I'm so glad that I don't have to train with that son of a bitch anymore. I think his test was to check my reaction time but I think he upgraded my endurance too. I mean, I got punched in the face like...
Lots... lots... and lots of times.
I finished training with Aether in the morning, meaning that I can move on to my next training now. It's the 15th of June. I started my training three days ago and finished two out of seven. Now, I move on to my next training.
I arrived on the left side of Olympus, away from the guest rooms. The huge double doors in front of me looked different from the other large ones.
These seemed different from others. The design was something but also the sign next to the door.
It said, 'Azuka.'
That was that white-haired girl, right?
Now that I think about it, she's the only one who has a different hair colour to her respective Emperor title.
I knocked on the door, hoping that she would hear it despite the size of the door.
"Come in."
I heard a voice say.
I was ready to push the doors but they opened by themselves.
"Uh... I guess I'll let myself in then."
I mumbled to myself.
As I began walking inside, I instantly stopped. There was the sharp sound of air being pierced and the eerie silence that followed it.
Looking down, there was a floating sword at my throat.
"Hm. Seems good but you would still be too slow."
I was a second too slow in taking the blade out.
If I was expecting it, like Aether's punches, then I'd be able to react.
When I looked over at Azuka, she was laying down on a lounge chair, in a bathrobe.
She flicked up her finger sideways and it flew into the wall, alongside many other different swords and weapons.
The swords created a symbol on the wall but I couldn't tell exactly what it was. Maybe it's random?
I walked toward her.
"Uhmm... Azuka, right?"
I asked.
"Yes. I'm the Red Emperor and your current teacher. Don't introduce yourself since I already know you're Shoya Sasaki."
She said, rather nonchalantly.
To be honest, judging from her expression, tone and posture, Azuka does not have any interest in teaching me anything. I think it's because she wanted to see Altair, not me.
"What will I be doing?"
"Enchant."
A sword of flames was made instantly and she was able to control it remotely with a flick of her finger.
"I want you to create a sword or weapon which you can control remotely."
"Huh?"
"That's your training."
Huh?
I-is, that it?
It's so simple! I mean, I can create a spell which I can control remotely. Controlling remotely doesn't exactly mean I need to be able to control it as she did.
For example...
"A ball should work, right?"
"Yeah. As long as you can control it remotely."
Azuka replied, leisurely.
I made a ball, out of shadows, and threw it up to the ceiling.
The Emperor looked at it.
"What're you..."
I made sure it would not damage anything on her ceiling, like her chandeliers, so I clicked my finger when it was coming downwards.
The ball erupted and released an explosion of black flames.
"What..."
"With that, I'm done, right? I'll get onto the next training session now."
I said, turning around.
Before I could begin walking, Azuka was shouting at me.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
I stopped and she ran over to me in her bathrobe.
"Hm?"
"How did you do that so easily?! Without an incantation, no less! How?!"
I thought Emperors could do incantationless spells but I guess I was wrong. Now that I think about it, Azuka did say something when she made that sword of flames.
"I just did it. Incantationless spellcasting is something I've always been able to do."
"How did you do that? I've never seen that shadow spell before!"
"I just made it. I made the ball and disrupted the shadow mana inside."
I felt nervous since she was freaking out.
Azuka looked at me with experimental eyes. It was like I was a unique test subject.
"You're not even tired?!"
"N-no..."
Suddenly, she jumped up and looked me in the eye. We were barely two inches away from each other.
"Do you know how much mana spell crafting takes?"
"Spell crafting?"
I repeated, slightly confused.
The Emperor sighed.
"Spell crafting is when a spell is made. What you did was spell crafting. Every spell in existence was made with spell crafting. Only higher powers can create spells. Higher powers like Emperors. Usually, it expends a lot of mana but you did it so casually..."
Azuka said to me.
So, the spells I have were all made by me? I would've never noticed if it weren't for her. Wait, does that mean, I can create spells without any backlash?
The woman gave me a cheeky smirk.
"Okay... I see now."
"You see what?"
"You're a jack of all trades. With enough time, you could become even more monstrous than Altair."
Though she was trying to say that I had a bright future in terms of power, I couldn't help but grimace.
"You'll become even more than all of us, combined."
"So?"
"That's a good thing."
"What? A good thing to be betrayed by you guys?"
If I did eventually grow stronger than them, they may cut me off just like they did to Altair.
Azuka was slightly surprised.
"Okay, okay. Listen, Vessel. Altair agreed to get it done. We didn't kill him without his consent."
Yeah, yeah, whatever.
"Can I go or not?"
"No."
Azuka pointed at me.
"We'll be continuing with your training."
"But I just finished. Besides, two minutes ago, you didn't look interested in my training."
"That may be true, but, now, I am. I'm interested. Invested, in fact."
Now, it was my turn to sigh.
"What will the training be?"
"I want you to make the symbol on the wall using magic weapons. Shouldn't be too hard, right?"
I looked at the symbol and looked at the number of swords. There's definitely more than 200.
I gave a nervous smile and chuckled.
"S-sure..."