you see¡­¡± Ai explained Laura what had happened after she had received that attack head on.

    Laura bid her lips as she heard of Tristan¡¯s deeds after she had lost consciousness. ¡®How could he keep fighting after being hit by that attack? He shouldn¡¯t be much stronger than me, so why did he keep fighting? Why had he enough energy left to even treat my injuries?¡±

    ¡°Now, now, I think it would be the best for us to let her rest for a while more, don¡¯t you think too Ai?¡± Tristan said to Ai, after realizing that Laura¡¯s mood was getting dark.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right!¡± Ai said and walked towards the door of the room.

    ¡°I hope you get well really soon.¡± Tristan said to Laura waving at her for a goodbye.

    Suddenly, the door of the room was busted open and Erika rushed into the room and hugged Tristan. ¡°I¡¯m so glad nothing happened to yeah, I was so worried!¡± She said with tears in her eyes as she went on and hugged Laura, who tried to escape her, but couldn¡¯t because she was still too weakened from the fight.

 New Lifes

    Lux (18.12.9978 AS)

    ¡°And what did happen then?¡± Helles asked Clair with anticipation in her voice, she was listening to Clair¡¯s adventure in Terra.

    ¡°Well, I went to save that poor Wild Elder, but he turned out to be a Demon and not a weak one!¡± Clair responded with an annoyed tone, trying to hide her grin.

    ¡°Really? Did you beat that strong Demon?¡± Helles asked in response.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t he was too strong, for me, I even used my trump card: a spell so strong, it¡¯s actually forbidden to cast in Terra, of course I didn¡¯t know about that restriction back then¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped, there was nothing you could do, I mean he was older than you right?¡± Helles tried to console Laura.

    ¡°Well, actually he wasn¡¯t older than me; he was pretty much the same age as me.¡± Clair answered with a cold voice.

    ¡°Wait, what? Do you remember his name?¡±

    ¡°His name was Tristan.¡±

    Helles bit her lips. ¡°Next time, next time you meet him, promise me you¡¯ll beat him¡­ Train as hard as you can, to never lose to someone like him ever again!¡± Helles grabbed Clair by her shoulders and started shaking her as she did so.

    ¡°O¡­ K, but what¡¯s gotten into you?¡±

    Helles suddenly calmed down as she remembered Bella¡¯s words. ¡®Under no circumstances you¡¯re allowed to tell them about their future partner! They¡¯ll have to figure out themselves and learn to fight as a unit by themselves without your help!¡¯

    ¡°Erm¡­ Well, I just don¡¯t like the idea of my ancestor losing to a Demon, heheh¡± She scratched her head in embarrassment. ¡°Anyways, what did your parents say about your little escapade?¡± Helles tried to change the topic.

    Clair¡¯s mood turned darker than it already was. ¡°They grounded me till I marry that idiot. So, don¡¯t worry, if I ever meet that Tristan again, then I¡¯ll have him pay for what he did to me! Causing me to be grounded for such a long time is truly inexcusable.

    Nocturnio (19.12.9978 AS)

    ¡°How do you like it here, so far?¡± Tristan asked Ai, as he helped her carry her stuff inside her room.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t like it.¡± She tried to smile as cheerful as she could; Tristan was still able to realize she was sad about leaving her home world.

    ¡°Good to hear, I think you¡¯ll like it even better once you get used to live here.¡± Tristan tried to cheer her up.

    ¡°Yeah, and I also get to attend the same school as you, which means that if I give my best I¡¯ll be able to reach your level one day!¡± She honestly said getting all fired up.

    ¡°As if I would stay on this level, you¡¯ll have to train quite a lot if you ever want to catch up.¡± Tristan said in a teasing tone.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Mhm, I¡¯ll catch up to you, no matter what, doesn¡¯t even matter if I¡¯m not half Demon, but half Seraph.¡± Ai said with determination.

    During their stay in Lilith Ai had been tested on what clan she belonged to. This test was used to determine which clan was asked to give her financial support, but the result of the test was a rather rare one: Ai wasn¡¯t a Half-Demon but a Half-Seraph!

    Although, rare Half-Seraph were nothing special for Melodias and his underlings, they also knew exactly how they had to deal with the issues of financial support. Every clan was forced to pay one third of the tuition fees and everything else she would need to live in Umbra.

    The ones more shocked than anyone else were Laura and Tristan, for both of them it was the first time hearing about a Half-Seraph so they didn¡¯t quite know what to say. Meanwhile, Ai didn¡¯t at first really understand what was going on, and why her friends were that confused when they heard about the outcome of the tests.

    Nevertheless, they didn¡¯t change their attitude towards her friends because of her origin, which made it easier to say goodbye to her old life. Leaving the orphanage turned out to be more difficult for Ai, than she could have ever thought of.

    ¡°You know I always thought I would leave this place with a big smile on my face, but now-¡± Ai had said to Tristan barely being able to speak holding in the tears. Especially the twins made it hard for her to leave, but in the end she didn¡¯t have a choice.

    She left Terra behind her moving to dorms affiliated to the Guardian Academy, since she would soon start visiting said school. And now she was getting herself more comfortable in her room. Or much rather said apartment, since she not only got a five on five meters big room, but also a separate kitchen and bathroom.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to own these many girly things!¡± Tristan pointed out as he put down a big box filled with teddy bears.

    Ai blushed and shoved Tristan by side. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a girl after all! Of course I¡¯m gonna own stuff like this! And why did you even change the subject?! I was just thinking how funny would be if I was able to be in the same class as you again.¡±

    Tristan sent Ai a judging glare. ¡°Unfortunately, that won¡¯t be possible; I¡¯m three grades ahead of you, and in the prodigy class no less.¡±

    ¡°What, but we¡¯re the same age!¡± Ai said with an baffled tone.

    ¡°Age isn¡¯t the deciding factor for you to join the correct grade.¡± Tristan said with an all knowing voice. ¡°The biggest factor is the talent one has, if you¡¯re talented enough, you can join the school from a very young age on, for example me and Laura have been on this school five years by now!¡±

    ¡°Five years? Didn¡¯t you just say you were in the third grade?¡±

    ¡°One grade here takes two years.¡± Tristan answered Ai, who was already lost by the schooling system in this new world, she had just moved to.

    ¡°I don¡¯t quite get it, but it¡¯s not like I need to know, all I have to do is: My best!¡± She said in a cheerful manner.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what you need to do.¡±

    Nocturnio (20.12.9978 AS)

    It was early in the morning, when Laura was awakened by Dolores screams. In a hurry she put on her slippers and walked towards where the noise was coming from. She slowly walked to her mother¡¯s room.

    Laura knew there were few people who could match her mother in strength so if someone got her so worked up, that person must be really strong. Therefore, she did her best to erase her presence as she slowly looked through the door, ready jump and run as fast as she could.

    But to her surprise she didn¡¯t find anyone but her mother in the room. Dolores was screaming at her Commu. Laura had never seen her mother so mad before unless she was talking about her father, so she slowly tried to leave ASAP.

    ¡°Laura?!¡±

    She heard her mother snapping at her.

    ¡°What are you doing there? You know you can¡¯t eavesdrop on me!¡±

    Laura turned white, she knew she had messed up. If there was one thing she shouldn¡¯t do is to talk to Dolores when she was endangered because of her father.

    ¡°Nothing, I thought you were in trouble¡­ since you were screaming and all¡­¡± She answered with an impish voice.

    All the anger was suddenly gone from Dolores. ¡°What am I even doing here? I¡¯m sorry, I was just talking to your grandparents and it looks like they want to meet you.¡±

 Grandparents ?

    Nocturnio (22.12.9978 AS)

    ¡°It feels like I¡¯ve been away forever!¡± Tristan said as he entered his laboratory, where he found Abigail in her usual place typing on her holographic keyboard, created by her active ability: ¡®Archive¡¯.

    Abigail looked away from the holographic monitor to confirm, who had just entered the laboratory.  As soon as she realized it was Tristan, she returned her attention to the monitor, with a disappointed expression on her face.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you want to greet me, it¡¯s been long since I¡¯ve visited this place after all!¡± Tristan said with an astonished tone.  He had expected Abigail to react a little more hyper and happy  after seeing him doing fine after all he had gone through or at least he had expected her to greet him with a bright smile like she usually did.

    But today Tristan¡¯ didn¡¯t receive a greeting, but the cold shoulder, making him feel a little anxious. It hadn¡¯t been the first time he hadn¡¯t visited the laboratory after a long period of time. Even if it felt to him like an eternity, he had visited the laboratory quite a few times during his stay in Terra, so why was Abigail reacting this way?

    Abigail sent him an annoyed look and returned back to her monitor.  ¡°Oh, yeah, yay, Trist is back, we must celebrate!¡± She said with a sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mean to get greeted like that! I just wanted an honest ¡®hi¡¯ from you!¡±  Tristan said, getting annoyed by Abigail¡¯s act.

    After spending almost every night with her for the last five years, he had gotten quite used to her childish outburst and teasing, so he wouldn¡¯t react to them anymore. But today it was different; he knew the way Abigail was acting wasn¡¯t fake, like when she was trying to tease him.  Knowing this made him feel upset, since he just couldn¡¯t figure out what he did for her to get mad at him.

    ¡°Well, I said ¡®Hi¡¯ to you two days ago, when you returned from your mission. Oh, wait, you didn¡¯t come here that day! No you forgot all about our secret base just because you were with some other girl.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Tristan said, looking like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. After a few seconds he shook his head wildly regaining his composure.  ¡°Wait, what, did I miss something? Since when are we married? I¡¯m pretty sure I would have realized, if I had married you!¡±

    Abigail turned red.  ¡°Even, if I¡¯m not your wife yet, I¡¯m your best friend and of course I¡¯ll get mad if you go out of your way and spend more time with some random girl you just know a bunch of weeks ago!  Doesn¡¯t your friendship we build over the past five years mean anything to you?¡±

    **Sigh**

    ¡°It does, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here, I could have been hanging out with her right now, but I came here for you to say hi, are you happy now!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±  Abigail asked with a pouting face.

    ¡°Really, so now that we have made up, can you tell me what you¡¯ve been working on, that caused you to ignore me?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been working on the gauntlet.¡± Abigail answered, putting the most innocent smile as she could.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me you spent all your time, while I was gone with that useless gauntlet?¡± Tristan said while massaging his temples.

    Tristan and Abigail had worked on and created many kinds of spells and artifacts during the past five years and in all this years they had never abandoned a project except for these gauntlets. It had been Tristan¡¯s idea to created exploding knuckledusters but it just didn¡¯t seem to work out how they had expected; since the impact of the explosion would hurt the user as much as it did hurt the target. Thus, Tristan had decided to drop this project and to concentrate on different type of magic.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Erm, also, yeah, you can say so.¡± The bashful Abigail answered.

    *Sigh*

    Tristan once continued massaging his temples as she took his seat. ¡°For some reason I thought, you would have continued working on one of our other projects.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ They are boring after all! And it¡¯s not like we¡¯ll ever sell any of these things we work here anyways!¡±

    ¡°Still, we could use it on our own, making ourselves stronger.¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok, but actually I found a way to embed the barrier around the user without weakening the power of the explosion.¡±

    ¡°You did what?¡±

    ¡°You heard right, I just need you to put the theory into reality.¡± Abigail said, smiling brightly and gave Tristan a book full of her theories around the gauntlet. ¡°You may want to read it when you have time, it¡¯s still quite dangerous, but we still can do it¡­ So how did the final days of your Trip go?¡±

    Tristan put the book she had given him aside and put on a serious expression on his face. ¡°Not good. We were confronted by a group of Seraphs and they turned out to be stronger than we expected them. Well, we were able to corner the first two we fought, but then the third one entered the battlefield and trust me don¡¯t want to face someone like her.¡±

    ¡°But you still managed to get that girl here with you, so you won, right?¡±

    ¡°Not really, if it wasn¡¯t for Schattenklinge, I would be dead by now.  Her speed was out of this world; she was even faster than Laura at top speed.¡± ¨C ¡°And she didn¡¯t do any unnecessary movement while fighting with the sword, I seldom meet someone with perfect fencing skills like her.¡±  Shattenklinge butted into Tristan¡¯s explanation.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying she was that strong in close quarters?¡±

    ¡°Not only close quarters.¡± Tristan answered with a sad voice. ¡°She also used an area of effect spell that was strong enough to destroy my barrier.¡± Tristan added still looking all disappointed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry partner, I will help you get better than that bird brain at fencing, and I will look up ways to have you match her speed.¡±  Schattenklinge said with determination.

    ¡°Since when is Shatty so determined to teach you something?¡± Abigail asked towards Tristan with a teasing voice.

    ¡°During the fight with that girl he lost control and almost messed up.¡±  Tristan answered with anxious voice.

    Obscurati  (22.12.9978 AS)

    Laura and Dolores were sitting in the reception room of a big mansion. The maid had already brought them their drinks and they were now just expecting their host to arrive.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they were so wealthy.¡±  Laura said as she gazed at the furniture of the room in amazement.

    ¡°All their money doesn¡¯t make up for their lack of influence; everybody just sees them as the puppets of the clan head. Everything they do to increase their influence and reputation just ends up strengthening the main clan.¡± Dolores explained with a bored expression.

    The door suddenly opened and a man and a woman entered the room.  The woman that didn¡¯t look older than twenty-five looked strangely similar to Dolores, she was wearing her brown straight hair open, causing her thin face to look thinner than necessary.

    The man was cleanly shaved and didn¡¯t look much older than the woman, his expressions were much rougher, his most prominent expression being his cheek bones.  The man took place in front of  Laura, not paying any attention to Dolores and began speaking with a deep voice.  ¡°so this is my granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯ Laura¡± Dolores answered for Laura, who seemed speechless because of the strange atmosphere in the room.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you; didn¡¯t you learn to only speak when you¡¯re asked to?¡± The man replied with a sharp tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; my parents weren¡¯t even able to do that.¡± Dolores answered finally getting the woman to register her presence by sending her a deathly glare.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± The man replied with a cold voice.

    ¡°I just answered truthfully, now can you finally tell me why you asked us to join you here today?

    ¡°We Called our granddaughter here ask her if she wants to be the next head of the Verheerung family.¡± The woman answered for the man that had gone all quiet.

    ¡°I refuse.¡± Laura answered without even thinking about it.

    ¡°What?!¡± Dolores and the couple replied at her in disbelief.

    ¡°You heard me.¡± Laura answered to the confused adults.  ¡°You see I don¡¯t care about being the leader of the puny Verheerung family, no, one day I¡¯ll lead the Zerst?rung Clan.¡± This caused the couple to look even more baffled than they already were, meanwhile Dolores couldn¡¯t hold the tears of happiness in anymore.

 Goals

    Nocturnio (23.12.9978 AS)

    Tristan was eating dinner with Nana. It had been months since both of them had enjoyed dinner together, not only because Tristan was sent on a mission to ¡®Terra¡¯ for a little more than a month, but also because Nana had become so busy with her Caf¨¦.

    ¡°I missed this.¡±  Nana said with a motherly smile on her face.

    ¡°Yeah, I also missed this, especially your food, no one cooks as good as you!¡± Tristan said with a bright smile on his face, stuffing food in his mouth.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean the food.¡± Nana answered a little offended.

    ¡°I know, but still your food is the little extra¡± Tristan said, choking a little as he tried to swallow his food. ¡°You know I¡¯m not a picky eater, but all I ate in Terra was bugs and other kinds of vermin!¡±  Tristan said, shuddering thinking back on Erika¡¯s cuisine and on his time Training with Schattenklinge.

    Nana nodded, and reached Tristan a glass of water.

    ¡°Thanks, do you still eat the potato salad?¡±  Tristan asked and took  the bowl with the rests of the salad they had been eating and served another portion leaving nothing behind after checking with  Nana, who shook her head.

    ¡°I know they didn¡¯t give you to eat properly, but you¡¯ll get sick if you continue eating so much.¡± Nana said and looked towards her Commu.

    ¡°I do quite a lot of sports; I think I can handle one portion more than usual.¡± Tristan said confident in his abilities of digest everything without getting sick.

    ¡°If you say so.¡±  Nana said setting her cutlery by side. ¡°Actually, I have to return to the office today, there are quite a few things I have to take care of. You see, we are now planning to open a store in Obscurati!¡± Nana said, putting the brightest fake smile she could.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll leave now?¡±  Tristan said disappointed. Although, he was happy for Nana of her business flourishing, he was still sad they didn¡¯t spend as much time together as they used to.

    ¡°If it¡¯s fine with you, I would like to leave now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine by me.¡±  Tristan said with a fake smile on his face.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ll clean up after finishing eating and read a book later.¡± Tristan said with continuing to put his fake smile.

    ¡°Great!¡± Nana said, stood up and gave Tristan a kiss on his forehead before running towards her room to change and leave the apartment.

    After a few minutes, she appeared once again in front of Tristan. ¡°Good night, please don¡¯t make anything unnecessary, if you need anything, you know how to use your Commu right?¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Tristan chuckled a little as he heard these words. ¡°Of course I know and don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything stupid, so it¡¯s no problem Laura and Dolores aren¡¯t in the apartment next door.

    Although, now they could afford a new bigger, more luxurious apartment or even a house,  Tristan and Nana had decided to stay in their old apartment next to Laura and Dolores, not only because of the location, but also because they already were used to it.

    After Nana had left the house, Tristan did the dishes and went to his room; he activated his illusion magic, creating a clone of himself. There were worlds between the first clone he had created five years ago and the one he had created now. This new clone was even able to speak and to touch things; so to say it was the perfect illusion and Tristan¡¯s only spell on Emperor Tier.

    ¡°Are we going to the Lab?¡± Schattenklinge that had grown out of Tristan¡¯s shadows asked with an intrigued voice. He knew Tristan¡¯s goal right now wasn¡¯t to research some magic to get stronger like he used to, but to actually learn more about fencing and other fighting methods.

    ¡°No, we aren¡¯t going to my Lab, now we are visiting one of my other dimensions.¡± Tristan said and closed his eyes

    His active ability allowed him to open gates to wherever he wanted; three special dimensions included. One of these dimensions he used as his lab, the other he used as his armory and the last one, well he never dared to even enter it, since it was such a strange place he feared he would lose himself if he spent too much time in there.

    When Tristan reopened his eyes, he found himself in an empty room, everything around him was black. It was the ¡®Resonance Room¡¯ as he called it, although, room was the wrong word to describe the empty space, since there were no walls, or at least one couldn¡¯t perceive them.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Schattenklinge asked with a curious voice that started to repeat itself again and again. ¡°Cool an echo! Echo!¡± Schattenlilnge exclaimed happily, with a childish tone.

    ¡°Quit that!¡±  Tristan warned him, but it was too late, the  sounds had already started to overlap with one another, forcing Tristan and Schattenkling to their knees.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this room?¡± Schattenklinge said with a pained voice. ¡°And why did you bring us here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue what this room is, but it¡¯s part of my active.¡± Tristan answered honestly to Schattenklinge¡¯s first question.  Whit all his might, Tristan tried to stand up and too cast magic,cancel the resonance in the room, but the sonic waves kept interfering with the magic circle he was about to create.

    ¡°Dang it¡­ And to your second question, I want you to train me here!¡± Tristan said, putting a fake smile at Schattenklinge that had also managed to stand up but still was all shaky in his knees.

    ¡°Sounds, interesting¡± Schattenklinge answered with a sadistic smile on his face. ¡°But before you learn to fight here, you¡¯ll need to learn to fight for real in a normal realm.¡±

    ¡°I thought, you would say so.¡±  Tristan nodded, grabbed Schattenklinge and closed his eyes.  ¡°That¡¯s why I prepared this.¡± Reopened his eyes and found himself in a gym like room.

    ¡°What you even got another room?¡± Schattenklinge asked baffled.

    ¡°No, this is in the same dimension as my Lab, just a little further away, so Abigail won¡¯t disturb us while we train.¡± Tristan explained to Schattenklinge, who nodded to Tristan¡¯s words.

    ¡°Good, that¡¯s better, but what you need now, is a training partner at the same level as you, whose strength is your weakness. I could play that part, but it is way more motivating to train with someone who is giving his all same as you, than with one that is way up out of your league.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m motivated enough to learn everything it takes from you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯re motivated, but for someone on your level, it still would be better to train with someone your level!¡± Schattenklinge said annoyed.

    ¡°Ok, ok, I get it; you don¡¯t want to hold back while fighting, right?¡± Tristan asked with an accusing tone.

    ¡°Erm¡­ like I said you need someone on your level for the motivation!¡± Schattenklinge said in a flustered tone.

    ¡°Got it¡± Tristan said with an annoyed voice. ¡°Well, at least I know someone to fill that role, the question is how to bring her here.¡±

 New Training Grounds

    Nocturnio (24.12.9978 AS)

    Laura was charging through the halls of the Guardian Academy, not paying attention to anyone, not even to Sabrina who tried to catch her like usual could hold her back. She didn¡¯t look good, under both her eyes there were two big shadows that almost looked like someone had punched her in the face.

    Yesterday, after she had come home late from visiting the people that were supposed to be her grandparents. She had gone straight to her room without saying a word to her mother and had started thinking about their words. Thanks to these words she wasn¡¯t able to sleep all night long. All she could think of, was on how to get stronger, how to prove them wrong with her actions.

    She didn¡¯t like the conclusion she had come to; the only person she knew could help her was her one and only rival: Tristan. Yeah, the only one who could be moved to help her was the guy, who never trained and did anything to become strong, but still always got the best out of her. Yeah, that person that was the reason for most of her frustrations: Tristan.

    Yeah, she couldn¡¯t think of no one else that would be willing to help her with her training, without asking questions.  She knew he was too nice to decline a request from his best friend, what made Laura feel even worse. She hated herself for taking advantage of him like this.

    Laura knew he had to have a similar background as her, she wasn¡¯t so stupid to think, Nana was his grandmother, he lived with after the death of his parents like Dolores and had told her. Thinking about the ways they had met in front of the Obscurati¡¯s ¡®Portal Main Station¡¯ she was sure he had to be the bastard of some clan leader.

    Just thinking about it, she couldn¡¯t help but feel bad, since they were supposed to stay strong together as a team in the same boat. And not use each other like she was about to do, but she had no choice, she had to get stronger and that fast.

    ¡®We¡¯ll give you five years, five years to train as hard as you can and if you manage to beat me after five years, then we¡¯ll help you. Yeah, our whole clan will support your ambitions of become the leader of the main family...¡¯ Laura recalled her grandfather¡¯s words.

    ¡®¡­ But if you were to fail¡­ You¡¯ll have to accept our training and inherit the clan¡­¡¯ Just remembering these words made Laura feel sick. The deal that she had negotiated with was like a double-edged sword, she could gain a lot of support in her cause, but it could also mean the end of her ambitions.

    That¡¯s why she needed to get stronger no matter what, as far as she knew her grandfather was on Low King Level, which was quite a lot stronger than her actual skill level of Low Super Devil. This meant he was at least 1¡¯000¡¯000¡¯000¡¯000¡¯000 times stronger than her.

    After taking a sharp turn, she finally reached the corridor where Tristan¡¯s class room was. Although, they were classmates and shared most of their classes with one another, today they had all their elective courses on the same day.

    This meant she wouldn¡¯t see Tristan today, unless they walked together from home, but today Tristan had left his house early in the morning to go check on how Ai was doing.

    Laura entered the crowded classroom, filled with students eager to learn different type of ranged spells.  For some reason Tristan had chosen against his talents in hand to hand combat, and had booked all courses he could with subjects typical for magic casters.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    Tristan was sitting between Ernesti and Abigail chatting merrily with them, before the lesson started. Laura walked up to Tristan. ¡°Hi, do you mind  if I lend him out for a bit?¡± She pointed at Tristan while sending a kind smile towards Ernesti completely ignoring Abigail, who puffed her cheeks.

    ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Abigail answered and linked arms with Tristan, like showing who he belonged to.

    ¡°Aby!¡± Tristan said while forcefully freeing himself from her grasp.  ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve also been wanting to talk to you.¡± Tristan said as he was about to leave the room.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ The class is about to start.¡± Abigail protested.

    ¡°Tell the teacher I had to go to the rest room.¡± Tristan answered a little annoyed and walked outside the room with Laura.

    ¡°So what did you want to talk about?¡± He asked with genuine interest.

    ¡°Well, the Terra incident kinda left me thinking¡­¡± Laura said not knowing how to approach the discussion, since she couldn¡¯t just tell Tristan the truth.

    Tristan smiled, pleased, as he heard Laura¡¯s words.  He knew exactly where she wanted to go.  ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it, I already promised to help you train back in Terra¡­ But you know, Terra also made me start thinking that I lack a lot, especially in the hand to hand combat¡­ So would you mind helping me out there while I train you in using caster like spells while fighting melee?¡±

    Laura just stared at Tristan not knowing what to say.  She had expected him to agree to train her in spells, but in her wildest dream she would have never imagined that it would go this smoothly. No smoothly was the wrong word to describe what just had happened. It was like a Fors¡¯ sent miracle that she didn¡¯t need to do anything, but to nod at Tristan¡¯s proposal.

    ¡°I think your nodding means yes.¡±  Tristan said happily. ¡°So, how about we meet up this afternoon after near the library?¡± Tristan asked Laura who just nodded in response.

    ***

    Laura walked towards the library where Tristan had agreed to meet her for their training, she was still unsure, why they had to go there to train and not to the gym where she always used to hang out. But what did she know about magic casters would use anyway? Up until now she had spent most of her time learning magic to buff herself while fighting.

    The only magic she knew besides those buffs were; spells tied to her passive. Tristan had shown them to her while they were on Terra, of course, those spells were far from perfect, but they already had saved her life during her fight with Sariel.

    While Laura was walking lost in her thoughts, Tristan suddenly appeared out of thin air next to her.

    ¡°Jo, how is it going?¡± He asked with a calm voice.

    ¡°Kyaaahh¡± Larua screamed.

    ¡°You should really pay attention to your surroundings while wandering around on this hour. The crime rate has been increasing steadily around this area, despite the strong military presence. Tristan said a superior tone. ¡°So how about we go to our new training grounds?¡±

    Tristan pushed Laura into an alleyway.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Laura asked her mood worsening.

    Tristan didn¡¯t answer and just took a door knob from his pockets and stuck it on the wall.  Suddenly the wall turned into a door. Tristan opened the door allowing them to enter the room.

    ¡°Promised me, you won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± He said with a serious voice.

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t.¡± Laura answered without delay.

    ¡°Good.¡± Tristan answered while handing her a contract.  ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust just, it¡¯s just for the case of the cases.¡± Tristan said with an apologetic tone. ¡°Look you¡¯ll even get your own door knob.¡± He said showing her a second door knob.

    ¡°Where do I have to sign?¡± Laura answered without hesitation, taking the contract signing it and walking into the room Tristan had created with the door knob.

    ¡°Do you like our new training grounds?¡± Tristan asked as he also entered the black room filled with utensils for not only training the body but also the magic powers one had.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Laura asked baffled.

    ¡°My little secret.¡± Tristan said while walking deeper in tot the large room.

    This large black training room was inside of the same dimension of his Laboratory. Tristan and Schattenklinge had spent the past night on separating the Laboratory from this room, without Abigail¡¯s knowledge of course.

    They had done so by overlaying as many barriers as they could.

    Laura bit her lips as she gazed around, before finally bringing out some words out of her.  ¡°Erm¡­ Soo¡­ Shall we start?¡±

 Fruits of Their Training

    Nocturnio (15.4.9979AS)

    ¡°So, how is school going?¡± Tristan asked Ai with a teasing tone just to receive a glare from his friend.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that question? You know all too well, that I¡¯m not even allowed to go to school yet!¡± Ai said while puffing her cheeks. ¡°Although, you promised me a school, where they teach you how to use difficult spells, I get to learn theory all day long! They even sealed my magic powers for the time being! And all I learn at that so called school is how to behave in the demon¡¯s society!¡±

    ¡°And do you like it?¡± Tristan asked once again.

    Ai deflated her cheeks and looked all shy. ¡°I love it! Even though, I¡¯m not even learning magic yet, everything I lean feels so exciting. Also, it¡¯s crazy how this world uses magic for everything, you even got those portals all over the city to get from place to place!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they are pretty practical, but please don¡¯t go using them when it¡¯s too late in the night, for some reason the ¡®Clanless¡¯ are going nuts recently, they even canceled our patrols for more than four months!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yesterday I read in the newspaper they attacked a girl coming home late from a party, luckily she was a student at the Guardian Academy and managed to fight them off all by herself. But yeah, I shouldn¡¯t wander alone through the city when it¡¯s dark.¡± Ai stated concerned.

    ¡°Well, that incident caused the academy to change their attitude towards them and to also send us the youngest course to try and help dealing with them. For that reason, I won¡¯t be able to visit you anymore as often as I usually do, at least till the ¡®Clanless¡¯ go back behaving normal once again.¡± Tristan sounded apologetic.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool with me; I mean, that¡¯s a great opportunity to gain further fighting experience and that will help you grow stronger, won¡¯t it?¡± Ai answered sounding a little jealous.

    Tristan just nodded. ¡°Well then, I guess I should get going then, see you around¡± He said hugging Ai for a goodbye.

    ***

    ¡°I hope you know why we are here.¡± Sabrina said, walking up and down in front of a Tristan and his teammates. ¡°I hope you are fully aware of the dangers of today¡¯s mission! I don¡¯t want any solo runs by any one of you. And yes, I especially mean the two of you.¡± Sabrina glared at Tristan and Laura who were sitting next to each other.

    ¡°All you have to do is follow my and Cait¡¯s orders, nothing more nothing less. If we say let us behind and run, then you run, even if that means our death.¡± Sabrina said while she continued walking up and down, causing her raven black hair she had tied to a pony jumped up and down.

    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Her prot¨¦g¨¦s answered in unison.

    ¡°Now to the details of the mission, Cait would you mind?¡± She smiled at her best friend.

    ¡°Yes, I do mind, thank you very much.¡± Caitlyn murmured before she walked in front of the group. ¡°We located most of the hideouts the ¡®Clanless¡¯ are using and so today we are striking simultaneously all their hideouts at once. So, they don¡¯t have any chance of escape.¡±

    Caitlyn waited a little to see if someone had a question and then continued. ¡°We are not allowed to let anyone of them escape; they aren¡¯t very strong, but still crazy people willing to do anything to destroy the order of our society. Thus we will build two teams, one vanguard, and one will stay behind intercepting anyone that wants to escape.¡±

    Sabrina clapped loudly and walked next to Caitlyn. ¡°Very well, Oriana, Annie, Laura and Tristan you are the vanguards with me in and the rest of you are with Cait. So, now let¡¯s go and check on our equipment and talk about some in team strats.¡± She pointed at her team and signed them to leave the classroom with her.

    As Tristan was about to do the same, she held him back. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid this time ok? I don¡¯t want to cause aunty any grief by telling her youngest died because he was a cocky idiot.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Tristan rolled his eyes. He knew Sabrina was one of the few people that cared for him, but sometimes she was just annoying him when she tried to be too overprotective of him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, something like that won¡¯t happen ever again.¡±

    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s go and check our equipment.¡± Sabrina said, smiling like the morning sun.

    ***

    After taking quite a few Portal rides they finally reached the farthest district in the west of Nocturnio. None of them had been there before, but one could feel the difference between the city center and this district. There were no skyscrapers in sight, and many of the houses looked very poorly built.

    Many children stared at them with big eyes, when they noticed they had come through the Portal no one had used in months.

    ¡°No wonder they could hide for so long around here, it looks like we are the first patrol they¡¯ve ever seen in their lives.¡± Annie noted as they walked the unfamiliar, badly paved streets of the City they thought, they knew.

    ¡°Yeah, but who would have thought, there were parts of Nocturnio that looked like this.¡± Oriana answered, keeping all her senses sharp.

    The amount of houses they passed by, decreased steadily as they continued walking towards the west until the paved ground finally left place green almost endless seeming hills.

    Sabrina smiled as she pointed towards one of the hills. ¡°That one is our goal, now get ready guys. On my signal we jump into action.¡± With a nod Caitlyn gave her team a signal and they started spreading around the targeted hill.

    Annie and Oriana casted some buffs on Tristan, Laura and Sabrina. ¡°Sorry, we can¡¯t do much more, but we have to save up our mana for the fight.¡± Annie bowed to Laura. ¡°No problem, don¡¯t worry about something like that, we have our own means of buffing up ourselves.¡± Laura answered with a reassuring smile to her friend.

    Laura took out a piece of paper from her pocket and poured mana into it. By doing so, she had summoned two bastard swords. After spending the past months training with Tristan she had got used to fight with the swords, she had just summoned as weapon.

    After, almost an eternity, or at least that¡¯s how it felt to Tristan and his friends, Caitlyn finally used her Commu to give them the signal, that their preparations were done.

    ¡°Good, now follow me if you can!¡± Sabrina shouted with a happy tone, smiling as bright as a hipster when entering a thrift shop.

    ¡°You bet we can¡± Tristan and Laura said, disappearing simultaneously into thin air. Although, Laura was still faster than Tristan, Tristan had managed to be able to keep up close behind her. They passed Sabrina like a flash, leaving her with big eyes.

    ¡°I knew the cutie pie was fast, but I didn¡¯t know Trist was so fast¡­.¡± She muttered to herself, before realizing they were going too far ahead of her. ¡°Hey, wait, wait for me! And that¡¯s an order!¡± She screamed behind them in a half serious voice.

    But all her objections weren¡¯t heard by Laura nor Tristan, both of them were running at top speed as they encountered the first ¡®Clanless¡¯. No question asked, Laura knocked him out by hitting the back of his head with the hilt of her sword.

    ¡°Well, done.¡± Tristan effortlessly parried the fireball a ¡®Clanless¡¯ had sent him with his sword. Once again Tristan disappeared into thin air just to appear in front of the ¡®Clanless¡¯ who had attacked him and with one kick he sent him flying causing him to lose consciousness.

    Meanwhile, Laura was already taking out the next ¡®Clanless¡¯ that attacked her. ¡°They are too weak.¡± She pointed out disappointed.

    ¡°I know.¡± Tritan answered as he threw his sword at the ¡®Clanless¡¯ that was trying to escape the scene to warn his comrades and pinned him down on the wall of the cave inside the hill.

    ¡°Ahhh, YoU DoN¡¯t GeT, WhY wE dO WhAt wE dO-¡° The screaming man, that had one of Tristan swords piercing his left hand pinning him down, was forcefully shut up by another ¡®Clanless¡¯.

    ¡°They don¡¯t need to know why we do what we do.¡± The woman said as one of the tattoos on her hand started glowing in red, and a mass of wind started blowing at Tristan and Laura. Tristan summoned a sword pierced it to the ground, so the wind wouldn¡¯t blow him away.

    Laura active her active and threw her one of her swords at the woman. She had infused the sword with her mana before, so it was able to flight in a straight line despite the strong wind. The sword pierced the woman¡¯s abdomen and sent her flying for a few meters.

    ¡°Impressive.¡± Tristan honestly praised her. And Laura reached at her sword that came back to her hands.

    ¡°You guys are fast!¡± Sabrina said as she finally reached the two of them. Sabrina survived the room and looked impressed. ¡°Well done guys now let¡¯s split up and see if we can catch more of them.¡±

    Unluckily for Sabrina there was they didn¡¯t find any other ¡®Clanless¡¯ in the cave system, although, it seemed like the cave was being used by a lot more ¡®Clanless¡¯ than the ones Tristan and Laura had eliminated.

    ¡°Looks like some rats got away before we arrived.¡± Sabrina pointed out with a serious voice. ¡°What a letdown! Makes me feel sick, Annie hurry and come here, your big sis needs her dose Annie!¡± Sabrina said, jumping towards her little sister, who hid behind Tristan.

    ¡°Help!¡± sShe screamed and ran out of the cave looking for Caitlyn to save her from her cruel fate.

 And More Training

    Nocturnio (15.8.9979AS)

    ¡°By Aetas!¡± Tristan screamed with all his might. Today was the final day of his summer vacation and he was spending it like he had all summer long: Training. The reason of his frustration was that he just couldn¡¯t make any progress in his training. He was starting to think his efforts were wasted here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give up¡­¡± He could hear Schattenklinge panting towards him.

    Both of them were no in the ¡®Resonance Room¡¯ trying to see if they could use magic in the room, but every time Tristan tried to use magic other than his ¡®Gate¡¯ the magic circle was shattered by the strange noises in the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± Tristan said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

    Over the past month both of them had spent every morning in this dimension. At first they couldn¡¯t even stay in the room for more than five minutes, but now they were able to comfortably stay in the room for hours without having to leave it with nausea or other symptoms. Now that their bodies had grown costumed to the room they wanted to try out if they could use magic, but for some reason it just seemed impossible.

    ¡°How about we spar once again? I like fighting with the swords here, it feels like a real fight without all the magic you usually have around you. Schattenklinge said with a smile and took one of the swords lying around.

    Tristan looked slightly annoyed, he much rather would just concentrate and try to finally succeed in casting magic inside the room. ¡°Ok, but only for a few minutes, we can¡¯t forget this training.¡± Tristan pointed at the gemstone on the ground.

    ***

    ¡°Tomorrow is the day of your grand return to school, but I still haven¡¯t finished this thing!¡± Abigail said waving a pair of mechanic looking gauntlets around. ¡°I just can¡¯t get why my they don¡¯t work like I want them! And you¡­ All you do is go flirt around with those girls instead of staying behind and helping out figure out the secret on how to make this Fors forsaken thing!¡±

    Abigail threw the gauntlets by side and started scratching her already messy hair before deflating in her seat deactivating her active ability making the holographic PC in front of her disappear.

    ¡°I told you not to bother with it, and to do research on other things¡­ I mean to bring those things to work you would need a similar breakthrough I had with the Commu.¡± Tristan said with a mocking tone. ¡°¡­ And I don¡¯t feel like they are worth my time.¡± Tristan continued with a cold voice. ¡°So what about you get up and research other things than those stupid gauntlets?¡±

    ¡°Kyaaahhh,¡± Abigail shouted, trying to get rid of the frustration inside of her. ¡°And I DID research other things than these stupid gloves!¡± She grabbed in her pocket and took a few lollipops from inside of it. ¡°You see I added three other flavors to my lolli collection!¡± She said while pealing one of them and putting it where it belonged to: her mouth.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°I sometimes feel like this equipment is all wasted on you.¡± Tristan answered within a cold tone.

    ¡°So I¡¯m not the only one.¡± Abigail answered Tristan with a meek smile.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°If this was all you did all day, I would have fired you long time ago¡± Tristan looked at the other things Abigail had helped him created in the past few years or even months.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s good I don¡¯t work for you.¡± Abigail continued with a mocking smile. ¡°Now will you help me with this little project of mine?¡±

    **Sigh**

    ¡°I will, but I don¡¯t see how this can be of any use to me now nor in the future.¡± Tristan moaned.

    ¡°Nice!¡± Abigail¡¯s face was filled with a bright smile. ¡°For future use¡­ Let me put it like this: When you kill Fors with it, I want you to think of this very moment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure as if I will.¡± Tristan answered with a sarcastic tone.

    ¡°Anyways, do you look forward to tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Not really, given that last year all of our patrols were directed to find out the ¡®Clanless¡¯ that escaped our big raid and this year¡¯s missions probably will be the same.¡± Tristan said almost mechanically.

    ¡°Yeah, I totally get you; it really was a pain that all patrols were about searching for those ¡®Clanless¡¯ just because we didn¡¯t get them, but not because they caused trouble anyone anymore.¡± Abigail answered bored.

    ¡°Well, if the ¡®Clanless¡¯ and other criminals don¡¯t show up, then searching for them is the most appropriate thing to do, still it¡¯s kinda boring. Any kind of job would be fun right now, even playing guard would be more interesting than looking for those guys. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll find them anyway.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Well the only ways we were able to find them up until now, was because they let us know. Do you think we could have found out about their hideouts if they hadn¡¯t let that paper with their locations behind?¡±

    Abigail shook her head in realization. ¡°So they did want us to know about their hideouts¡­ but why?¡±

    ¡°Beats me, the most plausible explanation is that they want to hide something big and with thanks to these ¡®leaked hideouts¡¯ are trying to make us look at a different place.¡±

    ¡°So they are playing us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they and the people living near those hideouts too, they are all in cahoots with one another, that¡¯s how they can play us so easily. Didn¡¯t you see how those guys look at us every time we go there? They see us as outsiders, another species so to say, they don¡¯t see us as fellow member of the same race, no they see as intruders trying to steal the last thing they have: Hope.¡±

    ¡°Hope¡­ I see¡­ So the ¡®Clanless¡¯ use the fact that they belong to the similar social circle and guise their actions as resistance against us, the privileged that own enough money to live in the city center without lacking anything we desire.¡±

    ¡°Yay, you got it!¡± Tristan showed Abigail two thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s why we won¡¯t get them until it¡¯s too late; those people won¡¯t cooperate with us, because they think we deserve to suffer a little. After all, they suffered all their lives, if it goes after their minds it¡¯s our turn to suffer.

    Tristan¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°So the question is why would they go to the trouble to reveal that many hideouts, what would lead them to have us concentrate on those stupid hideouts and their surroundings? ¨C To be honest, I don¡¯t know either, but it must be something big, that goes beyond stealing people¡¯s purses, vandalism and other small crimes they were committing up until now.¡±

    ¡°You mean we have to change our methods, and search there we don¡¯t expect them instead of the border districts?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Tristan answered as he looked at the clock behind Abigail.

    Tristan stood up as his time here with Abigail was now over, at least for the day. Maybe he would return later to his lab, but now he had to go, go and continue his training with Laura, who was waiting on the other side of the invisible wall next to them.

 Money, Power and Other Things

    Nocturnio (25.10.9979 AS)

    ¡°And how¡¯s school going?¡± Laura asked Ai while they were enjoying their lunch. Due to her spending most of her time in Tristan¡¯s training¡¯s chamber, she hadn¡¯t spent much time with her friends. The only way she would interact with people other than Tristan was during school.

    That¡¯s why she had started to enjoy the school¡¯s lunch break more than ever. During this time she finally had time to interact with her friends and socialize with them. Although, training was very important to her, she still wanted to spend time with her friends and thus lunch breaks had become really precious to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m really enjoying them!¡± Ai answered with a bright smile. ¡°Somehow the kids here are way more mature than the kids in Terra, also the level of the we learn here in school goes beyond what I would ever dream to learn in Terra and I can say that after just a little over two months here!¡±

    ¡°Good to hear you¡¯re enjoying yourself so much!¡± Laura answered genuinely happy for her friend. ¡°And were you already able to make friends with other students?¡± She asked while she picked a carrot with her fork.

    ¡°Yes, I have found one.¡± Ai answered. ¡°A very nice girl, actually we had already become friends last year once I arrived here and was sent to that prep school that thaught me the social etiquette of Umbra.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s also an elder?¡± Tristan entered the conversation with a serious tone, since it was the first time her heard about Ai¡¯s new friend. He visited Ai every single day in her apartment, and thus was a little surprised after hearing about said friend for the first time. After all it seemed like that girl became Ai¡¯s friend just right after she had arrived in Umbra.

    ¡°No, she seems to be a noble or something¡­ It seems she once lost control of her powers and hurt herself badly and that¡¯s why she was sent to the same course I was in, to prep her to regain her powers.¡± Ai stopped, before continuing in a much smaller voice. ¡°She actually has to wear a mask all day long because of the injury caused by her power.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Tristan nor Laura could say anything.

    ¡°So, if you¡¯ve gotten yourself, a friend, why do you still always eat with us?¡± Abigail asked with a malicious tone.

    It¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t like Ai, actually she thought really highly of het, but that was where Abigail¡¯s problem laid: Ai was not only cute, but also competent and she was also an Elder, this meant she had all of Abigail¡¯s qualities! And all this without behaving likes a hyperactive clown!

    No how could she ever be nice to someone like that? And also¡­ She was getting more attention from Tristan than herself. How could a newcomer act that cozy around someone else¡¯s prince? That¡¯s why Abigail would use any opportunity she had to badmouth and bully Ai.

    Tristan sent Abigail a glare and had to see she let go of her fork.

    ¡°Ouch, what was that for?¡± She said like a furry towards her big brother.

    Ernesti had kicked her from under the table so she would shut up. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for my sister, sometimes she doesn¡¯t know the difference between a good joke and going too far.¡± Ernesti bowed slightly towards Ai.

    ¡°No worries there, I know she doesn¡¯t mean it.¡± Ai answered flustered by Ernestis actions.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡®But I meant it!¡¯ Ai swallowed those words and started sulking while she continued her lunch.

    ***

    *Sight*

    Nana was sitting in her office going thought the numbers of her newest opening. As expected it had been a great success. In a little more than five years, she had started her caf¨¦ with Lamia¡¯s help, she had managed to open 32 branch stores of the all over the continent.

    Her business was the second fastest growing business on the continent. Everybody interested in economics had heard or had even talked about her business.

    The fastest growing enterprise was of course Siegfried Corp, no it went beyond just being the fastest growing enterprise, no, Siegfried Corp had also become over the past years the biggest enterprise in the continent.

    These businesses were used by many experts as the prime example of how to lead an enterprise and how to invest ones money. Thanks to these exceptional businesses ran by people with no connection to the main clan¡¯s whatsoever many people started to dream.

    Although, in the Demon society everybody was said to have the same rights and opportunities this wasn¡¯t reality. Most of the leading positions in enterprises and the government were occupied by members close to the main Clans, even if there was someone with better qualifications than them.

    So, Siegfried Corp and Mitternacht quickly became role models for people with no deep connection to the main Clans or people from minor side families. Siegfried and Nana had shown the world that it was possible to reach the top, with only hard work.

    This caused a big boom of small private enterprises opening, causing the guilds to lose many members. Obviously this meant that the Demon society was changing in an immense speed and in a way no one could predict.

    Many voices could be heard saying that soon the Three Clans System would collapse and be replaced by a System similar to the one used in the Human world, where the beings most fit and with the most power would rule the masses.

    Others said a Civil War was unavoidable: There was no way the main clans would just sit there and do nothing till they were stripped of all their power and influence. So the only way they could establish their rule was by force, but would the population cope with it?

    This situation had caused Nana to sigh in despair. She never wanted to be the head of a revolution when she opened the Mitternacht five years ago. No, she just wanted to bake some good treats and make people happy with her food.

    She had even thought about giving the command of her enterprise to her secretary, a very capable young woman, belonging to the Lum family a very important family in the Schattenclan. But she was stopped by her secretary.

    The woman told her it would hurt the enterprise too much and cause the situation to escalate even causing riots here and there.

    *Sigh*

    Nana sighed once again before continuing her work. ¡®Why was Siegfried so oblivious to this situation?¡¯ They had met a few times, but he always just seemed to go on about how tasty Nana¡¯s food was and ask how he could make the Commu¡¯s better.

    ***

    A grey haired man was standing in front of a crowd of people. The people in the crowd were the kind of people you wouldn¡¯t want to meet in an alleyway during the night. It seemed like they had never taken and bath or changed their clothes. Just by looking at them one could smell the stench coming from the crowd.

    The grey haired man in front of them didn¡¯t look much cleaner as he walked up and down on the improvised stage. Just from the way he was shouting it was clear that he was saying nothing nice. Every time the finished the sentence he waited for the crowd¡¯s reaction.

    Most of the time he would get cheers and shouts supporting his cause.

    The man smiled, pleased every time he heard the cheers. And once again, he continued with his speech. ¡°And so, I tell you my brothers and sisters; let us burn down the oppressing chains created by the Clan society! Let us shake their society by eliminating the traitors. The traitors that went and got themselves involved with the Clan¡¯s, let us free ourselves from their oppression!¡± He finished so his speech and rammed a knife into the board where Siegfried¡¯s and Nana¡¯s name were written on.

    The crowd cheered once again as they saw the speaker¡¯s action.

    ¡°Yeah, we won¡¯t let them suppress us anymore!¡± the men an woman in the crowd agreed with the man, who this time didn¡¯t wait for the crowd¡¯s reaction but was already on his way back to his tent. Inside the tent, the man searched inside his improvised bed out of straw and hey for an item. It was a Commu.

    He activated some spells, making sure no one would interrupt him and he started his call.

    ¡°Master Laidir, the ground work is done, you just have to give the orders and we¡¯ll eliminate those who dared to defy our Clan.¡± The man said with a serious tone.

 Fight in the Cold

    Nocturnio (25.1.9980 AS)

    Although, it wasn¡¯t that late in the afternoon yet, the only sources of light in the streets of Nocturnio were the streetlights. Usually the streets of the city would be flooded with people shopping, but not so today, the sudden change in the weather had caused most of the people to stay at home and so the only people on the streets was a lovely teenage couple. Or that¡¯s how they looked like for outsiders.

    Tristan was wearing a thick brown coat under its hood he was wearing a green woolen hat. Most of Tristan¡¯s face was covered by a green woolen scarf only leaving his eyes free so he could see something.

    Abigail who had claimed Tristan¡¯s left arm for herself, was wearing the same brown coat, the female version of it of course, emphasizing her curves she was so proud of, after all they had just recently started growing.

    Tristan didn¡¯t mind Abigail¡¯s actions; he even welcomed her actions since her warmth would also warm him up.

    Both of them had been walking around through the streets of Nocturnio¡¯s shopping district since the morning without saying a word to one another.  The cold weather wouldn¡¯t allow them wasting energy on useless things like speech.

    If it wasn¡¯t for their brown coats and the yellow insignia with the Guardian¡¯s Academy logo on it, people would have asked them to stop walking around the streets and to hurry inside into the warmth. But knowing that they were young soldiers all people, especially the shopkeepers, could do was to feel respect for them.

    ¡°So CoLd¡­ Soooo Cold.¡± Abigail broke the silence with a broke voice.

    ¡°Wanna have a coffee?¡±  Tristan asked and pointed at the ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ around the corner. Today they had passed in front of that caf¨¦ more than ten times and each time they were in front of it, they would want to stop their patrol and go in for a warm coffee, but their sense of duty wouldn¡¯t allow them to do so.

    Now, none of them could hold much longer. They both had to admit defeat tot the cold.

    ¡°Yeah, please!¡± Abigail answered, speeding up to reach the ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ as fast as possible and so did Tristan.

    ***

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this weather strange? The forecast for the week didn¡¯t look that bad last Monday.¡±  Abigail pointed out while still hugging the big bowl like cup of coffee she had ordered.

    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t need to have to have my passive to know that this change isn¡¯t natural.¡± Tristan answered with a serious voice. ¡°The question here is why and how they are doing it. I mean a spell that can change the weather on that scale isn¡¯t something someone can casually cast.¡± He added.

    Abigail nodded in agreement. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how much mana it consumes to maintain such a spell for more than a day much less for a whole week, like the caster is doing it right now! I mean we had trouble to have a small spell that would warmed us out there for more than one hour!¡±

    ¡°Actually the reason why we had trouble running our spells was precisely because of the spell causing the cold!¡± Tristan answered worried. ¡°We don¡¯t know what the people casting such a spell are up to, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing good! If I had to pinpoint a reason I would say it¡¯s to cover their illegal activities.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still hard to imagine someone would do this just for the sake of hiding something from someone else.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I see no other reason.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sad, isn¡¯t it? Our first patrol in months that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with looking for the ¡®Clanless¡¯ just consists of walking the streets in this cold to keep the public order!¡± Abigail¡¯s voice sounded a little melancholic as she spoke those words.

    ¡°¡­¡± Tristan couldn¡¯t deny her words. ¡°But it¡¯s precisely because of this unnatural weather that we have to keep our eyes open and look for the possible culprits! So maybe we¡¯ll be able to do something against it. And wouldn¡¯t it be awesome to left a conspiracy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, but I still don¡¯t like the idea of spending five more hours outside!¡± She pointed towards the windows of the caf¨¦.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said ¡°Any kind of work would be welcome as long as you don¡¯t have to look for the ¡®Clanless¡¯ anymore?¡±¡± Tristan said with a teasing voice.

    ¡°Shut up.¡±  Abigail said, turning a little red, trying to hind behind her cup of coffee.

    Nocturnio (1.2.9980 AS)

    One week had passed since their patrol through the shopping district of the city. Today Tristan and Abigail were once again teamed up to patrol through the streets of Nocturnio. Their get up didn¡¯t change much from the last week since the strange weather phenomenon continued as if nothing.

    ¡°I hate this!¡± Abigail complained as they were walking through the streets.  ¡°I don¡¯t mind the winter, but this is just too much!¡± She said and grabbed Tristan¡¯s right arm to fight the low temperatures.

    Tristan ignored her words and continued walking.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense at all; whoever is using this spell is spending too many resources on it! If they wanted to try a coup d¡¯¨¦tat, it would make sense, but why here in Nocturnio and not in Obscurati?¡¯

    ¡®I don¡¯t know, but you are right, if they just wanted to cover up some preparations there would be many other easier ways of doing it.¡¯  Schattenklinge replied to Tristan.

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t make sense at all, but my passive tells me soon we¡¯ll know what they are up to and I know it will be something with a great impact on our lives.¡¯ Tristan watchful eyes wandered over the other side of the street.

    ¡®Well, there you have your answer, but the much bigger question is; why doesn¡¯t the government react properly to this unnatural weather? I mean you don¡¯t have to be smart to guess that this mess of weather was caused by a spell.¡¯ Schattenklinge answered.

    ¡°Unless they are the ones behind it¡­¡± Tristan said out loud in shock, suddenly stopping causing Abigail to lose balance and to almost fall on the ground.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± Abigail asked in an annoyed tone.

    ¡°Nothing, I just thought I had the answer to a certain question, but it¡¯s¡­ nothing¡­ yeah, it¡¯s just nothing¡­ that answer is way too silly to be true.¡±

    ¡°If you say, wanna go for a coffee again?¡± Abigail said and pointed at the ¡®Mitternacht¡¯ around the corner.

    Tristan didn¡¯t say anything, but just nodded.

    They were in the city center, near the Portal Main Station, but the streets were empty except for the two of them and some people that were on their ways to their working place. All of them had something in common; they were all dressed in winter clothes.

    ¡°Hey, did you see that man there?¡±  Tristan pointed at a man who was wearing a black while walking towards the portal station. It wasn¡¯t the fact that he was wearing a suit that was alarming, but the fact that he wasn¡¯t wearing a coat.

    ¡°Yeah, so what of it?¡± Abigail asked while scanning the man with her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything especial about him.¡±

    ¡°He isn¡¯t wearing winter clothes!¡± Tristan screamed at Abigail, not being able to contain his joy.

    ¡°And maybe he just arrived to the city from another city.¡±  Abigail answered a little annoyed by Tristan¡¯s retorts. ¡°If you don¡¯t want a coffee, you just have to say so.¡±

    *Sigh*

    Tristan dragged Abigail as he moved towards the man making sure he wouldn¡¯t realize them closing in fast.  ¡°Don¡¯t you see, he¡¯s comfortably walking from here towards the Portal Main Station, that means he¡¯s leaving from somewhere around here while wearing normal clothing! So, why would he not feel this sickening cold?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s immune to it!¡±  Abigail answered in a flash. ¡°But what if he is using a spell till he reaches another City?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a point, but he isn¡¯t using any mana right now.¡±  Tristan pointed out, while using his ability to sense mana he had learned from Ai.

    ¡°I see, so what does your sixth sense tell you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Tristan didn¡¯t answer right away since he felt a little hurt that Abigail wouldn¡¯t trust his detective skills but would just blindly believe his passive. ¡°Well, it tells me that man means trouble and it tells me to follow him.¡±

    ¡°Good then count me in.¡±  She said taking the lead, and dragging Tristan with her.

    They followed the man into Portal Main Station. Surprisingly the inside of the Main Station was way livelier than the streets outside, making it easy for them to hide in the crowd making it impossible for the man to notice them.

    As Tristan had pointed out, everybody here was wearing winter clothing as they walked from Portal to portal.

    The man walked past, most of the Portals that lead to the most popular locations and suddenly stopped in front of a portal leading to the farthest district in the south of Nocturnio.  A destination so unpopular they would only open the Portal twice a day, once at 8 o¡¯clock in the morning and once at 6 in the afternoon.

    ¡°Are you sure we want to follow him?¡±  Abigail asked, since if they continued now they would surely get spotted by the man.

    ¡°It will be alright, you just have to play along.¡±  Tristan said, and put his arms around Abigail¡¯s waist.

    ¡°Hey¡­ we¡¯re¡­ too you to do this, in public no less!¡±  Abigail said turning all red.

    ¡°Shhh, he¡¯s gonna notice if we don¡¯t play this right.¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ Ok¡­¡± Abigail said still red like a tomato.

    Tristan smiled as he took place on a chair a little further away from the man. He had used Illusions magic to hide his insignia that would give him away as a member of the Guradian Academy and made himself and Abigail look a little older than they were to the man.

    Tristan made sure to keep Abigail¡¯s body as close to his as possible, to create the impression of them being a teenage couple messing around in the Portal station.

    The man¡¯s eyes fell on them and uncomfortable wandered towards the ground, causing Tristan to smile victoriously.

    A few minutes passed, till the operators of the portal arrived.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be opening the portal now.¡±  They said while looking towards their clock. ¡°Are you ready?¡± The man asked into his Commu and waited a few seconds before finally casting the spell that would open the Portal.

    A few seconds passed and the man passed through the portal after showing the other man his ticket.  Tristan and Abigail waited a little bit, before doing the same.

    After they arrived on the other side of the portal they suddenly felt a breath of cold air almost freezing them in an instant.  Unlike the Portal Main Station the Portal Station they were now, was out in the open.

    It took them a few seconds before Tristan could locate the man¡¯s mana.  As soon as he had him, though, Tristan and Abigail began to move.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we call Sabrina?¡± Abigail asked.

    ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t call her, she¡¯s just gonna try to stop us and tell us to return right away. But yeah, you are right, we should probably inform someone that we are up to something.¡± Tristan said and took out his Commu.

    ¡°Good afternoon Sir, this is Tristan¡­ Yeah, me and my partner are doing fine, we are just calling to inform you that we might have found the cause of this weather phenomenon¡­  Yes, Sir, we are now following the suspect¡­ Yes, Sir, I think we can keep up with them, it wouldn¡¯t be bad if you send reinforcements though¡­. Yes, Sir, if needed, we¡¯ll fight the culprits by ourselves¡­ Thank you for your support¡­¡±  Tristan finished the call.

    ¡°Who did you call?¡± Abigail said, not liking the how smooth the call had gone.

    ¡°Principal Kuro, he said they¡¯ll send reinforcements, but if they try to flee we should confront the enemy and buy time till they arrive.¡±

    Abigail forcefully swallowed her saliva as they finally reached the place the guy had gone into. It was an old run down gym.  Tristan and Abigail made sure not to get noticed by the wards as he used his gate ability to teleport them to the roof of the building.

    From a small hole in the roof they could see the inside of the gym filled with about 50 men similarly dressed as the man they had followed.  Five would always sit in a circle on the ground and another five would watch over them.  There were five circles spread all over the gym.

    ¡°That¡¯s good my brothers, if you keep up the good work, soon we¡¯ll be able to start the second phase of our plan and punish those traitors!¡± A grey haired man entered the room followed by the man they had followed.

    ¡°See, I was right, those circles are the reason they the weather is playing crazy. The rituals they are doing cause the temperature to fall while blocking all other lower tier weather interference magic.¡± Tristan said while he kept looking at the scene under them.

    ¡°They are coming!¡± Another man entered the gym screaming.  ¡°They are coming, I one of our observers saw them talking to the operators of the Portal Main Station so they would open a Portal to our district.¡±

    The face of the man who seemed to be their leader darkened. ¡°Why we were so close! I guess it can¡¯t be helped we¡¯ll have to change locations, get ready to get out of here ASAP!

    ¡°Not with me!¡± Tristan suddenly appeared in front of the leader of the operation.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The grey haired man shouted at Tristan.

    ¡°None of your business.¡±  Tristan said accelerating towards the man and ramming his elbow into his stomach, sending him flying, causing him to lose consciousness.

    ¡°He is all by himself, he can¡¯t possibly fight us all at once, so help me guys!¡±  One of the men screamed and his companions responded with a loud war cry.

    *Sigh*

    Tristan dodged all their laughable attempts of hitting him with their fists. And one by one his fists, landed on the big, wild looking men abdomen causing them to lose consciousness.

    Soon the men realized they had no chance of winning and tried to flee, he couldn¡¯t possibly catch them all if they dispersed through all four entrances of the gym. But-

    ¡°I took myself the liberty to seal all the entrances that means you are stuck here with me.¡± Tristan explained calmly with a sadistic smile on his face. ¡°Now who is next?¡±

    ¡°Please spare me! Ahhh-¡± Was all Abigail heard from the roof of the building.  She had adverted her eyes from the things happening inside the gym, since she couldn¡¯t see anymore how Tristan brutally beat the criminals that didn¡¯t stand a chance against him.

    Even if they used magic against Tristan, their actions were all in vain. The difference in their power levels was just too high for them to overcome.

    After fifteen minutes, no one but Tristan was still standing in the room. Tristan could have defeated them way faster if he wanted, but for some of the men he took himself a little more time, to savor their despair a little longer.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I hate you or anything, but I don¡¯t stand the cold weather, so don¡¯t ever try to pull this again!¡± He said towards the motionless bodies all around him.

    After a while Sabrina and the rest of their team finally arrived to the gym. The weather had already gone to normal and Abigail and Tristan were sitting on the roof of the gym enjoying the warm night.

 Unannounced Visit

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (1.12.9980 AS)

    Aetas was sitting in front of his desk in his specious bureau. He was starting to feel uncomfortable, not because of the hundreds of papers stapled neatly into towers in front of him, but because of the deep blue eyes watching his every movement.

    After a while he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Bella isn¡¯t here, so what are you doing here? And how did you manage to enter my bureau? Didn¡¯t Bella tell you not to run around my palace? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯ll get into trouble if some other god meets you?¡±

    Clair looked bored at the questions.  ¡°I know Bella isn¡¯t here, why else would I hang out with you? And to answer your second question, Bella showed me to use that mirror.¡± Clair pointed at the mirror behind next to Aetas.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°By my nonexistent beard, why would she do that?¡± Aetas looked more annoyed at Bella than at Clair.

    ¡°Maybe because she knew it would make you feel uncomfortable having to deal with me.¡± Clair tried to look all innocent.

    ¡°You! Even knowing that I would get mad you came here? Are you that brave or just plain stupid?¡± Aetas stood up and smashed annoyed the papers he had in his hands on his table causing the paper towers to collapse.

    Seeing the chaos created by Aestas didn¡¯t face Clair at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m neither stupid nor brave; it¡¯s just that I¡¯m Bella¡¯s play thing, so I¡¯m pretty sure you would be on the losing end if you did something to me.¡± Clair gave Aetas an understanding smile.

    Aetas deflated and sank into his chair as he realized what she had said made perfect sense. He waved with his hand, causing the papers to return to the position they were before his little outburst.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question, why are you here? What do you want from me?¡± His change of tone was almost scary since he now sounded so calm and collected.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just came here as usual, and Bella wasn¡¯t around so I decided to pay you a visit, since I didn¡¯t feel like waiting all by myself over there in her quarters.¡±  Clair answered disinterested, almost mechanically.

    ¡°Why not just stay at home instead of coming here wasting my time?¡±

    Clair giggled a little, hearing the God of time talking about not having enough time. ¡°Well, my live there with the mortals isn¡¯t really the burner; to be honest; I would get mad if it wasn¡¯t for my time spending here, where I can be I without having to play the princess.¡±

    ¡°And watching me working is so much better than what you have there?¡±

    ¡°Yup, way better; you know it¡¯s not about what you do to spend your time, but about the people you spend it with.¡± Clair nodded sincerely.

    ¡°But you and I have almost never interacted with each other, how would you know that I¡¯m so much better than the mortals living with you?¡±

    ¡°Because Bella truly loves you, and if she does care about you that much, it means you must be someone I can trust.¡± Clair said with an honest tone causing Aetas to blush a little.

    ¡°You sure know your way with words, missy.¡± Aetas said, standing up and walking over the couch Clair was sitting on to take place next to her.

    ¡®Now I see what you see in her¡­¡¯ He thought as she watched him move next to her with big eyes.

    ¡°So how was your day?¡± He finally asked the same question Bella would ask her whenever they met.

    ¡°The same as usual; I¡¯m still not allowed to leave the palace, I was taught about how evil the demons are and like always I had to amuse some nobles and those people that try to act as my friends.¡± Clair said with a tired voice.

    ¡°Boy, that sure sounds cruel, being grounded for years straight. If it was me, I would have told you of, because you did something reckless.¡± Aetas nodded honest as he answered her.

    ¡°Well, I will probably stay grounded till the day I get married off to that idiot Viktor.¡± Clair said with a sad voice.

    ¡°¡­¡±  Aetas didn¡¯t know what to say. He genuinely felt sorry for Clair and anger towards her parents for treating her so bad. ¡®I will have to talk to Bella, to treat her better than she does now, or else she might break completely. I mean comparing her to the girl she was when I first saw here, she¡¯s nothing more than an empty shell.

    ¡°Do you have any ambitions that belong only to you and you alone?¡± Aetas asked concerned.

    Clair nodded with a happy smile. ¡°You see two years ago, I fought that one Demon in Terra¡­ I want to meet him again; I have so many questions to him! And I also want to fight him again! I want to beat him! I want to win against him in a fair and square fight just between the two of us!¡± She said enthusiastically.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Aetas answered with a small voice. ¡°And how are you going on about it?¡± He added.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know I¡¯m still in the planning phase, so I don¡¯t know yet the details.¡±

    Aetas took out a clock from his pocket and gave it to Clair. ¡°When the time comes you just have to use this, and you¡¯ll have a reliable tool to reach your goal.¡±

    Tri; Fors¡¯ Domain (1.12.9980 AS)

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s fine for us to be here?¡± Dunkler as was leading a party of five people through a thick oak forest.

    ¡°Of course it is, why shouldn¡¯t it? I¡¯m here to visit the grave of my dead brother and his wive.¡± Bella who was dressed in a tight black dress answered as she followed Dunkler who was wearing a black suit.

    ¡°Oh, yes, I¡¯m sorry for my stupidity.¡± Dunkler bowed towards his masters before he continued walking in front of the group.

    After a few minutes they were finally out of the forest. A little earlier than they had expected, back then the forest would cover most of Tri up to the small area reserved for the three Gods as their living quarters.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Now most of the old forest was gone, replaced by small wooded lodges.  ¡°Do you feel it, they are staring at us.¡± Mephis noted as they continued to follow Dunkler who had assumed a fighting stance as he slowly walked past the houses.

    ¡°Yeah, but they won¡¯t do anything to us, so quit that stupid stance and walk like a normal person.¡± Bella warned Dunkler, who shrugged a little after hearing his master¡¯s words and finally let his ward down.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how the things changed here since we last were here!¡± Helles pointed out and continued to survey her surroundings with big eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hard to believe that he changed this realm so much, destroying all of Alexa¡¯s trees.¡± Gabe looked sad at the wooden houses and their owners.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    None of them said another word and continued walking in silence, till they finally reached their destination: Permix¡¯s and Alexa¡¯s former house.

    To their surprise the big white plantation house was surrounded by a tall black metal fence on whom wild plants had started to grow. Thanks to these plants they could barely see through the fence.

    Soon the group started looking for an entrance.  When they had been last here, there was no fence, so they didn¡¯t know where to look for the entrance.  After walking almost a full circle around the big house, or better said mansion, they finally reached the entrance.

    Bella gestured Dunkler to open the big clunky Iron Gate and followed him inside. They walked past the mansion and finally reached the graves of Permix, Alexa and their unborn child.

    Bella sighed sadly as she saw the state of the graves; the wilderness had taken over most of the area around the mansion and did make stop on the graves of her brother and his wife.

    ¡°Clean that up.¡±  She said with a cold voice, as she sated on the graves with a sad expression.

    Her four guards did as they were ordered and started cleaning up the area around the graves.  They easily did so, thanks to the use of magic.  They even decorated the graves, as they saw fit.

    Bella finally nodded, satisfied.  ¡°Much better, it¡¯s been ten thousand years big bro.¡±  She continued with a sad voice.  ¡°A lot happened. I finally got married to Aetas as you advised me to, but unfortunately this damn body of mine is cursed and not being able to bear a healthy child.¡±  Bella¡¯s expression turned darker than it already was.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve found a replacement, I bet you would have liked her to.¡± Tears started flowing on Bella¡¯s rosy cheeks. She wiped them with her hands and looked upwards to calm down a little.

    ¡°I¡­ I also found a boy with that might have the potential to be your successor.¡± She smiled bitterly. ¡®And don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll soon be able to rest in peace, I¡¯ll soon make your last wish come true and take revenge on Fors.¡¯  She finally managed to calm down and looked rather determined as she thought those words.

    ¡°We are going back.¡±  She said after giving her guards a few minutes for themselves with their former masters.

    When walking back they found Fors waiting for them next to the Iron Gates. Fors that looked like a man in his mid-fifties was wearing a short silver beard that did fit pretty well to his short silver colored hair. He faked a smile at Bella and her guards, causing his face to show his wrinkles.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s a surprise, what did I do to deserve the visit of the goddess of beauty herself? Let me guess, you got sick of  Aetas and are running into my arms to comfort you!¡±  He said roaring in laughter.

    Bella just ignored him as she walked past him without even sparing him a glance.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you!¡± Fors screamed annoyed and ordered the black haired woman next to him to block the path of Bella¡¯s group.

    Dunkler immediately took a fighting stance as he was leading the group.

    ¡°Long time not seen  Yaru.¡± Dunkler said as he realized who the woman in front of him was. ¡°So you finally reached Reiter level!¡±

    Yaru ignored Dunkler¡¯s provocation. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been long since I last saw you.¡±

    Dunkler looked taken aback, he clearly did not expect Yaru to react so collected. Gabe used this and squished himself between the two of them pushing Dunkler behind.

    *Sigh*

    Bella sighed at Dunkler¡¯s and Fors¡¯ behavior and turned towards the latter with a fake smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t I allowed to visit my brother¡¯s grave on the anniversary of his death?¡±

    ¡°You are, but why are you visiting now?¡± Fors sounded intrigued. ¡°So many years passed and you never bothered visiting.¡±

    ¡°Well, today marks the ten thousand¡¯s year of his death, so I had to come, ten thousand is a really big number.¡± She said keeping her cool.

    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me.¡±  Fors pointed his fingers at Bella. ¡°I know you¡¯re up to something, in my world! But you know I won¡¯t allow it!  Yes, whatever you are up to, I won¡¯t let it happen! Things in my world aren¡¯t going as I planned them to and then you show up! Coincidence I don¡¯t think so!¡±

    Fors took a deep breath. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any evidence on you, but once I have I¡¯ll have to go to the court and will have you punished¡­ Let¡¯s see what your husband does, if he punishes you like you deserve or if he spares you¡­ Just to gain the hate of other Gods by showing he isn¡¯t capable of deciding objective.¡±

    Fors looked pleased as he came to that conclusion.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, tell me when you find any evidence on me.¡± Bella answered with a sarcastic tone and shoved Yaru by side, who was still trying to block their paths.

    Fors just stood there holding onto his rage as he watched Bella¡¯s group disappear into the village around the mansion.

    ¡°Do whatever you see fit to deny her!¡± He barked at Yaru. ¡°Make sure that her stupid plans end in tragedy, kill whoever you see as a threat. Just make sure that her plans fail.¡±

    ¡°Yes, My Lord.¡±  Fors could hear Yaru¡¯s determined voice from behind him as he walked through the same way he had come to the mansion.

    Nocturnio (2.12.9980 AS)

    Laidir was walking nervously up and down in his office. He looked anxiously at his clock.  ¡°Why would she want to see me? I did everything I could without making people wary of me! It¡¯s not my fault that that Schatten boy managed to prevent my plan at such early stage. And I even promised Ray and Lamia not to touch him.¡±

    He sighed depressed as the door of his office was suddenly opened.

    ¡°Kyaaa.¡±  He let out a for him untypical sound escape.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong dad?¡± Mala his legitimate daughter entered the office.

    ¡°Nothing, anyways, why are you here? I don¡¯t have time for one of your childish ideas. I¡¯m expecting an important guest, so please leave immediately.¡±  He said with a cold voice.

    Although, Mala his daughter he didn¡¯t really like her, she looked too much like her mother, a woman he couldn¡¯t stand. So he always treated her coldly and tried to interact with her as less as possible.

    ¡°Grandma told me, I had to be present in this important meeting.¡±  The petite brunet said, trying to hide the disappointed in her thin face.

    It was the first time she would be part of such an important meeting with her father no less!  Her father, who hadn¡¯t accepted her since she was small, and now she would show him her worth. Yes, no matter what she couldn¡¯t mess up this meeting no matter what, she had to show him that she was worthy of being a Zerst?rung. That¡¯s why she smiled so brightly to her father.

    Unfortunately, her father took her smile as a form of mocking. What an angered him more. ¡°Fine, if you have to be here, just stay there behind me and don¡¯t say a single word.¡±

    Mala nodded and walked behind her father facing the door, her brown eyes glued on the back of her father.

    Then finally the door opened once again; it was Yaru.

    ¡°Welcome home Granny.¡± Laidir bowed deeply towards her, so did Mala after a few seconds of thinking if it was appropriate to bow to a stranger.

    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s skip the small talk and go straight to the point.¡± Yaru said as she slowly closed the door and walked into the room, taking place on Laidir¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Of course, we are at your service!¡± Laidir said with a serious expression on his face, while Mala nodded behind him.

    ¡°Good, the goal hasn¡¯t changed much, but instead of just obstructing their wealth accumulation, I want you to kill Siegfried and Nana.¡± Yaru said with a serious voice.

    ¡°The other clans won¡¯t accept that. Nana is under the protection of the Schatten and Siegfried is backed up by the Tod, so we can¡¯t rush our actions.¡± Laidir tried to explain.

    ¡°I knew you would say something stupid like that, that¡¯s why I ordered the next clan head to join this meeting. Mala, do you feel like you would be able to kill an old woman and a mad scientist with the help of some Verheerung?¡± Yaru said towards Mala, who was taken aback by hearing her name getting thrown into the discussion so casually.

    ¡°Erm¡­ Yes, I think so.¡± Mala answered insecurely.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, you can¡¯t think of a better way to introduce yourself as the next head of the clan!¡± Yaru said happily. ¡°Your stage will be the new year¡¯s party thrown by our clan.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ But¡­ Who are you?¡± Mala brought out of her mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m the founder of this clan; Yaru Zerst?rung.¡±

    ¡°That Yaru Zerst?rung?¡±

    ¡°Who else would I be, silly?¡±  Yaru said and walked towards Mala and linked arms with her, now let¡¯s discuss the details.

 Preparations for the Party

    Obscurati (5.12.9980 AS)

    Mala was sitting in the in a broad palatial room. In front of her, was a woman she had never seen before, she was kneeling in front of them her straight long brown hair was tied behind her head in a bun.

    Mala smiled shyly towards her, not knowing how to react to said person. She knew the woman belonged to a side family of the Zerst?rung Clan, but she had never heard of said family. Which seemed strange, because said family seemed to be quite important for the Zerst?rung.

    ¡°They are our hitman.¡± Yaru explained to her, sensing how Mala was lost after being thrown into this situation.

    Mala didn¡¯t say anything but just looked towards her father, who for some reason seemed more anxious than the time she had first met Yaru.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for our small family to have the founder of the clan and the next clan head visiting us. Especially since we are such an insignificant side family¡± the woman said, bowing towards Yaru and Mala ignoring Ladir.

    ¡®Why is she being so openly hostile towards the current clan head? And why isn¡¯t dad reacting to her provocation?¡¯ Mala asked herself looking at her father, who looked even more uncomfortable.

    ¡°Where is Isil? He is always fun to have around?¡± Yaru asked looking around.

    ¡°Well, you know he isn¡¯t well to speak of a certain someone here.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes landed on Laidir.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Yaru covered her mouth with a stunned expression. ¡°Well, that certain someone is really a good for nothing, so I won¡¯t say much about this matter, anyways how is your granddaughter doing?¡±

    The woman looked uncomfortable hearing that question. ¡°Fine, I guess. It¡¯s been years since I last saw her; you know her mother doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the clan anymore.¡±

    ¡°What a shame, she was soooo talented¡­ If only some people here had a backbone and knew how to control themselves.¡± Yaru said smacking the back of Laidir¡¯s head.

    Mala who continued smiling was lost, she didn¡¯t even know her role in this room nor what she was supposed to do in this situation. She just felt like an alien that just had arrived a new planet. ¡®Is this how the life of the clan head is? Will I have to deal daily with situations like this once I¡¯m next the clan head?¡¯ She wondered uneasily.

    Mala was brought back from her thoughts as Yaru cough slightly to ensure, she had Mala¡¯s attention. ¡°Well, I that¡¯s enough of pleasantries, don¡¯t you think Kila? And it¡¯s obvious why we are here; we want you to dispose of someone.¡±

    The look in the face of the woman named Kila changed from a calm and collected one into a more serious and determined. ¡°All I need is a name and the person in question will be dealt with.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear, but you see the people we want you to dispose of are top level VIP¡¯s, so it won¡¯t be as easy as you think.¡±

    Kila laughed awkwardly. ¡°What¡¯s their fighting level?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, probably not over Super Devil.¡±

    ¡°You scared me there a little; I thought you wanted us to kill that Schatten woman.¡± Kila sighed in relief.

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t ask for the impossible no Mortal can kill Lamia. I still don¡¯t know what the Schatten are doing. Why are they waiting so long to get her out of her position and announce the next head of their clan.¡±

    ¡°According our intelligence gathered, the future head of the Schatten is the complete opposite of their current clan head. A total loser, he is as old as our Mala, yet he hasn¡¯t even reached King level. That¡¯s why Lamia can¡¯t retire.¡±

    Yaru smiled amused. ¡°Poor woman, anyways let¡¯s go back to your targets. We want you to kill Siegfried and Nana.¡±

    ¡°As in the richest persons in our society?¡± Kila asked baffled. ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡±

    ¡°I thought you would do your work with no questions asked.¡±

    ¡°Erm¡­ Of course, we don¡¯t have to know, but if we dispose of these people, we might cause a civil war!¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll just have to show them the power of the Clans.¡± Yaru answered coldly.

    ¡°If it is as you say, I don¡¯t mind. We will prepare a team of our best men and women, to take care of the job.¡±

    ¡°So, Isil and you will take care of this? That¡¯s a great idea, but I want you to take Mala with you. As the future clan head, she has to see what goes on behind the scenes and how it feels to murder someone cold bloodily.¡±

    Mala¡¯s fake smile broke for a few moments as she heard Yaru¡¯s words.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t killed anyone yet, right darling?¡± Yaru asked with a curious tone.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± Mala answered while shaking her head.

    ¡°Good, good, there is no better ways to get your first blood than by killing the two richest individuals in our world.¡± Yaru said with a cheerful voice, clapping her hands.

    ¡°¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Mala answered insecure.

    Nocturnio (31.12.9980 AS)

    ¡°Are you coming to the party with me?¡± Nana asked Tristan who was sitting in their living room a heavy looking book in his hands.

    ¡°Nope¡± Tristan answered, looking up from the book. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to ta party there is no one of my age, also I might meet my parents there.¡± He explained further with an annoyed tone.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why you should come with me! You¡¯ll rarely get opportunities like this, you know! And wouldn¡¯t it be nice seeing your parents after such a long time?¡± Nana said enthusiastically.

    ¡°You might be right, but what of it? Even if I meet them tonight, it doesn¡¯t mean I can go back home and play a happy family with them.¡± Tristan closed his book and put it on the table, to be able to talk to Nana properly.

    ¡°¡­ But you know I¡¯m sure your parents would be really happy to meet you again!¡± Nana once again tried with a cheery voice.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t, there is a reason why they gave me away¡­¡± Tristan smiled bitterly as he said those words, not because he felt that way. No, because he knew his parents loved him and he had just said those words, so Nana would leave him alone.

    The reason why he didn¡¯t want to the party as Tristan was because he was also invited as Siegfried and this was a social gathering he couldn¡¯t refuse no matter how quirky Siegfried¡¯s character was.

    The smile disappeared from Nana¡¯s face and she threw herself on Tristan to hug him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry.¡± She whispered to Tristan, doing her best not to cry.

    Tristan returned the hug and enjoyed her warmth for a few seconds before he finally answered. ¡°And also, as long I have you, I don¡¯t need any other parent or family.¡± His words just caused that the intensity of Nana¡¯s hug increased.

    ¡°¡­. I¡­ can¡¯t ... breathe¡­¡± Tristan said exhausted as he was being crushed by Nana.

    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Nana said finally letting Tristan free. ¡°Well, if you really don¡¯t want to come, then there isn¡¯t much I can do.¡± She said, straightening the long silver-blue cocktail dress she was wearing. ¡°Does it look fine?¡± She asked Tristan once she was done putting her dress back how it had been.¡±

    ¡°It makes you look at least 200 years younger¡± Tristan answered showing two thumbs up.

    ¡°You sure know how to please a woman; I¡¯ll have to keep a good eye on you, so that you don¡¯t turn into a Casanova.¡± Nana said giving Tristan a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Well, then I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°Bye¡± Tristan waved at her with one hand, with the other he was trying to clean away the lipstick from his cheeks.

    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Nana waved back and closed the door behind her.

    Tristan sighed in relief when nana finally left their apartment. There wasn¡¯t much time left and his Transformation spell, a saint level spell he had developed out of his Illusions Magic took quite some time to cast.

    He had chosen to develop this spell because of his role as Siegfried. Although, Siegfried¡¯s quirky character demanded him to often stay at home and to not attend to many social events, he was still forced to attend to many events like the one this night.

    A simple illusion even in emperor level wouldn¡¯t do it anymore, or at least Tristan felt that it was too risky to use such a spell to disguise himself.

    Tristan opened a gate to the dimension his laboratory was on; there he had created a special room not even Abigail had access to. He walked in the wide room filled with hundreds of rare magical artefacts, most of which he had created himself.

    He had created this room just for himself, so whenever he would feel sad, he would come to this room and work on the artefacts to clear his thoughts. Most of the artefacts were useless, but some few had the ability to nuke a City as big as Nocturnio.

    Tristan walked towards the broad closet and started looking at the different gala-garments. One was more bizarre then the other. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was thinking when I created Siegfried.¡± He sighed exhausted. ¡°Guess, I can¡¯t change it anymore¡­¡±

    Tristan took out a red smoking with green and blue dots out of the closet to wear at the party. After changing into it, he looked at the mirror to finally start casting his magic, but he couldn¡¯t help to turn red out of embarrassment.

    ¡°Come on Tristan, you¡¯ve done it plenty of times! Besides the suit might look silly, but the enchantments on it could even stop a death spell from someone as powerful as Dunkler¡­ Probably¡­¡± He said to himself out lout clapping with his hands on his cheeks, trying to convince himself to wear the suit.

    ¡°And here we go again, it¡¯s always the same with you! Let¡¯s just skip this cheap comedy act and go straight to the scene where you finally cast that stupid spell of yours!¡± Schattenklinge said rolling his eyes.

    Tristan squinted his eyes. ¡°Why are you so interested in going to the party as fast as possible?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know I just feel like this party is going to be real fun! And don¡¯t you want to go there as soon as possible to meet your parents?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess you are right, I can¡¯t be late when I¡¯m one of the honor guests.¡± Tristan answered convinced and started casting the spell by using the gemstone on one of his armlets

    After over one and a half hours he was finally done with the spell and the man in front of the mirror wasn¡¯t Tristan anymore but Siegfried.

 Corpse Party

    Obscurati (31.12.9980 AS)

    Mala was walking up and down inside of her spacious room, her face an unbreakable mask. She was trying to kill the time before her performance tonight. She had already changed into a long violet one piece dress that showed more of her short legs, then she was comfortable with, but it couldn¡¯t be helped since she would need to be able to move her legs as she pleased tonight.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that scary face?¡± A young man asked her, as he entered her room without knocking. Mala glared at him for a few seconds before finally relaxing a little after verifying who he was.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you.¡± She sighed in relief. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s just that this evening I¡¯ll be finally assuming some works that only the next clan head can do.¡± She said with an insecure voice.

    ¡°Does that mean that Gramps is finally retiring?¡± The young man asked not being able to hide his joy.

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Mala gave a short reply. ¡°But still I received a really important task for tonight and I¡¯m not allowed to fail.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s all, good luck to you.¡± The youth, said not hiding his disappointed. ¡°Then I¡¯m off meeting my friends at the party.¡± He said taking out his Commu out of his pocket.

    ¡°Before you go, could you spare mom a hug?¡± Mala smiled at him, finally losing up her serious face.

    ¡°But, mom, I¡¯m already almost 100 years old! I¡¯m no child anymore.¡± The youth answered in protest.

    ¡°Alva.¡± Mala said with a serious voice. ¡°The way you act says otherwise, also we are not even in public and mom really needs a hug from her big boy.¡± She said with a childish voice.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I got it.¡± Alva, Mala¡¯s son and 3<sup>rd</sup> in line of the succession of the Zerst?rung clan finally walked over to his mother and hugged her with an annoyed expression in his ridiculously handsome face.

    ***

    Siegfried teleported directly in front of the entrance of Castle of Zerst?rung the main residence of the Zerst?rung Clan. There he met a woman wearing a maid uniform that for some reason reminded Siegfried of Laura.

    ¡°The master said he would love to meet you before the festivities start.¡± The maid that seemed to have been waiting for him said, showing him the way to the insides of the Castle.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Siegfried said, looking around the ornaments of the stupidly big door. Following the maid they passed a room filled with people dressed up in expensive garments from head to toe. It was pretty obvious that the party had already started when he arrived.

    And he would most likely miss more, since the host wanted to talk to him in private before the party even started.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, since everybody would love to meet the genius who had revolutionized the world with one simple invention. But still, Siegfried didn¡¯t like being treated different than others.

    After taking three or four different staircases they finally reached what seemed to be the lowest floor of the Castle.

    ¡®I don¡¯t like this.¡¯ Siegfried said to Schattenklinge nervously.

    ¡®Me either, but we can¡¯t turn tail now, don¡¯t you want to know what awaits us here?¡¯

    ¡®Not really.¡¯

    ¡®Stop being such a whiny bitch, that¡¯s why you can never win!¡¯ Schattenklinge said with an annoyed voice.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°We are here.¡± The maid said and opened a big heavy looking door with ease.

    ¡°Good.¡± Siegfried walked into spacious room that for some reason felt like a big stage. Siegfried looked upwards and he could see people looking down towards him from small balcony like rooms like one could find in an opera.

    ¡°Siegfried, over here!¡± A silver haired woman waved enthusiastically towards him. It was Nana who had been chatting with several other people, Siegfried had never seen before.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this exciting?¡± Nana said with a genuine smile on her face. ¡°All of these people here are young and successful entrepreneurs without close ties with any of the three main clans. And the people on the balconies are all high level members of their respective Clans. Over there, for example, is Lamia Schatten chatting with her husband.¡± She pointed excited upwards.

    ¡°Not good.¡± Siegfried said, grabbing Nana¡¯s hand and walking towards the only exit in the room. But he was too late. The maid had already closed the big door.

    ¡®You feel that? There is a spell that cancels any type of warp magic; teleporting, no, even summoning are impossible in this room.¡¯ Schattenklinge explained with a dry voice.

    ¡®I can¡¯t even open my gates.¡¯ Siegfried said, glaring towards the people in the balconies.

    ¡°Siegfried, you are hurting me.¡± Nana said, trying for free herself from his grab.

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡± Siegfried finally let go.

    ¡°Very well, now that everybody who needs to be here is here, let¡¯s start.¡± A peerless beauty addressed the people in the balconies, while slowly descending to the center of the stage.

    ¡°As you all know, I¡¯m Yaru, the founder of the Zerst?rung Clan and one of the most trusted Reiter of the Devine one; Fors.¡± Yaru said with a proud voice.

    ¡®This doesn¡¯t sound good; can you break the spell grounding us here?¡¯ Tristan asked Schattenklinge.

    ¡®Yeah, but you¡¯ll have to hold them of for five minutes by yourself I can lent you some of my magic traits though.¡¯ Schattenklinge answered with a panicking voice.

    ¡®Holding of a Reiter for five minutes without any weapons nor my active, having to protect Nana¡­ Nothing easier than that.¡¯ Siegfried said with a sarcastic tone and started laughing out loud hysterically.

    ¡°Who dares to interrupt me?¡± Yaru cried towards him. ¡°And what¡¯s so funny?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, nothing, I just find delusional fanatics quite amusing. It¡¯s public knowledge that the Gods don¡¯t care about us mortals.¡± Siegfried said with a defying tone. ¡®Kyaaaaaaaa, WHY AM I OFFENDING A REITER?? WHYYYYY?¡¯ He screamed internally.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    The people in the balconies started whispering between each other.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yaru said, glaring daggers at him. ¡°What if I told you, that I¡¯m an immortal and only here because Fors himself ordered your deaths?¡±

    ¡°If you say so, but can you proof it?¡± Siegfried tried to stay as cool as possible as those words left his lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to proof anything to a mortal like you.¡± Yaru appeared in front of Tristan as she said so, causing Siegfried to jump back all scared, falling on his behind.

    ¡°Well, you all heard right, Fors himself ordered to dispose of these despicable people!¡± She once again returned to her boastful voice. ¡°And so, I decided to leave that task to Mala, the daughter of the actual clan head of the Zerst?rung and the next heir of the clan!¡± Yaru paused dramatically and pointed towards the center of the room.

    Now there was a petite woman standing next to the maid, that had lead Tristan in this room. Meanwhile, all the other people on the stage ran towards the sealed exit of the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, darling. This is your time to shine; you just have to dispose of this weaklings.¡± Yaru said towards Mala who finally waved causing most of the people in the balcony to applaud in approval.

    Siegfried crawled backwards towards the other people and stood up in front of them. He was speechless; he just couldn¡¯t believe the people in the balcony. Were they really cheering for their deaths?

    Could it be? Could his parents be cheering for his death? Unwillingly, he looked upwards to the balcony, he had seen them earlier. To his relief he could see, how Ray and a woman were restraining Lamia, and trying to get her out of the room without causing a commotion.

    Siegfried smiled bitterly. ¡®She cared; even it¡¯s just a little.¡¯ He thought. ¡®How much time left?¡¯ He asked Schattenklinge.

    ¡°Four minutes.¡± A Rusty voice answered inside of his head.

    ¡°Looks like, we will be able to do it.¡± Before he could finish his thought, Mala answered Yaru¡¯s order.

    ¡°With pleasure.¡± She said with a cold voice, causing Yaru to smile once brighter than the morning sun. ¡°Very well, the stage is all yours.¡± Yaru answered and disappeared.

    Mala smiled towards Siegfried and did cast her first spell. A fireball appeared out of nowhere and flew towards the people trying to flee through the sealed exit.

    Siegfried once again grabbed Nana¡¯s arm, putting her behind him and did cast a spell on his own. A wall of shadows appeared in front of the two of them shielding them from the fireball.

    ¡°Thought so, this wouldn¡¯t be so easy.¡± Mal said casting another fireball and throwing it towards them. While doing so, she ran backwards, jumped upwards and did cast her destruction magic.

    Siegfried¡¯s wall of shadows withstood the fireball, but was shattered by the invisible wave that followed it.

    ¡°Shit.¡± Siegfried screamed and ran with Nana in his hands by side, closely evading another invisible wave of destruction, causing the people unlucky enough to get hit by it to explode like a balloon. Their innards flew everywhere dying the room in a grotesque red color, leaving behind an almost unbearable stench.

    The last survivor besides Siegfried and Nana activated her acceleration magic and ran towards the point he expected Mala to land. ¡°As if I would die without a good fight!¡± She screamed just to be decapitated by a gush of wind coming from the Maid behind Mala.

    Nana covered her mouth in shock, fighting the urge to vomit. Tears fell down her face, her cheerful and excited self, had vanished for good. ¡°Tristan, what about my Tristan?¡± She whispered ready to die.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you out of here, even if it is the last thing I do.¡± Siegfried said standing up.

    ¡°Is that all you can do? Pretty lame for an upcoming clan head, don¡¯t you think?¡± Siegfried said as he casually walked towards her, making sure he had her attention.

    The reason was simple, only two people were left from the new rich entrepreneurs: Nana and Him. He wanted to protect Nana with all he could, so he had decided to fight this Mala and the maid until he could teleport himself and Nana out of the room to safety.

    ¡°Get Him!¡± he could hear the crowd exclaim, while whispers once again erupted from the balconies.

    ¡°Tch.¡± He could feel Mala¡¯s killing intend.

    ¡°Reality Slash!¡± She screamed and Siegfried could feel an invisible wave of destruction magic come towards him. He countered by creating a wall of shadows in front of him.

    Once hit by Mala¡¯s attack the wall of shadows vanished. And Seigfried was send flying by an air bullet, created by the maid behind Mala.

    ¡°See, you can¡¯t even fight by yourself, and you want to call yourself an upcoming clan head?¡± Siegfried said standing up as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Like I care what someone like you says.¡± Mala answered letting hundreds of small fireballs land on the spot Siegfried had been. But he had already started running towards them with an incredible speed. Not letting them much time to react.

    However the maid behind Mala created a wind wall before Siegfried could reach Mala.

    ¡°Annoying woman!¡± Siegfried screamed and tentacles of shadows grabbed the maid on her heels and started slamming her on the ground.

    ¡°Ouch.¡± The crow, the people on the balconies screamed in unison.

    ¡°Kila!¡± Mala cried the maid¡¯s name. ¡°You¡¯ll pay!¡± She once again sent a wave of destruction towards Siegfried who gracefully dodged it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what destruction is.¡± He answered and cast one of his strongest offensive spells. A storm of razor sharp shadows started moving towards Mala and Kila.

    ¡°This is bad!¡± Mala screamed and tried to avoid the maelstrom by jumping backwards.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help much.¡± Siegfried smiled smelling victory.

    ¡°Where did he learn such a strong spell?¡± Yaru exclaimed from the balcony she had retired to, to watch her ten times great grandchild do her job.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Laidir asked his eyes glued on the battle.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of Dunkler Schatten¡¯s trademark spells! No mortal should be able to cast that spell, since it¡¯s a mix of destruction magic, death magic and shadows magic!¡± Yaru screamed and adverted her eyes from the spell once Kila was thrown by the tentacles inside of the Maelstrom.

    The maelstrom shredded through Kilas body, causing blood and meat to fly everywhere on the stage causing a red mess.

    ¡°Kiiilllaaaaa¡±Mala screamed in panic, wiping Kila¡¯s blood from her face. She was shaking, her eyes in tears. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. She was supposed to be the hunter and not the hunted! She knew she wasn¡¯t weak, she her MR rating was over Mid Tier King, this meant only a handful of people were stronger than her in this world, and yet she was losing food to someone with no real affiliation to a clan!

    Mala closed her teary eyes as The Maelstrom was finally reaching her. As suddenly the Maelstrom stopped moving.

    Mala slowly opened her eyes and could see Yaru standing in front of her. She was holding the Maelstrom as if it was something tangible. ¡°Very well, this ought to be interesting.¡± Yaru said with a smile, as she ripped the Maelstrom apart.

    ¡°Not good. How long until we can get out of here?¡± He asked Schattenklinge out loud.

    ¡®20 seconds, now leave me alone!¡¯

    Siegfried smiled victoriously. ¡°Looks like your successor is no good.¡± Siegfried tried to win time by talking with Yaru.

    ¡°She¡¯s young, and has a bright future ahead of her. That¡¯s something I can¡¯t say about you.¡± Yaru disappeared from Siegfried¡¯s sight.

    Siegfried concentrated his mana onto his eyes and so he managed to see a blur swinging a punch towards him. He barely evaded the first punch, but was send flying by the second one.

    Siegfried¡¯s body smashed on the wall, creating cracks on it. Siegfried body slowly slid from the wall.

    ¡°Seigfried!¡± Nana called towards her friend who had fought on her behalf.

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Yaru answered, throwing a small ball of destruction magic towards her.

    ¡®Now, we can get out of here now!¡¯ Schattenklinge¡¯s words woke Siegfried up. He slowly opened his eyes to see the ball pierce through nana¡¯s stomach sending her flying.

    Siegfried¡¯s eyes started to fill with a burning liquid. All the pain he had felt from Yaru¡¯s pain seemed to concentrate on his chest area. He felt a burning pain, he felt like he would explode any moment now. He didn¡¯t care anymore. All he wanted that moment was revenge.

    He activated his active and summoned a gauntlet out of thin air. ¡°You¡¯ll pay.¡± He said to Yaru wiping his tears with his left hand, the hand he hadn¡¯t equipped the gauntlet with.

    ¡°Come at me with all you!¡± Yaru tried to provoke Siegfried, who was glaring at her.

    ¡°Schatty I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Siegfried screamed as battle cry and activated his Gate ability to appear in front of Mala, who was totally confused as why he had attacked her and not Yaru. Siegfried used the hand he had the gauntlet equipped on to punch Mala straight into her face, causing the magic in the gauntlets to activate.

    ¡°Fat Man¡± Tristan whispered with a sad smile, as the destructive power of the gauntlet caused everything around erupt in fire and destruction.

    Now that the seal of the room had been broken by Schattenklinge, the explosion spread through the Castle destroying everything in its way.

    In a hurry Yaru cast a barrier to minimize the damage caused by the explosion.

    ¡°What was he thinking ?¡± She glared at the spot Siegfried had been at. There was nothing left there. ¡°Killing himself after realizing it was all over? He probably thought, he could beat me with such a lousy attack, I guess he underestimated me.¡±

 Alone

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (01.01.9981 AS)

    ¡°¡­ After that, you concentrate your mana on the palms of your hands and voil¨¤ there you have, you have your ¡®mighty palm¡¯ one of the most basic chaos magic spells.¡± Bella send an invisible wave of chaos magic through the air and hit the dummies in front of them causing them to burst into thousands of pieces.

    ¡°So it¡¯s all about channeling the right amount of mana with the right frequency¡­¡± Clair muttered to herself as she went on trying the same spell Bella had just used; without success.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you fail, you¡¯ll eventually learn it, after all, your passive allows you to use all four types of magic mortals can use; light magic, shadows magic, death magic and destruction magic, so there is no spell in the mortal realm you can¡¯t cast.¡± Bella said petting Clairs head with a smile. ¡°So there are other types of magic besides the four I know?¡± Clair bewildered.

    ¡°Besides these four types of magic you mortals can use, we Gods possess the ability to use Devine Magic. Compared to the other types of magic this one is more free and powerful, because it isn¡¯t bound to a certain mana frequency.¡±

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t bound to a certain frequency how come the mortals can¡¯t cast it?¡±

    ¡°In a way they used it, but they don¡¯t. You see Devine Magic is the original magic, the one all the other types of magic descend from-.¡±

    ¡°Your holiness!¡± A beautiful brunette wearing a skimpy armor, if one could even call it armor, since in a fight it wouldn¡¯t protect anything. ¡°Something really bad happened.¡± The girl, said with a serious voice, while trotting towards Bella, to whisper some words in Bella¡¯s ears.

    ¡°No way, he did that! That¡¯s way too early to kick off the plan! They aren¡¯t ready yet. I still need time for them to get a little stronger. Just a few years! I need just a few years more, before we can finally strike.¡± Bella muttered to herself while biting on her long red colored nails.

    ¡°Your holiness, please calm down, you¡¯ll ruin your nails.¡± The woman said with a panicking voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the nails, I need to see him before he does something stupid, did you him bring here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I came after finally making sure, he was here.¡± The woman answered.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll go see him right away, to make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid, after all he can be very emotional, even if he tries to hide it.¡±

    Clair was watching the scene with a tilted head, not sure how to react. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what happened, but it sounds important¡­ we can postpone the training if you want to¡­¡± She finally chipped in shyly.

    ¡°Ohhhh, yeah the training, it would be bad if we lose any more time¡­ So, how about Lisa training you, for today?¡± Bella said while pointing at the woman.

    ¡°Is she qualified¡¯¡± Clair said with a doubtful voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she is. She¡¯s been my right hand woman since- ¡± ¨C¡°Many, many years, the actual number doesn¡¯t bother anyone!¡± The woman chipped in.

    ¡°Yes, yes the actual number doesn¡¯t bother anyone.¡± Bella said before leaving the room in a rush.

    ¡°So, what was she teaching you?¡±

    ***

    Bella walked into a large room, in the middle of it was a big red couch on it was lying potato bag shaped like a humanoid being, and a black monster not bigger than a ten year old, trying to wake up the potato bag. Bella had to look twice before realizing that the potato bag was Tristan.

    ¡°Come on Tristan don¡¯t be a sissy and pull yourself together, it¡¯s not the end of the world.¡± Bella could hear a rusty voice say at Tristan while the small shadowy monster was shacking Tristan, without getting any kind of response.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°And how might be you?¡± Bella said while examining the body of the shadowy monster, with her eyes.

    ¡°¡­ Schattenklinge, your holiness.¡± The monster replied and bowed towards Bella.

    ¡°And what¡¯s your connection to him?¡± Bella pointed towards Tristan still glaring sceptical towards Schattenklinge.

    ¡°I¡¯m this boy¡¯s teacher.¡± Schattenklinge said his head still bowing towards Bella, while making two steps towards the side so, that Bella could come closer to Tristan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember a pointing a parasite like you as his teacher.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Well¡­ I¡¯m his weapon¡­ I teach him all I know¡­ I¡­ Wasss Dunkler Schatten¡¯s weapon, and he appointed me to teach his successor how to fight and more importantly how to survive¡­¡± Schattenklinge sped further away from the couch, trying to dodge Bella¡¯s glare.

    ¡°Anyways, can you tell me what happened, you¡¯re a parasitic form after all, so you must have witnessed what happened.¡±

    ***

    ¡°¡­ And so after they got Nana, something snapped inside the boy and he actually equiped the unfinished gauntlet and used it without caring if he was killed by the explosion caused by that thing. He basically left me of taking care of his safety and that¡¯s what I did. I erected a barrier strong enough to survive the explosion and used his active to open a gate to his Lab, since he had lost his consciousness. There I performed first aid treatment to cure all of his injuries, so from a physical point of view he¡¯s fine now¡­¡± Schattenklinge explained what had happened after Tristan had nuked Mala.

    ¡°I see, it¡¯s good that he survived, but what we should do about¡­¡± Bella send Tristan a pitiful glance, before starting to pet his head and playing with his hair.

    ¡°Hey Tristan, do you remember me?¡± Bella waited a few seconds, but there was no reaction from Tristan.

    ¡°I heard, something horrible just happened to you, but you must be strong, this is not the time to be crying over spilled milk-¡± ¨C¡°Spilled MILK?¡± Tristan snapped towards Bella.

    ¡°Fuck off, I don¡¯t need a useless Goddess that only cares about her stupid master plan. Just Fuck off with that shit. Like seriously, who ever thought that sending a mortal tow kill a God is a good idea? Not ME! So please just fuck off with your stupid ¡®YoU MuSt GeT sTrOnGeR fOr ThE SaKe oF mY pLaN.¡¯ Like seriously, if your plan was a little bit smart I would understand, but fucking over the lives of a mortals for your personal revenge? Oh come on just fuck off!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, the bitch goddess is speechless.¡± Tristan glared at Bella. ¡°You know what¡¯s a good idea? Let me tell ya¡­ destroying the live of some kid, just for your personal vendetta. Oh wow, so smart, so fucking smart! Sounds like a master plan to me, yeah, let¡¯s go with it¡­ We don¡¯t care about that kid anyways, let¡¯s just use him till he¡¯s fulfilled his use and then throw him away like a broken toy! Yeah, because after we¡¯re done with him, he will be nothing more than a broken puppet!¡± Tristan screamed at Bella, with blood shot eyes.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Just please fuck off!¡± Tristan accelerated his body and appeared in front of Bella, ready to punch. His fist moved like a pistol towards Bella¡¯s face. Bella¡¯s body was sent flying through the room and crashed on a wall.

    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± Tristan screamed and once again appeared in front of Bella and kicked her right in her abdomen sending her flying once again.

    Tristan appeared where Bella was lying, grabbed her by her hair and screamed into her face. ¡°I¡¯m not your fucking puppet! So please count me out of your stupid plan! Please just leave me alone¡­ please I don¡¯t have anyone anymore, so please leave me be, let me alone, let me at least decide how to die.¡± He said letting go of Bella and falling to his knees starting to cry once again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ As you said it¡¯s my fault that you ended up like this, that¡¯s why I have to take responsibility.¡± Bella said, sitting up, showing not a single trace of Tristan¡¯s attacks earlier.

    ¡°Look at me. After you used all your power; you didn¡¯t even manage to put a scratch on me¡­ Don¡¯t you want to get it back to me and to the other Gods for doing this to you? Or were these punches, nothing, but a cheap show?¡±

    Tristan glared at Bella, tears falling down his cheeks.

    ¡°How about me letting me help you, getting stronger to take revenge on Fors and if you still want my head after killing Fors, you can have it. I promise you, if you still want to kill me after this is over, you can kill me, I won¡¯t even resist.¡± Bella said with an earnest smile on her face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t have anything to lose anymore anyways?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything stupid yet, but please leave me alone and go whispered with a resigned look on his face.

    ¡°You promise, you won¡¯t do anything stupid, like going to fight Yaru and the Fors¡¯ other minions?¡±

    ¡°Like a said, I won¡¯t do anything stupid, Nana wouldn¡¯t have wanted that, but that also means that I¡¯m out of your little game, so please send me how, I can¡¯t bear to see your face anymore.¡± Tristan said turning his back towards Bella.

    ¡°Promise me. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t sent you back.

    *Sigh*

    ¡°I won¡¯t kill myself by trying to fight Yaru and other members of Fors¡¯ army. And now let me go home, for some reason I can¡¯t teleport out of this world¡­¡± Tristan said with a bored voice.

    ¡°Ok, ok, I¡¯ll send you home, if you ever need something; remember I¡¯m here for you.¡± Bella said and hugged Tristan from behind, before opening the gate.

    ¡°I hope that time won¡¯t come.¡± Tristan said with a cold voice as he walked into the light.

    ¡°Is he still here?¡± Clair busted into the room just after the portal had closed once again. ¡°I heard something horrible happened to my future husband, and I came rushing to see if I can help him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Lisa rushed into the room. ¡°Somehow she managed to outwit me¡­¡± She said with a teary voice.

 Fake

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (03.05.9981 AS)

    ¡°What have I done wrong?¡± Bella asked in low spirits. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s my fault everything went south for him, right?¡± She asked once again in a low voice seeking approval, burying her face in Aeta¡¯s laps.

    ¡°Well¡­ it may or may not be your fault¡­¡± He answered vaguely while considering how satisfying it would be to be the one getting the lap pillow.

    ¡°Ouch¡± He was brought back from his thoughts as Bella pinched him.

    ¡°Hey, pay attention to what I¡¯m saying; just say it if you think it was my fault! How long we been married?¡± She said while puffing her cheeks.

    *Sigh*

    ¡®That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m scarred.¡¯ Aetas thought before gathering all of his courage. ¡°If you say you won¡¯t get mad at me; I kinda think it¡¯s your fault. ¨C Ouch. What was that for?¡±

    Bella had pinched Aetas once again. ¡°How can you say it is my fault?¡± She said with puffed cheeks pinching Aetas once again.

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± ¡®Women, I don¡¯t get them! If she wasn¡¯t that cute and sexy¡­ I¡­ I would have already dealt with her¡­¡¯

    ¡°Ouch! What was that one for? I didn¡¯t even say a word!¡±

    ¡°You were thinking something silly.¡± Bella said, sticking out her tongue.

    ¡°Do you know to whom you¡¯re talking?¡± Aetas said, turning all red with a rage filled voice.

    ¡°The best looking guy I know and the one with the sexiest ass in the whole universe.¡± Bella said and pinched him once again.

    ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Aetas didn¡¯t know how to react.

    ¡°I just love when you¡¯re confused, now don¡¯t be a wimp¡­ Let¡¯s switch places, so I can educate you properly.¡± Bella said with a devilish smile on her face.

    ¡°You know, even when I fucked up, and ask you if I actually fucked up, your job is to say that others were the ones that fucked up? Got it?¡± Bella said while petting Aetas head.

    ¡°Got, it.¡± Aetas said while enjoying the view on Bella¡¯s twin mountains.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m gonna do with you¡­ Anyways, you will have to agree that most of it is not my fault, but Fors¡¯. After all, he was the one that started this all, by killing my big bro¡­¡± Bella said once again with a pouting voice.

    ¡°You have a point there,¡­ and he was the one who gave the order to kill that boy¡¯s family after all.¡±

    Bella smiled slightly before continuing to pet Aetas head. ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t even meddle much in Tristan¡¯s affair, all of this happened because of his own decisions and not because I told him to do this or that!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, this all happened because of his own decision, and it¡¯s not like you¡¯re really intervening with his life, like you do with that poor girl ¨C Ouch!¡±

    ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s been almost half a year since his adoptive mother died, and he hasn¡¯t done anything stupid, which is kinda surprising.¡± Bella said.

    ¡°It seems like he held his promise. However, with enough time, he will probably end up doing something stupid. We didn¡¯t tell him, that if he wants to achieve immortality, he needs Divine help, and as how things looks he won¡¯t be getting any help from any Divine, and even if he reaches Saint level, he won¡¯t be able beat someone on Reiter level, no matter how much he tries. But we still have time before something like that happens.¡±

    ¡°You, are right, and without that parasite he isn¡¯t even Conqueror level yet.¡± Bella said, trying to reassure herself, that she still had time.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°And even if you can¡¯t come up with a plan, I¡¯ll help you out so it¡¯ will work out- OUCH- What was that one for?! I was just trying to help you!¡±

    ¡°I think I discovered a new fetish.¡± Bella whispered slowly in Aetas ears.

    ¡°You know I¡¯ll always on for this kind of action¡­ but I think I¡¯ll pass this time ¨C OUCH¡±

    Nocturnio (20.05.9981 AS)

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this at all! That woman is monopolizing him! Shouldn¡¯t we do something against it?! We are his friends after all!¡± Abigail said to Laura and Ernesti, who were sitting in front of her during the lunch break.

    ¡°There she goes again.¡± Ernesti said in an exhausted tone. ¡°So, what do you suggest? Isn¡¯t it good, that he is in high spirits again after that thing with his mom happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any ideas..¡± Abigail answered in a low voice, only for her to hear. She stood up and left, leaving the bewildered Laura and Ernesti behind.

    -But that wasn¡¯t what she wanted to say. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn¡¯t because of her promise. She knew so much more than the other two would ever get to know. It was precisely because she knew so much, that she felt really helpless right now.

    Because she knew the Tristan the others were seeing right now was nothing more than a Fake.

    Just thinking back of what had happened almost half a year ago caused her a lot of pain and sorrow.

    ***

    Tristan¡¯s Laboratory (01.01.9981 AS)

    ¡°Tristan!¡± Abigail cried out loud as she saw Schattenklinge trying to tend the wounds of the body of a young man, whose body was in such a bad shape she it would be impossible for anyone to recognize. Still for Abigail it was clear the one that was lying there fighting for his life was Tristan!

    The whole room had taken the odor of burned flesh and boiled blood. She could see the pus flow from some of the wounds on the side of the body.

    ¡°¡­¡± Abigail couldn¡¯t bring out any words anymore.

    ¡°SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!¡± Schattenklinge screamed as he did all he could, trying to keep Tristan alive. ¡°It was a trap, and I kinda forced him to fall for it!.. Nana is dead.¡± Schattenklinge explained with a broken voice as he heard Abigail approach.

    ¡°They had there a Reiter and two King level fighters, to kill all of the new rich, talk about overkill¡­¡± Schattenklinge continued.

    ¡°NO!¡± Abigail covered her mouth with both her hands and tears started to flow down her cheeks, as her eyes landed on the gauntlet Tristan was wearing.

    ¡°That idiot, he used that thing, you like to tinker with so much, even though, he knew it could kill him.¡± Schattenklinge said with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Why are you stopping with the treatment?!¡± Abigail asked perturbed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do¡­ I have done everything I can to stabilize him, but¡­. I¡¯m not pro, everything we can do is hope and pray he makes it.¡± Schattenklinge said while falling on his back because of exhaustion.

    ¡°Maybe I can help.¡± They could hear a female voice, while the owner of the voice slowly walked forwards.

    It was a young woman peerless in beauty, wearing a skimpy armor, like the ones you would find in cheap MMORPG¡¯s.

    ¡°How did you manage to enter this room?¡± Abigail roared at hear starting to chant her magic.

    ¡°I¡¯m Lisa; Bella sends me, to safe this boy¡¯s life.¡± The woman said, waving helplessly with her hands around the air.

    ¡°Bella?¡± Abigail asked, confused, it felt like a name Tristan had used once, but she couldn¡¯t tell who she was anymore.

    ¡°Good, please lend us a helping hand.¡± Schattenklinge rushed over to Lisa and lead her to Tristan.

    ¡°Hey, what if she is the enemy?¡± Abigail tried to stop them.

    ¡°She isn¡¯t, I assume she¡¯s one of Bella¡¯s Reiter, so she should be able to help.¡±

    ¡°Bella as in the woman, that messed with Tristan¡¯s life like this?¡± Abigail said while she continued glaring at Lisa, who now kneeling next to Tristan.

    ¡°By the power of the light in the Heaven¡¯s, I command; Full Heal!¡± Lisa shouted and Tristan¡¯s body was enveloped in a green light.

    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Abigail still wanted to oppose Lisa, but she couldn¡¯t. In front of her eyes all the wounds on Tristan¡¯s body were gone! They were closing, leaving behind no trace at all, as if they had never been there.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much!¡± Abigail jumped and hugged Lisa.

    ¡°¡­ No¡­ No.. problem at all!¡± She said with a shy voice. ¡°I¡¯m just fulfilling my orders. Now I¡¯ll have to take him to see her holiness.¡±

    ¡°Can I come with you?¡± Schattenklinge said in a serious tone.

    Lisa tilted her head slightly. ¡°Yes, I can take you.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, I won¡¯t allow that!¡± Abigail tried to prevent them from leaving.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission, it¡¯s an order from her holiness.¡± Lisa said determined, and was gone. So were Tristan and Schattenklinge.

    As the hours passed by slowly, Abigail kept waiting and looking towards Tristan had been lying. Her heart was filled with anxiety, and every minute felt for her like an eternity.

    Suddenly, a familiar Gate opened, making her heart skip beats. Tristan and Schattenklinge walked in.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Abigal asked, putting on the best smile she could, in the situation they were in.

    ¡°WHHAAAAA¡± Not even after a few meters of walk Tristan collapsed.

    Abigail, rushed to Tristan¡¯s side. ¡°Everything, will be alright, because I¡¯m always going to be by your side.¡± She whispered to Tristan and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with me, we both know nothing will be alright. We both know nothing is alright and ever will be! Nothing will ever be the same as it used to be! I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be the same again¡­ Everything will be nothing, but a fake¡­ WHHAAAA¡± Tristan said nothing more, but only cried in Abigail¡¯s breasts.

 Planing a Fake Future

    Tri; Fors¡¯ Domain (26.05.9981 AS)

    ¡°So, you¡¯re already back.¡± Fors said without turning his eyes from the papers in his hands.

    ¡°Yes, your holiness. I would have come earlier back, but I had to clear some things up first.¡± Yaru said with a smile on her face.

    ¡°¡­ And how did it go?¡± Fors asked, pretending to be disinterested since he already knew the answer.

    ¡°It went pretty ok.¡±  Yaru said, looking aimlessly around. ¡°From what I could delude, everyone but Siegfried was innocent. That is, from what we could observe during the fights between them and my clan members.¡±

    ¡°Good, so what about this Siegfried did make him so special?¡± Fors said finally looking over towards were Yaru was standing.

    ¡°He did fight of two individuals on the verge of King Level with ease. Also the way he did cast his spells, were strange¡­ Strange in a way that it didn¡¯t seem like he wasted even a drop of mana while casting each spell, I have never witnessed a mortal with such control over his mana. Not even I, who has been learning under your care for almost ten thousand years haven¡¯t managed such control over my mana while casting.¡± Yaru turned silent and looked at Fors.

    ¡°It felt like watching you, your holiness or others gods casting magic. I don¡¯t know how else to describe it.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that he was using divine magic?¡±  Fors asked with a concerned voice.

    ¡°That I cannot confirm, once he used a mix of destruction magic and shadows magic, while casting a magic Dunkler Schatten, the Demon that reached Saint Level without the help of the Gods of old, and the former emperor of Umbra.¡±

    ¡°So, that Siegfried was such an existence, how interesting for that woman to send such a being in my realm¡­¡± Fors said, while pouring wine into his golden goblet.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t end there; he even managed to kill two of my most trusted aides during the mission.¡± Yaru said looking like she was regretting something. ¡°At the end he used a strange magic I have never seen before to annihilate everything that was in his way, even himself.¡±

    Fors looked concerned as he played with his grey beard. ¡°¡­ Truly a troublesome woman, imagine giving such a monster a few years more¡­ All our plans here would be for naught¡­ Such a being could have harmed us greatly¡­ Oh, yeah, you did a great job, by disposing of him¡­ Truly a terrific job¡­. If I could I would have revived your underlings that lost their lives, but unfortunately, not even I can bring back the dead back to live.¡±

    ¡°Just, having you consider it feels my heart with joy.¡± Yaru said and bowed deeply.

    ¡°Do you have anything else to report?¡±

    ¡°Well, thanks to the magic he used to take his life, we had a great scape goat to turn things in our way. All I had to do was to spread some little lies.¡±

    ¡°Some lies?¡± Fors asked as if he didn¡¯t already know. He just wanted to hear it one more time, while his face started lighting up with bliss and pleasure.

    ¡°We put all the blame on Siegfried and put it as if he was just some mad man, trying to take as many lives as possible.¡±  Yaru said while smiling happily. ¡°Thanks to that, we were able to ban every produced crated by Siegfried Corp in Umbra!¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°Wonderfully!¡± Fors declared filled with joy.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the ban on his products didn¡¯t go as expected, since those stupid mortals started creating similar products to the ones Siegfried had invented. Now we don¡¯t only have one big company producing the Commus but hundreds.¡± Yaru said with a hate filled voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing, but it takes a lot to convince people, that something as convenient as the Commu is evil and shouldn¡¯t be used. It will be a pain, but we should start to get used to those things created by Siegfried and sometimes even use them to manipulate the masses.¡±  Fors said, standing up and leaving the room.

    Nocturnio (26.05.9981 AS)

    ¡°When do your finals start again?¡± Ai asked Tristan while playing with his long hair, having Tristan¡¯s head resting on her lap.

    ¡°Dunno, don¡¯t  care.¡±  Trsitan said in a carefree tone. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna fail, if I don¡¯t study. And besides, hanging out with you is way more soothing.¡±

    ¡°Trist, please, take things more seriously, or else I¡¯m gonna overtake and surpass you. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t like seeing me become stronger than you.¡±  Ai said with a serious voice.  ¡°I still haven¡¯t given up on my dreams of finding my parents once I¡¯m strong enough, so I won¡¯t stop now, just because you lost your interest in training and learning spells.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m rooting for you... But you know once you marry me, you won¡¯t need to do any training anymore. We could spend our money investigating your origins and spent our time in more enjoyable ways.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to hear, that you support me so much, but I want to achieve this with my own power, by climbing up the ladder by myself¡­ I don¡¯t mind having you standing beside me, while I do that.¡± Ai said and stopped playing with Tristan¡¯s hairs while blushing a little, slowly lowering her head until her lips united with Tristan¡¯s.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to use the money¡­  I don¡¯t know what to use it for¡­ It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll ever run out of it, you know, I inherited so much from my stepmom, I won¡¯t have to work, like in forever, also I still get the royalties from the Mitternacht that is managed by the Schattenclan now.¡± Tristan explained in a dry voice.

    ¡°We could use that money for once I managed to find my real parents¡­ You know after finding my own family, I wouldn¡¯t mind creating an own family¡­ with you¡­.¡± Ai said and blushed a little.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good way of spending money! I want six!¡± Tristan said in a childish voice. ¡°Three girls as pretty as her mother and three boys as handsome as me, doesn¡¯t that sound fun?¡±

    ¡°Actually, Sister Lily, the one leading the orphanage back in terra said it¡¯s quite painful to bear children, so if you don¡¯t mind, I only want two.¡± Ai said blushing even more.

    ¡°Boo, rejected! Imagine if we had six children, we could start doing the first one right now!¡± Tristan retorted in a convinced tone.

    ¡°Ehhhh¡­¡± Ai blushed even more. ¡°¡­ Sister Lily also always said that making babies, is something you do, once you¡¯ve married! So no babies making until we marry! And no marriage, before I fulfill my dream.¡±

    ¡°You, sure like saying no, today. Whoever that sister Lily is, I don¡¯t like her¡­  Now I¡¯m sad!¡± Tristan said in a comical tone. ¡°Do I at least get another kiss?¡±

    Ai who kept blushing, while they were talking over their future, finally reached tomato levels of red, if one watched properly one could even see fume ascend from her head. Still, she once again lowered head, so their lips would unite once again.

    Pantheon of the Great Lord of Time (26.05.9981 AS)

    ¡°Boo, I totally disapprove of that pairing!¡± Bella screamed at her mirror, where she was following the scene of Tristan and Ai planning their futures together. ¡°How can, he? How am I supposed to keep controlling that other brat, if this one is triggering the wrong flags to not end up with best girl?!¡±

    Bella looked annoyed at the mirror, as she didn¡¯t notice the door of her room opening. ¡°And he¡¯s way too young, he shouldn¡¯t be thinking about marrying yet! Doesn¡¯t he know that over 99% of the relationships during high school fail-¡±

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that?¡± Clair said in genuine bewilderment.

    With one snap of her fingers Bella dissolved the magic, that was showing her the scene in Nocturnio. ¡°Nothing, darling, it¡¯s just a soap opera I was quite hooked on¡­ Unfortunately the main character chose the wrong girl, and now it¡¯s not worth watching anymore¡­¡± Bella said while waving with her hands.

    ¡°If you say so¡­ But what is a soap opera?¡± Clair asked confused.

    **Sigh** Bella face palmed.

 Finals

    Nocturnio (26.06.9981 AS)

    ¡°Wait, Tristan don¡¯t we have tomorrow our finals?¡± Ai asked in a serious tone.

    ¡°Yeah, the practical exams are tomorrow and then we¡¯re finally done for this year and we can enjoy the summer break! I was thinking of taking you to the beach, for the summer break what do you think about?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ You¡­ You didn¡¯t prepare anything for your finals, right?¡± Ai asked in a troubled tone.

    ¡°Why, should I? Every year, we have the very same exam¡­ They tell us to cast some spells and that¡¯s it. And it¡¯s not like the spells you have to cast are something out of this world, you know.¡± Tristan answered in a bored tone.

    ¡°Ehh¡­ For real? They don¡¯t ask anything that demanding?¡±

    ¡­ ¡°Thinking back, I never had to learn anything for school¡­ All the spells I know, I learned for a reason other than passing the finals¡­¡±  Tristan said with a troubled face. ¡°As far as I can judge unless you get really nervous, you can¡¯t fail. Even if I have been slacking off these past months, you tried your best and improved quite a bit, so you should be in the top two of your year right now.¡±

    ¡°Really, aren¡¯t you just saying this because you want to go watch that play with me?¡± Ai answered with a suspicious tone.

    ¡°Oh, boy, you got me!¡± Tristan said with a an over dramatic tone. ¡°But I heard this play is really good, and all the couples that watch it stay together until their death.¡±

    Ai blushed a little. ¡°Ok, I will trust you this once.¡± She said and followed Tristan into the theater.

    Nocturnio (27.06.9981 AS)

    ¡°Miss Doctri what are you doing here?¡±  Abigail asked, as Miss Doctri walked in to the room, they were supposed to meet up for the practical exams.

    ¡°Am I not supposed to be here?!¡± Miss Doctri asked and summoned her agenda in a panic and started browsing it. ¡°Few, no, I¡¯m clearly supposed to be here...¡± She wipe the little sweat that had formed on her forehead, before creating a paper out of thin air.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re now, capable enough to go on patrols on your on without having to rely too much on your seniors, you¡¯ll have to show what you can do in a real fight. That¡¯s why, you¡¯ll have to fight other recruits as your final exam.  But don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not only about winning or losing, it¡¯s about showing your skill.¡± Miss Doctri explained the exams while summoning a small black box.

    ¡°Tristan you¡¯ll be fighting Laura, the rest of you please come and draw a number from this box to see who¡¯ll be your opponent once I call your name.¡±  Miss Doctri said with a hyped voice.

    ¡°Why, are Tristan and Laura get special treatment?¡±  A young boy Tristan had seen before during class, but never spoken to asked with an accusing voice.  Getting nods of approval from other students, Tristan didn¡¯t know either.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because these two are prodigies among prodigies; we want to be able to judge your skills with these fights. Having you getting murdered by one of this two wouldn¡¯t allow us to do that.¡± Miss Doctri answered with a proud smile.

    The laughter of the bystander filled the room, while the boy turned red out of embarrassment.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s move to the arena and start the exams, my colleagues are surely waiting for us.¡±  Miss Doctri signaled them to leaf, once every one had drawn their opponent.

    ***

    ¡°Laura, Tristan please start, show us how it¡¯s done.¡± Miss Doctri said signaling them to enter the arena.

    ¡°Even if winning doesn¡¯t matter to pass¡­ Today I will be the winner.¡±  Laura said to Tristan with a serious voice. ¡°Even if you haven¡¯t been training for the past month, I won¡¯t show any mercy, I hope you understand how I feel.¡±

    Tristan answered her with a smile and put on a fighting stance. ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you either.¡±

    ¡°Start!¡± Miss Doctri screamed form the sidelines.

    ¡°Here I come!¡± Laura said while using her signature move. Enhancing her body with mana and removing all resistance around her with her gravity magic.

    Laura disappeared from the point she had just been. ¡®Too slow.¡¯ Tristan thought, as he and only he saw Laura running at god speed towards him. He smiled slightly as he saw Laura¡¯s fist fly slowly towards his abdomen.

    Tristan tried to lift his hands to block the attack, but - . His body wouldn¡¯t move.  Everything froze.

    ¡°That woman why is she here?¡± He screamed at the Laura.

    Tristan was seeing Yaru in Laura. Although, Tristan didn¡¯t know, they had similar facial features, because Laura was Yaru¡¯s great grandchild.

    Finally Laura¡¯s fist impacted on Tristan sending him flying, crushing into the wall behind him.  Before he could recover from the shock, Laura was already there with the follow up punch.

    ¡°What was that? How can she be so fast??¡± One could hear their classmates mumble to eachtoher.. ¡°Luckily we don¡¯t have to fight against such a monster.¡±

    Through the follow up punch Tristan was once again send flying.  ¡°AHAHHH, Why, you bitch!¡± He screamed ¡°I¡¯ll kill, for what you did to Nana!¡±  He screamed at Laura, trying to get his body to finally move once again.

    Laura tilted slightly her head, not knowing what he was talking about. ¡®Did I hit him so hard, he has lost it? Like I care.¡¯ Laura once again disappeared for everybody but Tristan, who could still see her moving in slow-motion towards her, because he was the only one using a spell on his eyes to better his sight.

    This time Laura was setting up for a kick.  Tristan who had finally regained control over his body grabbed Laura¡¯s legs and used her momentum to send her flying like an athlete would throw a hammer.

    Midair Laura did cast some gravity magic to soften the throw and landed graciously after doing a few front and cork flips.

    Tristan¡¯ didn¡¯t give her time, thought to savor her landing; he immediately opened hundreds of gates around her, from where he would send swords flying at her.

    *Clank*

    The students and teachers watching could hear a metallic sound from where Laura had been sanding, followed with a lot of dust being raised.

    Laura in the last minute, Laura had created a very strong gravity field under her, causing all Tristans swords to collapse on the ground.

    ¡°Gravity magic what a troublesome magic.¡±  Tristan mumbled to himself, as he still saw Yaru in Laura. ¡°Still, this is my chance to get my revenge.¡±

    This time it was Tristan who disappeared from the view of everyone, even Laura.

    Laura activated a gravity field that would repel everything coming her way away from her.

    Tristan took out another sword from one of his gates and stabbed it on the ground in front of Laura.. ¡°Such a cheap spell won¡¯t work on me.¡± He said as Laura¡¯s magic deactivated.

    With the sword filled with his mana, he had stabbed on the weak spot of the Magic circle Laura had used to create her gravity field.

    *BOOM*

    Before Laura could realize what had happened her body was send out flying in a twist. Tristan had caused her to receive a magical back slash.

    ¡°Ahhh¡± She screamed in pain, feeling like her body had been stung by billions of needles. In her pain she wasn¡¯t able to move anymore.

    Even before Miss Doctri could realize she wasn¡¯t able to win anymore, Tristan once again disappeared from her view.

    He appeared next to Laura who was lying helpless on her stomach.  He kicked her in the rips, to turn her around and stepped on her stomach.

    ¡°How do you like to be in the receiving end?¡± Tristan, who was still seeing Yaru in Laura said with a sadistic smile, before ramming his sword in Laura¡¯s chest. He rapidly summoned another sword and rammed it once again into Laura, this time on her stomach.

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING!¡± Ernesti used his active to create a wall of rubble between Tristan and Laura.

    ¡°Killing that bitch, what else-¡°Tristan pointed towards Laura who was lying there and he finally realized and sank to his knees.

    ¡°What¡­ What was I doing¡­¡± Tears started forming in his eyes.

 Cousins II

    Nocturnio (27.06.9981 AS)

    After having Leo cast first help spells on Laura, she was brought to the infirmary by Miss Doctri and Ernesti.

    ¡°What have I done?¡± Tristan kept repeating, while he slowly walked towards the exit of the arena. Every step felt heavier than usual, and the few meters he had to walk felt to him like an eternity.

    Although, he had already deactivated the spell on his eyes, he still felt like Abigail was running in slow-motion towards him.

    ¡°Trist, Trist, what was that?¡± Abigail asked in an anxious tone. ¡°It looked like you lost it there for a second. To be honest, you looked quite scary you were emitting so much killing intent! You could even feel it from where I was sitting. Actually, I couldn¡¯t move until big bro, brought you back to reality.¡±

    ¡°What was I about to do?¡± Tristan whispered and continued walking completely ignoring Abigail.

    ¡°Hey, where are you going? Are you going to look for her? Are you going to her, just to forget what you did? I know, she always just says what you want to hear, but don¡¯t you think it is time to face reality? You are still hurting; because of the thing with Nana am I right?¡± Abigail said with tears in her eyes.

    Tristan finally stopped and turned towards, he tilted his head slowly. ¡°Shut up.¡± He said with tears in his eyes and continued walking towards the exit of the arena, leaving the petrified Abigail behind.

    **Slap**

    Tristan felt a stinging pain on his left cheek as he walked out of the arena, bringing him back from his trance like state.

    ¡°What was that all about?¡±  He could feel a warm, familiar female voice say to him. ¡°And, here I thought, you couldn¡¯t go more emo, than you already were! Well, I guess, I was wrong.¡±

    In front of Tristan was Sabrina, wearing the same gear he had seen soldiers stationed in Lilith, wear.

    ¡°What about a coffee?¡± Sabrina said with a cheerful smile.

    ¡°Leave me alone, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk with an air-head right now.¡±  Tristan said and tried to go pass Sabrina, who once again stepped in front of him.

    ¡°You won¡¯t get away from me so easily. I¡¯ll give you two options, either you come with me voluntary or I make you come with me.¡± She said in a, for her strangely serious tone.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you trying to catch me.¡± Tristan said once again activating his eyes enhancement magic.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t warn you-¡°  Before Sabrina could finish her warning, Tristan disappeared from sight.

    Tristan had enhanced his whole body with his mana and had started running from Sabrina with unbelievable speed. A speed no demon should be able to match.

    ¡°Aunty, you sure owe me one.¡± Sabrina said to herself and also disappeared from the place she had been standing.

    Seemingly without any effort, she had managed to match Tristan¡¯s speed. No, using matched is wrong here, since she had managed to top Tristan¡¯s speed, as incredible as it sounds.

    ¡®How, how can she move that fast?¡¯ Tristan thought, as he saw Sabrina catching up with him in an unbelievable speed. ¡®How do you like this?¡¯ He thought and opened a gate in front of him, ready to enter his laboratory.

    But-

    Before he could enter his gate, he was grabbed by Sabrina and hurled over her head, causing to land on his back.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Got ya!¡± She whispered in his ears as she bore her knees into Tristan¡¯s rips.  ¡°Are you now ready to talk?¡±

    ¡°Leave me alone, let go of me.¡±  Tristan tried to break free from Sabrina.

    ¡°If you agree to talk to me, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    ¡°Like hell, I¡¯ll agree to your-¡±

    Tristan¡¯s protest was stopped by Sabrina, repositioning her knee making it almost impossible for Tristan to breath.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening here?¡± ¨C ¡°Dunno, that old chick, just started attacking that kid over there.¡± The students that had heard and seen Tristan¡¯s rough landing whispered to each other.

    ¡°Like I said, would you like to have a coffee with me?¡± Sabrina said with a fake smile.

    Tristan nodded hysterically.

    ¡°Do you Tristan Halblicht swear on your live, you won¡¯t run away and actually listen to what I have to say?¡± Sabrina asked while pouring her magic into the gemstone on her bracelet. The bracelet started shining and a magic circle snuggled between Sabrina and Tristan.

    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll listen to what you, Sabrina Kuro, have to say today the 27<sup>th</sup> June 9981.¡± Tristan answered in a crackling tone. The light emitting from the gemstone shone brighter and entered both of their bodies.

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Sabrina did let go of Tristan and clapped happily with her hands. ¡°How about the Mitternacht next to the front gate?¡±

    ¡°If you insist.¡± Tristan said in a slightly shocked and sad voice.

    ***

    ¡°You know I was on Terra up until this morning, but I came straight to see you once I got my first break.¡± Sabrina said waving her arms around. ¡°I wanted to come ever since aunty told me what happened to Nana and Siegfried. I wasn¡¯t allowed to leave my mission in Terra thought, so I had to wait until I came to visit you.

    And the first thing I see, when I get here is you going all emo and almost killing one of your friends and being an ass to the other.¡± Sabrina said in an accusing tone and pointed at Tristan.

    ¡°¡­¡± Tristan didn¡¯t even spare her a look and kept staring at the untouched cup of coffee in front of him.

    ¡°You know, instead of shoving your friends away from you, you should try to get along with them better. I can¡¯t begin to imagine in how much pain you must be right now, but you shouldn¡¯t try to bear it all by yourself! I bet your friends, would be more than happy if you asked them for help. And if they don¡¯t want to, you can always come to me. This big sis will always hear you out and help you out.¡± Sabrina said with a big smile on her face and took a sip of her iced coffee.

    ¡°You¡­ you just admitted it, you said you don¡¯t have a clue how I feel, so why should I listen to someone like you?¡± Tristan said gritting his teeth.

    **Sigh**

    Sabrina showed him an exhausted expression. ¡°From your behavior all I can take is that you just want to run away. Run from all the pain they have caused you, you want to hide from it, but let me tell you one thing; you can¡¯t hide. As much as you run you can¡¯t hide from it, it will always find and get you! And if there is one thing I know, is that once it gets you it will be more painful than it was.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Tristan once again turned his gaze to his untouched cup of coffee.

    ¡°You see, if you confront that pain now, one day you¡¯ll be able to be free. Live a life without of the fear-¡°

    ¡°Living without fear? Like I can do that! You know who ordered to kill Nana and Siegfried, right? It was the same people that ordered my disposal once they heard my prophecy! How am I supposed to know they won¡¯t come and get me any minute now?¡± Tristan said, tears filling his eyes.

    ¡°You know, ever since they killed her before my eyes, the only time I feel safe enough to drop my defenses and sleep is when I¡¯m with Ai¡­¡± Tristan wiped the tears from his face. ¡°You know how many nights I keep staring at the doors hoping that despicable woman doesn¡¯t come to get me! How many times I wish to wake up from this nightmare, but nothing happens?¡± Tristan took a deep breath.

    ¡°So, that proves my point. You need people to get you through this, or do you want to live your life hiding from them?¡±

    ¡°What if I choose to hide, that¡¯s what I can best after all.¡±

    **Slap**

    Once again Sabrina slapped Tristan.  ¡°If you can¡¯t even outrun me, how can you hope to escape and hide from them? And let me tell you something just between the two of us.¡±

    Even thought, she had already cast a spell that wouldn¡¯t allow people to hear their words before they started talking; Sabrina leaned slowly towards Tristan and whispered.

    ¡°After analyzing your situation, I came to the conclusion that it¡¯s too late for you. You are way too deep in something big, something so big I can¡¯t even grasp its size. Something crazy big, something that might change this world forever! And once that something starts rolling you¡¯ll be one of the people right in the middle and believe me, you don¡¯t want to be unprepared when that something starts rolling.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s just my hunch.¡± Sabrina said, dropping her serious face and talking normally once again, starting at the petrified Tristan.

    ¡°You know, if you keep behaving like you have been, you¡¯ll be all alone once that something kicks in and you won¡¯t survive it even for a second, but if you behave like a good boy even I might stand at your side.¡± Sabrina winker her left eye to Tristan, gave him a genuine smile and stood up.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I had to say for now. If you should change your mind and want me to help you all you have my contact right?¡± Sabrina pointed at her Commu and left the shop.

 Back on Track?

    Nocturnio (27.06.9981 AS)

    ¡®You know she¡¯s right.¡¯ Tristan heard a familiar crackling voice, he hadn¡¯t heard for months, say.

    ¡®So, you now decide to break your silence? You were so quiet for the past months I thought, you had died that cursed night.¡¯ Tristan answered with a poker face.

    ¡®As if something like that would harm me, you know I¡¯m tougher than I look. And next time you want to pull a stunt like that, tell me beforehand! I barely managed to keep you alive there.¡¯ Schattenklinge answered annoyed.

    ¡®As usual, you don¡¯t care about what I have to say¡­ Now, why did you stop talking to me for so long? It¡¯s been like six months since we last talked to each other.¡¯

    ¡®I wanted to let you have your time to grief, but then you went full retard and I didn¡¯t want to talk to you anymore.¡¯

    ¡®Retard? Like hell I went full retard, I just did why I thought was the best for me to do. You see I¡¯m not even fourteen yet and I have like thousands of years ahead of me! Why should I waste all my time training and fighting against the so called evil God if I can just relax and fool around with the people I love?¡¯

    ¡®People you love? You almost killed one of your best friends and you are lucky if Abigail doesn¡¯t hate you after you being an ass towards her.¡¯

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not my fault they are annoying¡­ They should be more like Ai; they should try and understand me and try to support my decisions a little more often and not always nag about everything I do¡­ And if they have to say something they should be nicer and not go like ¡°Fors, Trist you changed totally! You should be more like you used to be before your mom died. You should try to act like nothing happened!¡± I think I¡¯m gonna explode if I hear one of that kind of sentences form them!¡¯

    Tristan had left the Mitternacht and was now once again walking on school grounds.

    ¡®Are you stupid or what? I have been listening to everything they said to you by now and all they ever wanted is to help you to become yourself again and not some sissy who doesn¡¯t want to do anything he used to do just because it might remind him of her.¡¯

    ¡®Like I said, I was just trying to take it slow¡­ And what¡¯s wrong with trying to live an ordinary life for once?¡¯

    ¡®You know no matter how much you try you won¡¯t be able to live an ordinary life like other demons do. You were special from the moment of your birth, like it or not. And by now you are way too strong to live like a normal demon would. You can¡¯t change the fact, that you already surpassed the strength most of the Demons dream of having! You¡¯ll be fourteen next month and you¡¯re already King level and you even have some spells beyond Emperor level!¡¯ Schattenklinge took a deep breath.

    ¡®Gotta admit most of it came through talent, but you also put quite the work there. So much you even impressed me! And believe me I¡¯m not easily impressed and it¡¯s not like I just agreed to be your sword master for nothing. I saw your potential and your will to become the strongest! That¡¯s why I entered your body and not to see you flirt around with a Demihuman, no less with a descendant of a seraph.¡¯

    ¡®What does her race have to do with it? Ai is Ai and it¡¯s not her fault her dad was an evil seraph! Also, how can you call me strong if I¡¯m so weak I couldn¡¯t even protect Nana? I wasn¡¯t able to protect one, one single person! So how can you call me strong? Over half of my life I spend training to fight them and on the first encounter I already fail miserably! My whole purpose was to become as strong as possible and to complete whatever Bella wants me to do, but I go and fail on the first hurdle.¡¯ Tristan dropped his shoulders and stopped walking.

    ¡®My whole essence of being was: train to beat them, and then¡­ Then everything falls apart! During the short exchange of blows there was one think I realized; I have no chance of achieving that strength she showed me when she entered the fight. In my despair trying to escape, I almost killed myself¡­ I never felt as helpless as during that fight¡­ She singlehandedly stopped my maelstrom! And you tell me that I will have to fight them again?¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t be like that, you beat two of her minions, that¡¯s a feat by itself already! They were trained for hundreds of years to get on that level you already are! And don¡¯t get me started with that woman; she was already here before the Continental Separation! It¡¯s obvious she is stronger than you by now. Also she was taught by a god and has become immortal just like Dunkler.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    But you see that¡¯s just the hard work people put in to get where they are! And how can someone who has been blessed with so much talent think of wasting it by playing family with some girl, just because he lost that once?¡¯ Schattenklinge stopped for a moment before continuing with his speech.

    ¡®You know, now that I think about it I¡¯m getting the feeling that you don¡¯t even care for Nana¡¯s death as much as you want the people to think! You just care about having lost to someone who is not a God after all that training you went through.¡¯ Schattenklinge finally concluded.

    ¡°What!¡± Tristan shouted out loud. ¡®Why would you say something so despicable? If you say something like that, then you really don¡¯t know me.¡¯

    ¡®I know you better than you think, so I can say something like that easily without doubt.¡¯

    Tristan stopped walking and wiped the tears from his eyes. ¡®It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t care for her death. It¡¯s just that it sucks so hard that I couldn¡¯t protect her even though I¡¯m supposed to be a genius who put so much work into getting stronger, and still I wasn¡¯t able to protect the only person that had always been there for me¡­¡¯

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t it feel good to speak it out of your soul for once?¡¯ Schattenklige smiled at Tristan.

    Tristan continued wiping the tears from his cheeks as he finally continued to his destination.

    ¡°What do you want here?¡± Ernesti asked as Tristan reached the infirmary.

    ¡°Well,¡­ I came to apologize.¡± Tristan answered with a small voice not showing his face.

    ¡°Please leave for now, she said she wanted to be alone.¡± Ernesti answered with a serious tone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, I came to apologize and I won¡¯t give in so easily.¡± Tristan answered with a serious tone, finally showing his face to Ernesti.

    ¡°Those eyes¡­ Have you been crying?¡± Ernesti asked baffled.

    ¡°Who knows, now can I please get to speak Laura?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Ernesti answered still startled by Tristan¡¯s appearance.

    Tristan closed the door behind him as he entered the big room. Next to the bed Laura was resting on, there were many empty beds in the infirmary.

    ¡°Busy as usual.¡± Tristan said with a surfcasting tone, remembering the last time he had been here after collapsing in class.

    ¡°Can¡¯t complain about it, one is enough to spoil my day anyways.¡± Maddie said in a honest tone from behind the papers she was reading. ¡°She¡¯s fine by the way, that Leo boy did a great job in patching her up again.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear.¡± Tristan answered in an honest tone.

    ¡°Did she cheat on you?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°No, I was just wondering about what she did to deserve to be beaten up like that.¡± Maddie answered in a curious tone.

    ¡°No, of course not, she was just ¡­ She was just unlucky to fight me today¡­ I wasn¡¯t feeling alright and so I went overbroad.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure kiddo, did she cheat on you with that guy who brought her here?¡± Maddie answered in a teasing tone. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me staying here and listening to the two of you, just to make sure you don¡¯t try to kill her again.¡±

    Tristan nodded and was finally able to walk forwards to the bed Laura was lying on.  Even though, Laura was wide awake she still pretended to be asleep, just to not have to interact with Tristan.

    ¡°You are so pathetic.¡±  Tristan said in an icy tone. ¡°You are weak and pathetic, just like me¡­¡± Tristan stopped for a moment to see if he got a reaction from Laura.

    ¡°Thank you for helping me realize how weak I am.¡± Tristan said in a low voice. ¡°Almost killing you got me thinking quite a lot¡­ And one think I can say for sure, I can¡¯t keep up with the same behavior I have shown this half year¡­ For that I wanted to thank you.¡± Tristan said and turned around ready to leave the room.

    ¡°Oh, and I won¡¯t apologize for almost killing you, you deserved it. If you can¡¯t beat someone in a real fight, you won¡¯t be able to survive.¡± Tristan said bitter.

    ¡°I know.¡± Laura said tears welling up her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just so frustrating to train so much and still not being able to keep with you.¡± She finally wiped the tears from her cheek.

    ¡°I feel you, if you want to train like we used to, just hit me up.¡±

    ¡°Young love, so exiting!¡±  Tristan could hear Maddie say from behind her books she had hidden herself behind.

    ***

    ¡°WHAT-?¡± Abigail couldn¡¯t believe her eyes as she walked into Tristan¡¯s laboratory.

    ¡°Hey there.¡± Tristan waved his hands towards her sitting on his place holding a gauntlet on his hands.

    ¡°Did¡­ Didn¡¯t you have a date with that woman today?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and no. I just came here from seeing her. I know you always come here after your parents have gone to bed so I didn¡¯t even have to show up that early here to be here before you.¡± Tristan said with a warm smile.

    ¡°But why?

    ¡°Why not? This is my lab after all. Any ways this guy here has a lot of potential, don¡¯t you think so too?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean this little thing here has a lot of potential.¡± Tristan showed towards the gauntlet in his hands.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, I thought we could use it as our next new big project trying to make this think less deadly for the attacker.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± Abigail answered with a bright smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for today and everything I did the past few months I was acting a little too spoiled. Sorry for trying to run away from all this.¡±

    ¡°So, you are coming back?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no. I will start my training again and that also means spending some of my time here in the labs, but I will only do it to reach the point where I can survive whatever might come. My goal is no longer to defeat a God, but to be able to run if he ever show up.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll be spending more time with me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yay, the dream team is back!¡± Abigail jumped and hugged Tristan.

    *slap*

    ¡°You deserved that one, because you made me worry so much and being so mean to me.¡± She said after having slapped Tristan.

    ¡°Yup, I totally deserved that one.¡± Tristan said with a sad voice.

 Freedom!

    Pantheon of the great lord of time (27.01.9982 AS)

    ¡°So why am I here?¡± Tristan asked with an annoyed tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make it clear that I don¡¯t want to have anything with you anymore?¡±

    Aetas sent him a questioning eye, before turning back to his wife.

    ¡°But you picked up your training again, so you intend to fight when it breaks out, am I wrong?¡±  Bella asked, walking up and down in the room.

    ¡°Not, really Ijust wanted to get strong enough to survive whatever your stupid plan contains.¡±

    ¡°Stupid?!¡± Bella stopped in her tracks. ¡°How dare you? Do you even know to whom you¡¯re talking with? You know, I could smite you anytime I wanted!¡± Bella answered in a furious tone.

    ¡°Yes, yes, you could, but the fact of me being here right now and still being alive, means that I¡¯m still of some value to you.¡±  Tristan explained in a bored tone.

    Aetas sent Bella a look saying this kid sure knows what¡¯s up.

    ¡°Why, you?¡± Bella started turning red in rage, ready to jump on Tristan¡¯s throat any moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s your fault you made me smart enough to understand you and also when I say your all mighty master plan is stupid I mean it. I mean from my point of view, giving a mortal the power to kill a god is really stupid. How do you know I won¡¯t team up with Fors and kill you and Aetas? It might be true, that my life sucks because of him up until now, but the real reason why my life sucks is you guys, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Tristan stopped to see for their reactions. ¡°You see I have as much reason to hate you as I have to hate Fors, so why should I side with you guys?¡±

    Bella¡¯s mouth opened and closed for a moment before she finally regained her composure. An evil grin appeared on her face. ¡°Ok, ok, if you really don¡¯t want to play along anymore, I guess we¡¯ll have to find another champion for our cause. It will be a pain, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Bella started massaging her temples with an annoyed face.

    ¡°Wait, that was it?¡± Tristan asked shocked.

    ¡°Yeah, you said you don¡¯t want help anyways and I can¡¯t waste my time in some little brat who does as he pleases. No go.¡±  She opened symbolically pointed towards the door.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Erm¡­ Wow, that was easier than I thought. Are you sure there isn¡¯t a catch to it?¡± Tristan asked, not really knowing what was going on.

    ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t say there isn¡¯t a catch...¡± Bella smiled at Tristan. ¡°But now that you are out I don¡¯t have any obligations of telling you, have I?¡±

    Tristan face froze for a few seconds before he started glaring at Bella. ¡°So, you won¡¯t tell me if I leave? Do you really think I would fall for something like that?¡±

    ¡°Ok, ok, at least it was worth a try.  You see, the only catch is that you already are involved in it and even if just as a bystander you¡¯ll have to fight for your life when the time comes and most likely you¡¯ll die a miserable death when that time comes.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You see, if you stayed with us, I might have shown you ways to survive the fight that is about to come, but you see, I can¡¯t go around wasting my resources in people not willing to cooperate.¡± Bella said with an amused tone.

    ¡°That¡¯s blackmail!¡± Tristan screamed at her.

    ¡°Yes, and no. I¡¯m just showing you two paths you can choose from.¡±

    ¡°Anyways, that won¡¯t change my mind. I¡¯ll just have to prove you wrong and get strong enough to survive whatever lies ahead of me.¡±

    ¡°Good for you, now get going I need time to adjust my plans.¡± Bella said pointing once again at the door.

    ¡°Well, wow, I don¡¯t know what to say. I guess this means goodbye.¡±  Tristan said as he opened a gate to leave.

    ¡°Yes, this means goodbye.¡± Bella said coldly.

    ¡°Boy, take this!¡± Aetas threw a golden armband towards Tristan. ¡°If you¡¯re ever in a pinch or you feel like you changed your mind, just call for us and help will come.¡±

    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t I throw him out? Why are you being nice to a backstabber like him?¡±  Bella retorted at Aetas.

    ¡°It¡¯s the least we can do for him; you ruined his life after all.¡±

    ¡°Ok, boy, now get out of here, my husband and I have something to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Oh, oh, yeah. I didn¡¯t have any intention of staying longer here.¡± Tristan said and disappeared into his gate.

    ¡°Is he gone?¡±

    ¡°Yup, his soul isn¡¯t here anymore.¡± Aetas answered and Bella dropped the serious face, she had put on at the end.

    ¡°He is way too easy. He might be smart, but he still can¡¯t see through something like this¡­¡± Bella rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Well, this conversation went exactly as you planned after all¡­¡±

    ¡°First, I wanted to use his will for revenge to get him to train way harder he has been, but then again triggering his will to survive is way better, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, after all, his new goal is to live a long and happy life with his girlfriend. Now all that¡¯s left is to find a new future husband for our Clair.¡±

    ¡°Our Clair? Don¡¯t you think it would be funny to throw her into his life just to see the havoc she causes with that other girl?¡±

    For one moment Aetas face froze before he turned towards his wife, emitting a dangerous aura. ¡°You know I won¡¯t allow anyone hurt my Clair¡¯s feelings and I consider having her as part of a harem as something that might hurt her feelings.¡±

    ¡°My Clair? Weren¡¯t you the one who told me not to get too attached to her?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Aetas said while turning red.

 Conviction

    Nocturnio (27.01.9982 AS)

    ¡°Oh boy, you look like you just got run over by a Frost Beast.¡± Abigail said as she walked into Tristan¡¯s Lab.

    Tristan sent her a glare before continuing to work on the gauntlet in front of him.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t want to talk about it?¡±  Abigail said with a playful voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t we recently go over something like this? Talking openly about your problems with someone you trust might make you feel better. And you know, you can always count on me.¡±

    Tristan stopped what he was doing and put the gauntlet by side. He looked annoyed towards Abigail. ¡°I just come from talking with Bella and Aetas.¡± He finally decided to answer Abigail¡¯s question.

    ¡°You mean the gods that sent that woman who healed you back then?¡± Abigail asked as she took a sit in her usual spot and sent Tristan an expectant gaze.

    ¡°Yes, they wanted to talk to me about me leaving their plan.¡± Tristan answered nonchalantly.

    ¡°So you really are going through with that? I thought, you would continue trying to do your best to defeat Fors. I mean ever since one of his Reiter killed¡­¡±  Abigail realized she was moving towards a very sensitive topic, so she stopped, before hitting a nerve.

    ¡°Yeah, I will go with it. I won¡¯t be part of their plan anymore. If I fight I want it to be for me and not because some crazy woman decided for me. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so salty right now.¡±

    ¡°So, you told them you don¡¯t want to fight for them anymore, and how did they react? Did they find a way to force you to fight for them?¡±

    ¡°Kinda, They told me it¡¯s fine if I don¡¯t want to fight for them anymore, but that means that I will lose all the support they can give me.¡± Tristan bit his lips anxiously.

    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that great news? I mean you get to leave their stupid plan and all you lose is their nonexistent help!¡± Abigail answered exited.

    ¡°Nonexistent?¡± Tristan couldn¡¯t help but smile at Abigail¡¯s words. ¡°You know that I¡¯m only this strong now because I have often relied on them. I mean they sent Dunkler to meet me and he was the one that lead me to Schattenklinge. The person, monster, thing or whatever, that has helped me the most training my martial arts and also other types of magic.  Without him I wouldn¡¯t also have access to so many high level spells.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°So, you think they¡¯ll take him away from you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±  Schattenklinge morphed out of Tristan¡¯s shadow. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a liking onto this boy even if he sometimes goes full retard, I will stay with him, but that doesn¡¯t mean that everything is going to be fine and dandy.¡±

    Tristan nodded to Schattenklinge¡¯s words.

    ¡°As I already explained to the boy, there will come a time, where my only use will be as his blade and not as a master anymore. And we are closing in to said time in gigantic steps. You see he already knows everything I know, he only needs to master it.¡± Schattenklinge said with a worried expression on his face.

    ¡°And without a suited teacher to follow up Schattenklinge¡¯s training I will reach a false peak of power and I will be forced to fight in their war without reaching my true limits which will diminish my chances of survival.¡± Tristan continued.

    ¡°Wait, you will still have to fight.¡± Abigail asked in disbelieve.

    ¡°That¡¯s what they said. They told me that I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid fighting in their war.¡± Tristan said with a sad voice.

    ¡°So basically, they told him to go and die.¡±  Schattenklinge said.

    Abigail looked like ice cold water had just been poured on her.

    ¡°Yes, even I they spared my life for the time being, but with them denying me they sentenced me to death. No matter what I do even if I master everything Schattenklinge has taught me, I won¡¯t be able to fight on par with someone like Yaru.¡± Tristan said forming his hand to a fist.

    ¡°What can we do? Can¡¯t you go back and beg them to change their minds?¡± Abigail asked in a small trembling voice.

    ¡°Not happening.¡± Tristan said with conviction and looked at the armband Aetas had given him. ¡°I will just have to show them, that I don¡¯t need their help to survive their stupid war and protect everyone I care about.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to hear.¡± Schattenklinge showed Tristan a thumb up.

    ¡°But¡­ Am I the only one that¡­ Like how will you get stronger?...¡± Abigail looked confused at Schattenklinge and Tristan.

    ¡°Dunno, I will find a way somehow. The first step thought, is something I know.  I will be training with Sabrina. I need her to teach me that skill that she showed me as she caught me back then.¡± Tristan looked as if he was lost in thoughts.

    ¡°You know you have to convince her to help you out.¡±

    ¡°No need to convince her, I already called her and she agreed to teach me to defend against someone that is faster than me.¡±  Tristan said with a smile. ¡°The training starts tomorrow at her place after school.¡±

    ¡°So, you won¡¯t be hanging out with Ai anymore!¡± Abigail answered excited.

    ¡°Nope, I will go see her after the training ends.¡±

    ¡°So you will spend less time here?¡± Abigail looked disappointed at Tristan.

    ¡°That¡¯s something that can¡¯t be helped.¡± Tristan said and took a chewing gum from his drawer. ¡°Want one, this will be a long night.¡±

    ¡°No need. I have my lollipops.¡±  Abigail answered, turning around activating her active ability, creating a computer out of thin air.

    ¡®I guess I won¡¯t be getting much sleep from now on¡­¡¯ Tristan thought as he put on the armband Aetas had given him and smiled bitterly.

 Run for Your Life

    Bianca Mountains (28.01.9982 AS)

    Clair was standing on top of one of the many hills that laid the foundation to the Bianca Mountains, a mountain range that formed a wall separating the White Continent from the rest of the other Continents in Terra.

    The White Continent was an enormous island located on the North- East of Solum, the City, in which Clair and Tristan had met and fought each other for the first time. The continent¡¯s name was originated by the characteristic colour of the white marble stone mainly found in the continent. Thus the scenery in front and behind her was white, not only because of the snow covering as far as the eyes could reach.

    Clair had previously visited the White¡¯s Continent biggest city, Roche, before. Back then she was accompanied by Sariel and Dietrich and had mainly done her duties as the representative of the Seraph¡¯s ruling family in front of the Elders of reigning over the White Continent.

    This time she was all alone her back towards the Peaks shimmering in white. A gush of cold wind blew past her, causing her to shiver a little before readjusting the environmental spell surrounding her. After all, all she was wearing was a shoulder free white and blued dress that allowed her to present her golden wings to the rest of the world.

    She looked towards the White Lake, a sea like lake in the middle of the island.  The lake¡¯s water was frozen, allowing for the snow to cover it in a white layer, giving off vibes of eternal tundra.

    ¡°Why are you the one who is allowed to teach my descendant how to teach magic?¡± She could hear a female voice, Clair knew all too well, ask disappointed.

    ¡°Because you suck, now be a good birdy and go back to the hideout.¡±  A male voice retorted.

    Clair couldn¡¯t help but smile hearing the strange exchange. She could hear the voices growing stronger as she just stood there, but she didn¡¯t feel any threat as them, she didn¡¯t even bother looking behind her, towards the approaching people.

    ¡°Like, hell I will! And why did you choose such a cold and desolate place to train her anyways?¡± Helles asked seeming a little out of breath.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t turn into a wimp like you.¡± The male''s voice answered growing more and more annoyed.

    ¡°Still, this isn¡¯t a place where a princess should be,¡± Helles answered once again.

    ¡°Listen, if you want you can follow me, but please just for the love of Aetas shut up for once.¡± The male voice said plead Helles while the presence surrounding the speaker seemingly picked up speed.

    ¡°Hello, there you must be Lady Clair.¡± The black-haired man with grey eyes bowed towards Clair. He was wearing a thick black coat.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me, but you don¡¯t have to be so formal around me, after all, you are the one who is going to teach me how to use Demonic Magic aren¡¯t you?¡±  Clair answered taken aback a little by the man¡¯s greeting.

    ¡°Well, I didn''t intend on staying all formal anyways, I¡¯m Dunkler.¡± He reached his hands towards Clair expecting a handshake.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Clair looked puzzled at him, before reaching out her hand, which was crushed by Dunkler¡¯s big hand.

    ¡°Well, you still have to work, on your handshake, only weakling and people that have something to hide have a weak handshake.¡± Dunkler gave his assessment looking at Clair¡¯s face distorted in pain.

    ¡°Hey, why did you harm her?¡± Helles ran towards Clair trying to heal her Hands. ¡°Oh, boy it looks like he broke a bone or two.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to stay out of my training?¡± Dunkler glared at Helles pointing his killing intent towards her, to show that this time he was serious with his warning.

    Clair stumbled backwards as she felt the pressure coming from Dunker''s gaze and Helles slowly retreated away from Clair.

    ¡°Now, that you say it¡­ I think I left the stove on¡­ hehe¡­ ¡° Helles said and started walking back the way she had come from, not turning her back towards Dunkler who just kept glaring at her.

    ¡°Good, now that thing is gone, let us start,¡± Gunkler said relaxing a little.  ¡°As you already know, Bella and Aeatas pointed me out as your new teacher in  Demonic magic, mostly because no one is better than me in Shadow¡¯s, Death and Destruction Magic.¡± He said proudly.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Clair answered her honest thoughts.

    ¡°I hope so?¡± Dunkler stared at her with bloodshot eyes.  ¡°Do you even know who I am? I am the one, who unified the Demonic Clan¡¯s and ruled over the Demon¡¯s for centuries, beating everything and everyone  coming in my way until the Gods appeared in this world!¡± Dunkler said in a loud voice, almost screaming.

    ¡°Ok, ok, you don¡¯t have to get like that just because I said something, that doesn¡¯t please you,¡± Clair said getting a little afraid after being left alone with a psycho like Demon.

    ¡°Good, now that you know who I am, let¡¯s start with the training. First of all, do you know why we are here?¡±

    ¡°Because of this item can only teleport me to this place, close to your hideout?¡± Clair pointed towards the golden armband she had received from Bella, once she had told her that she would be tutored by one of her subordinates in Terra.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s indeed a good reason, but it isn¡¯t all¡­ You see unlike light magic that is all about the flow of mana and feeling the world surrounding you, the three types of Demonic Magic are all about strength and destruction.

    You see the closest you¡¯ll get to light magic is shadow¡¯s magic, but they still have big differences. While using Light Magic, you use a lot of resources to purify your mana stream, while using Shadow¡¯s Magic, on the other hand, you don¡¯t waste resources on purifying your mana stream but just concentrate on pouring your power into it.

    So one could assume, Shadow¡¯s magic is superior to Light Magic, but that doesn¡¯t have to be the case necessarily. Because the mana is so pure when casting Light Magic, you get many more different ways of applying your magic.

    And that¡¯s why we are here, from  now on to you will spend most of your nights'' training here, trying to survive and getting stronger than before, so you get the feeling for pure power.¡± Dunkler ended his preach and threw a katana towards Clair.

    ¡°This will be your weapon, it won¡¯t allow you to use magic unless, and you cast your spells with a lot of power behind them.¡±

    ¡°So, you want me to cast magic while wielding this sword?¡± Clair smiled confidently as she heard Dunkler¡¯s words.

    ¡°Not exactly. You see, all you have to do is, trying to survive while this modified monster attacks you.¡± Dunkler pointed towards his shadow, and Clair could see how it formed into a Balck Dragon, that suddenly started attacking her.

    She tried to use her lightning magic to pierce through its torso, but the spell was consumed by the Katana in her hands. Realizing why her magic wouldn''t cast, she tried to let go of the sword, but she couldn¡¯t, it was as if the sword had become one with her body. Every time she threw it on the ground, it just reappeared on her hands.

    ¡°Where is your confident smile gone?¡± Dunkler said putting on a sadistic smile himself.

    ¡°Kyaaaahhhh,¡± Clair screamed as she was being chased by the Black Dragon.

    ¡°Watch out, I heard there are also Frost Beast¡¯s in this part of the mountains,¡±  Dunkler shouted behind her as he floated towards the sky to have a better view of how Clair was doing.

 Unexpected meeting

    Nocturnio  (28.01.9982 AS)

    Tristan followed Sabrina as they left the school, headed to a portal station near the school. Sabrina was all smiles as she led the way.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my lecture last time actually worked.¡±  She said not being able to hide how happy she was.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, good for you,¡± Tristan said while looking anxiously around. He didn¡¯t really like to stand out too much, especially since he had refused his status as chosen one, to his demise, that¡¯s what Sabrina could do best.

    ¡°Come on don¡¯t be such a spoilsport, let me enjoy the moment!¡± Tristan could hear her scream for everybody to hear, or at least that¡¯s how it felt for him.

    ¡°This was a bad idea,¡± Tristan muttered as he slowly followed the skipping Sabrina.

    ¡°Good our Portal opens in five minutes,¡± Sabrina said shining like the morning sun as the finally reached the Portal Station. ¡°Do you know what that means?¡± she added in a playful manner.

    ¡°Nothing good for me, I guess.¡±  Tristan rolled his eyes as he answered the for him, most obvious, answer.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Sabrina said clapping with her hand. ¡°Heyy- Wait, no!¡± She corrected in a teasing tone.  ¡°It means, we get to have more time together as we wait for the Portal to open, isn¡¯t that cool?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± Tristan once again rolled his eyes as he cheered to please Sabrina.

    ¡°You know having fun once in a while isn¡¯t as bad as you think, you should give it a try for once,¡±  Sabrina said in an out of character serious tone and looked exhausted out of the windows of the Portal Station into the snowy streets.

    Tristan didn¡¯t know how to react, to this sudden change of mood and just answered her with a puzzled look on his face.  Not even his passive could help him out this time. Even if he tried to use his passive to figure out Sabrina, all he got as a response was that he should trust her and to not try to dig deeper into her affairs.

    ¡°You know, you might think, you¡¯re the only one that has it rough, but you should start looking around you, everybody here in this station carries their own package. Sure, the size of the package might not be as big as yours, but they still give their best in not letting everybody see what¡¯s inside of them. That¡¯s why you should try to smile once in a while and try to take it easy instead.¡±

    Sabrina continued talking in this melancholic voice while still staring at the falling snow. Suddenly she shook her head slowly before turning towards Tristan once again all smiles, ¡°and you soon will meet the master, so you better enjoy this moment of peace before the storm.¡±

    ¡°Master? Wait, what do you mean by the master? I thought this training session was supposed to be just between you and me!¡± Tristan said his eyes bloodshot in anger.

    ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s not like it is a bad thing, the master is going to train you, and I¡¯m sure you can trust master. She isn¡¯t a bad person unless she¡¯s teaching you how to fight.¡± Sabrina said hugging herself to stop herself from shuddering too much.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound good,¡±  Tristan answered as he once again activated his passive ability to check if he really could trust Sabrina, just to receive the same answer he always did.

    ***

    Although Tristan and Sabrina were still in Nocturnio, Tristan could feel a completely different atmosphere when they walked out of the richly decorated Portal Station. The streets were cleaner and broader than in front of the Guardian Academy. None the modern skyscrapers that filled most of the streets of Nocturnio could be seen except a little hint of their roofs from afar.

    ¡°Pretty neet,¡±  Tristan mumbled as he walked through the long streets filled with Gothic, Victorian and Classic Mansions. He had been in this part of Nocturnio quite a few times when he escorted Abigail back home after a night shift in his Lab. Those times though, he couldn¡¯t see much of this part of the city because he would always open a gate directly to Abigail¡¯s bedroom.

    ¡°If you say so,¡±  Sabrina answered casually as she led him towards a big Victorian Style Mansion not too far from the Portal Station.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen such pompously decorated houses before, it¡¯s just that I never actually have seen so many of them pile up in such extent. It kinda feels like this part of the City is exclusive for a certain part of the population.¡± Tristan said, a troubled expression on his face.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because it is. Officially everybody can buy a mansion here if the got the pocket change to do so, but in reality, only people close to the three clans are allowed to buy property around here. But let¡¯s not talk about unpleasant things.¡± Sabrina said with an uncharacteristically sad voice before hiding once again behind a mask of happiness.

    ¡°You see this place is really faaaar away from school if you would walk the way from here it would take you a few days! It¡¯s crazy how big this City is, in reality, isn¡¯t it? I mean everything feels sooo close but in reality, we are days away from school, whoever invented the Portals was a genius¡­ almost as big as the one, who invented the Commu.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±  Tristan didn¡¯t know how to respond to Sabrina¡¯s words.

    ¡°And I didn¡¯t just say that because I¡¯m talking with the guy who invented the Commu,¡± Sabrina said with a teasing voice. ¡°No let¡¯s hurry, the master doesn¡¯t have time to waste.¡±

    Both of them entered the mansion and were greeted by a horde of servants. Against Sabrina¡¯s will, one of the servants led the way towards the training grounds of the mansion. The training grounds were in the catacombs of the mansion, which made Tristan feel a little uncomfortable.

    After all the last time he had visited the catacombs of a mansion the person he cared the most for had been killed in front of him. Thus, Tristan had his passive active all the time and kept his eyes wide open to feel if it was a trap or not.

    But he couldn¡¯t feel any danger coming from Sabrina who followed the servant making funny faces behind him, so the servant wouldn¡¯t notice.

    After a while, they finally stopped in front of a big door that leads to the training grounds of the mansion.

    The servant opened the heavy looking door with ease. So that Tristan and Sabrina finally could now enter the training grounds.

    ¡°The young mistress has arrived.¡±  The young man said bowing towards the woman sitting on a luxurious golden throne in the middle of the room.

    ¡°Good.¡± Tristan could hear a familiar female voice say. No, this voice was more than familiar, it was a voice he knew since his birth.  It was a voice he would recognize where ever he went.

    Tears welled up in Tristan¡¯s greyish green eyes as they met a pair of eyes with the very same colour. Those greyish green eyes were also filled with tears.

    ¡°¡­ Ahem¡­ I¡¯m Lamia Schatten¡­ And¡­ Sabrina asked me if I ¡­ also could help one of her friends with his training¡­ Since I¡¯m training her, I thought ¡­ it- it wouldn¡¯t be thatbadof an idea¡­¡± Lamia stopped to take a deep breath to stop the tears from falling down her rosy cheeks.  ¡°Feww¡­ Where was I¡­ Oh, yeah¡­ I hope you don¡¯t mind me helping you out training.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±  Tristan just nodded not being able to say more.

 Proud

    Nocturnio  (28.01.9982 AS)

    ¡°Shall we start with the training?¡± Sabrina said breaking the awkward silence in the room.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, darling, after all my time here is limited,¡± Lamia answered in a thankful tone.

    ¡°¡­¡±  Tristan just continued staring at Lamia. ¡®Why is she here? Won¡¯t bad things happen if we are seen tighter?¡¯

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so shy young man, I¡¯m aware of my position, but believe I¡¯m a normal Demon just like the two of you,¡±  Lamia said giving Tristan a warm smile. ¡°You, see there is no problem with me being here helping out my lovely niece and her friend who just happens to be a prodigy. After all, it''s my job to look after the future of the clan.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If you say so.¡± Tristan answered still looking confused.

    ¡°Well, Sabrina told me you want to learn to be more agile than you already are, am I wrong?¡±

    Tristan nodded. ¡°For the start that¡¯s what I want, but I¡¯m fully aware, that I have to keep training other aspects, like casting powerful AOE spells, to truly become strong.¡±

    Lamia¡¯s left eye twitched a little as she heard Tristan¡¯s words. ¡°Why? Why are you fixated on becoming strong? Do you have someone specific you want to fight? Maybe do you want to take revenge on someone?¡±

    ¡°Why should I? I just want to survive, in this cruel world. You know sometimes it feels like I¡¯m alone against the world¡­ So getting stronger is essential for my survival.¡±  Tristan answered coldly.

    ¡°Shall¡­ we¡­ start¡­ the¡­ training?¡± Lamia turned her face towards the sky trying to fight the tears.

    ¡°Good Idea! You want to catch up to me, don¡¯t you? ¨C It¡¯s not like you ever will be faster than me.¡± Sabrina said in a haughty tone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too mean to your friend!¡± Lamia said and threw a green like goo at Sabrina who easily dodged it.

    ¡°What in the world was that?!¡±  Tristan who wasn¡¯t even able see, Lamia¡¯s nor Sabrina¡¯s movements looked dumbfounded at the place the goo had landed.

    The green goo had started to eat into the floor of the Training room.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just one of my trademark spells ¡°Acid lance¡± it eats into anything it touches,¡± Lamia answered in a calm voice. ¡°It¡¯s one of the fastest spells I can cast and it costs almost no mana, so it¡¯s pretty awesome to spam before starting a fight.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    ¡°So you are using a lethal spell for training?¡±  Tristan still wasn¡¯t able to grasp the situation completely.  He himself had, trained with Schattenklinge while facing life and death situations but he still couldn¡¯t believe his mother would use a lethal spell on Sabrina, someone who admired her so much.

    ¡°Snap out of it kid, or you¡¯ll end up into a lump of meat,¡±  Lamia said while throwing an Acid Lance towards him.

    Tristan enhanced his whole body with mana and was so able to bearly able to dodge the green goo shooting at him.

    ¡°Well, done, next time there won¡¯t be a warning,¡± Lamia said proudly.

    Tristan looked towards Lamia, trying to predict her next movement. He saw her getting ready to throw the green goo towards him, but thanks to his ability to see magic circles, he knew the Acid Lance wouldn¡¯t come his way. And he was right, in a flash, the green goo landed were Sabrina was standing.

    Being able to read the attacks trajectory made Tristan¡¯s lips curl slightly upwards.

    ¡°Why are you smiling so stupidly during a life and death experience?¡± Tristan could see a magic circle forming in front of him. He instinctively sent all of his mana towards his muscles, desperately trying to avoid getting hit by whatever he was being attacked with. ¨C But he was too slow. His body was thrown backwards and as he was hit by a green shockwave.

    ¡°Too much?¡± Lamia tilted her head staring at Tristan.

    ¡°Did you seriously try to kill him?¡± Sabrina asked concerned.

    ¡°Of course not I¡¯m holding back after all!¡± Lamia looked annoyed towards Sabrina. ¡°I mean you know, not even you would be able to avoid my attacks if I put my mind into it. Also, I doubt he is a weakling, something like that won¡¯t kill him, it just may take him out for a few hours. I used the weakest poison in my arsenal after all!¡±

    ***

    Tristan¡¯s body hurt like he had just been hit by a train, everything in front of him was turning and his head felt heavy. Even so, Tristan slowly stood up, facing Lamia who was eagerly throwing Acid Lances at Sabrina who struggled to keep up with Lamia¡¯s speed.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m ready for the next attack.¡± He said still feeling dizzy.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you can¡¯t as you are right now. You¡¯ve been out for over an hour and you still look like you¡¯ll lose consciousness any moment now. Also, my time is almost out, I have to keep up with a tight schedule after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So you are already leaving?¡±  Tristan looked disappointed.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll have to leave for now. Sabrina, I think it¡¯s enough training for today. We¡¯ll see each other in two weeks. While I¡¯m gone, make sure that kid gets fast enough, no avoid getting hit by most of my spells.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, for not being able to train much today, I promise I will try to get faster for the next session.¡±  Tristan taking a seat on the floor.

    ¡°You really have an admirable mentality. I¡¯m pretty sure your mother would have been proud of you.¡±  Lamia walked towards Tristan and stroke his head tousling his hair making it even messier it had been.  After staying like that for a few seconds Lamia finally left the room.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Tristan still sitting on the floor said towards Sabrina.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m just helping you with your training.¡±  Sabrina tried to play the clueless. ¡°Anyways you heard master; we have to get you in shape for our next training session with her. So I¡¯m expecting you tomorrow at the same time as today.¡±

    ¡°Yes, for some reason, being taught by someone by the Lamia Schatten surely makes me want to do my best. It¡¯s strange but for some reason, I don¡¯t want to disappoint her.¡±

    ¡°I might know the reason hehe,¡± Sabrina said with a genuine smile on her face as she tried to help Tristan stand up.

    ¡°Sure you do,¡±  Tristan whispered.