It had been a few days after Zerro had woken up and the demon hadn't mentioned anything about his brother until now.
"So...how are we going to beat my brother?" Zerro enquired as he sat across the two with his arms crossed.
What he recieved as an answer was Celestia shrugging her shoulders along with Han.
"Wait, are you telling me, you don't have a plan?" Zerro was in disbelief but he was sent further into it when she shook her head.
"You practically forced me into joining your lame group because we hold the same enemy and you don't have a plan!" He yelled in annoyance.
Celestia's eyes grew dim as she was reminded of the truth behind her parents death.
It turned out, Erlik was the one responsible for killing her parents, all because they held a friendship with Zerro.
Erlik wanted his brother to suffer but what he didn't realise was he also created another enemy.
"Well, you had made a plan for ten years and look where you ended up." Celestia retorted earning an offended look from the demon while Han laughed.
"Burn~" Han said with a cheeky smile causing Zerro to send him a glare.
Han's declaration echoed through the room, drawing the attention of everyone present. With a subtle throat-clearing, he began to outline his strategy.
"Listen up, folks. We're not individually strong enough to take down the demon King. Our best shot is to train together as a team."
Zerro, ever the arrogant one, immediately protested. "I don't need training. I'm already plenty strong."
Han raised an incredulous eyebrow before swiftly delivering a flick to Zerro's forehead. The demon let out an involuntary yelp, clutching his throbbing brow.
"You definitely need training," Han retorted, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And I know just the angel who can help us."
The mention of the angel caught Celestia's attention, and she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach at the determined glint in Han's eyes.
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"Right! I want each of you to do one hundred pull-ups, one thousand push-ups, and twenty laps around the park! You've got two hours!" Mike, a towering figure, barked out the orders as they stood in the public park, all clad in training gear.
Celestia had to borrow some of Han's clothes for the occasion.
"That's absurd! How do you expect us to complete all that in just two hours?" Zerro grumbled, already protesting.
Ignoring Zerro's complaints, Celestia and Han wordlessly began their exercises, determined to meet the challenge head-on.
"Keep whining, and you'll never make it," Mike chided, prompting an irritated groan from Zerro before he begrudgingly started his pull-ups on the nearby metal bar.
Zerro seethed with frustration as he grappled with the reality that the easy power he had gained from Xander had worn off, leaving him back at square one. He had naively believed that shortcut would be his ticket to defeating his brother, but it was clear now that true strength required hard work and dedication. Reluctantly, he acknowledged that his only chance at victory lay in natural strength and, perhaps, cooperation with Celestia and Han.
"Move it, Zerro! Celestia's already done with her pull-ups, and Han's halfway through his push-ups! You're lagging behind!" Mike's voice boomed with impatience, pushing Zerro to grit his teeth in annoyance. His muscles strained as fatigue set in, slowing his pull-ups to a crawl.
Meanwhile, Celestia pushed through the burning in her arms, determined to complete her six hundredth push-up despite the trembling in her limbs.
She focused solely on her goal, ignoring the discomfort as she neared the end of her grueling set.
As Celestia's thoughts drifted to Zerro's brother, a fierce determination surged within her, fueling her resolve. With renewed vigor, she intensified her push-ups, pushing past the burning sensation in her muscles. Mike couldn't help but offer praise as he witnessed her newfound determination.
"Well done, Celestia!" he exclaimed, impressed by her determination and perseverance.
For the next two hours, the trio pushed themselves to their limits, each focused on their individual goals. By the end of the grueling workout, Zerro was sprawled out on the grass, utterly exhausted and gasping for air.
Han, ever the mischief-maker, crouched down beside him and playfully poked his back, eliciting a groan from the weary demon.
"You all did exceptionally well, so I'll treat you to some food!" Mike's offer elicited an immediate response from Zerro, who sprung to his feet with newfound energy. Mike chuckled at Zerro's eagerness, while Han joined in with a grin. Even Celestia couldn't help but feel a small smile tug at the corners of her lips.
"Lead the way," Zerro commanded, taking charge as they prepared to indulge in a well-deserved meal together.
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"They're probably going crazy at home," Celestia mused to herself as she made her way back to her own house. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of her family and the impending battle in the demon realm.
Upon reaching her home, she noticed something amiss—the front door was slightly ajar, a deviation from its usual locked and closed state at this time of night. A flicker of worry ignited within her as she pondered the possible reasons for the unusual sight.
"Hello?" Celestia called out tentatively, cautiously peeking past the partially open door, her senses on high alert.
"C-Celestia?" Astonia's voice trembled as she approached, her face etched with exhaustion and sorrow.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Celestia braced herself, her heart already heavy with anticipation of the news.
"Where have you been? It's been a month, and your mother... S-She..." Astonia's voice faltered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Though their relationship had its complexities, Celestia couldn't deny the pang of sorrow that pierced her heart at the mention of her adopted mother.
"What happened to Rosella?" she asked quietly, her voice laced with a mixture of apprehension and grief.
Astonia's next words struck Celestia like a thunderbolt.
"She was killed."
For Celestia, the news stirred up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Despite any difficulties in their relationship, the loss of her adopted mother still weighed heavily on her heart.
"By whom?" she managed to inquire, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"No one saw anyone enter the mansion nor exit but the culprit left behind a note. It's for you, Celestia." She handed you a note she had been holding for long and you could tell by the creases on each side of the envelope.
'Rosella Levant was the love of my life and because of the power you held, it prevented me from coming into the mansion so when you left, I could finally see my love.
Too bad she didn't want to see me.
I was so enraged that I ended up killing her and its your fault. If you weren't there in the first place, I would have met her earlier and we would have been in love!
Now, you're next.'
Celestia gripped onto the letter as she felt frustration before she looked up at Astonia who had calmed down, her emotions coming to a low. She couldn't think of anyone being responsible for this.
"Astonia...do you know anyone that could be suspicious?" Celestia asked and the elderly maid thought back on any people she had seen Rosella meet with before.
"None that I know of...oh! The stalker!" Astonia gasped before she ushered Celestia up the stairs and towards Rosella's room.
As they entered the room, Celestia took in the state of it, and her heart rate increased as she saw abnormal claw marks on the wall besides the window.
This wasn't just any normal stalker.
It was a supernatural being.
But, what kind...Celestia was in the dark, not knowing what type of being it could be.
"Here, Celestia." Astonia had pulled out a brown box and slid it towards the young girl who slowly opened it to see a pile of folded papers.
She picked up the first letter and unfolded the white paper, noticing the person who wrote this had very neat handwriting. It reminded her of the victorian era type of handwriting where the each letter was neat, round and cursive.
The words that were written were repulsive in Celestia's mind and she quickly closed the paper by folding it back in half before dropping it in the box.
"Oh, I've been wondering...where are all the workers?" She asked and Astonia released a sigh as she recalled what occurred a month before.
"When Rosella was killed, I informed all workers to take a break since you had also gone missing but when you never returned, it was decided that they would all quit but I...I had to see if you would come back home. Where were you all this time?"
Zerro had informed you of the time difference between the human realm and the demon realm so one day spent in the other realm had resulted in one month drifting by in this realm.
"I found out that I was adopted and I ran away from home." She lied but Astonia fell for it as she looked at the young girl with pity.
"Oh, Celestia..." Astonia said with a solemn look but Celestia shook her head as a way of saying she was fine.
"Ms.Astonia, I need you to stay home from now on because things will get dangerous." Celestia warned.
"But, what about you? You'll get hurt-" Celestia stood up, cutting the maid off as she clapped her hands together.
She summoned her sword by parting her hands and Astonia watched, flabbergasted by the sight in front of her.
"I promise you, I will be fine and I will find that stalker no matter what."
Astonia didn't know what the say, her mouth opening and closing a few times before she finally gained her voice back.
"O-Okay..."