[ Location: Realm of Candida Aeternitas ]
" The 'Aether'? " Yukino asks as she hears it.
" Yes, dear Yukino, the 'Aether'... "
" After you absorb the Mana, the Aether is next in point as we're going to make sure to make the Mana reach your Soul after your Body successfully absorbed it. "
" As it reaches the Soul, the Mana, combined with your Soul's energy, will become a new energy called the 'Aether', an energy that encapsulates both Soul and Body and all other energies. "
" The reason why I want you to have this is in order for you to stop the White Demon who already excelled at using it. "
" What did you say!? " Yukino asks.
" You mean, the White Demon, had this kind of energy inside him all along!? " Yukino asks the Lord.
" Yes, why do you think his 'Black Shadow' Creatures are made of? "
" Do you think Divine Energy, Demonic (Deviant) Energy, or even the Mana could do that? "
" No! "
" It was all thanks to the Aether's unlocked ability that made him able to summon those Black Creatures in the first place using the shadows as the media. "
" How do you know this, my lord? "
" How do you even know about the Black Shadows? I haven't- "
" Those kinds of things already happened ages ago. "
" Back then, I believe there was a Gifted Ancient Hero called Siegfried*... "
" He once served the gods but fell after lots of battle as he slays many with his once Divine Swords. "
" One of the swords is called Dainsleif. "
" With that very sword, he slays many monsters, dragons, and mages to appease the gods, but as he slays more with it. "
" The sword itself becomes 'accursed', filled with the Aether... "
" At that time, the Hero didn't realize the sword itself was actually made using a Divine Being's flesh and also imbued by the Divine Being's very Spirit. "
" A thing that the gods didn't tell him before it was too late since after lots of its use, the sword was corrupted thanks to it absorbing the Mana and other kinds of energy fully into the sword's very soul and spiritual form. "
" Making it produce the Aether, turning the sword into an Aether Sword as it also makes the Hero Siegfried into an Aether User after holding it for too long. "
* Yukino hears this and shivers. *
" Is it really that dangerous? "
" Hold it, I'm not done yet. " the Lord tells.
" After Siegfried became an Aether User, he begin to unleash something using the Dainsleif Sword, the Black Creatures that once wreak havoc upon Asgard before Loki became an Allfather at that time if I recount it. "
" The Black Creatures that I've told, are the things you now know as the 'Black Shadows', creatures crafted and summoned using the Aether. "
" Wow, that spooked me... " Yukino responds but suddenly realizes.
" My Lord, based on your story... "
" Is it possible that the White Demon- "
" The White Demon had the 'Dainsleif' sword in his hands? " the Lord responds.
" Yes, it should be, for I could tell no other culprit than that thing which able to make him have the ability in the first place. "
" That White Demon, if it's true then, he must've obtained it from the Dungeons as he decided to keep that thing to himself. "
" Smart little brat, with that thing he should've been able to wreak havoc among the Pantheons, for I fear he is much stronger than Siegfried could've been. "
*Yukino gulps after hearing it.*
"( So that's why he's that powerful. )" Yukino remembers the moment the White Demon choked him back in the ruins of Abyss Tower after the Demon's battle with Adrian Waterson.
" My Lord! " Yukino calls the Lord.
" Yes. "
" You said we're going to continue to learn this 'Aether', right? "
" May I ask you one thing? " Yukino asks.
" Ask freely. "
" Thank you, my Lord. "
" I just want to ask if I learn this 'Aether', would I be able to put a stop to the White Demon? "
" Or perhaps I would become a being worse than him, like that hero in the story? " Yukino asks.
" Oh, about that... " the Lord responds.
" Not to worry, the Aether is like any other energy that enables its user to unlock sorts of abilities. "
" I will teach you the way to obtain it, so be assured that you won't receive the same ability as that Demon, no. "
" Since I'll make sure that the ones you obtained, are different that the Demon's ability very nature. "
" Now, as we get into this. "
" My dear Yukino, may I ask you something? "
" Anything, dear Lord. " Yukino answers.
" If I recount, your Clan is part of the Japanese Noble Clans that do Exorcism, being part of the whole Blue Blood Clan, right? "
" Yes, I am. "
" I see, that is based on your Exorcism teachings that used your Divine Power to do Spiritual Matters. "
"Then you know how to make yourself to a state where your soul and body are connected, the thing you did by calming down and focusing your consciousness like that, you know? "
" Meditation state? " Yukino asks as she hears it.
" I can do that if that's what you meant. "
" Yes, thank goodness you reminded me, hahaha! " said the Lord.
" Yes, we're both going to do the Aether obtain through the meditation state, I believe you already knew the basics after years of training, yes? "
" Of course. "
" Even though my meditation is not as good as the late Japan's Grand Holy Priestess. " Yukino says as she quickly sits down and crosses her legs, quickly performing the meditation.
" Good. " said the Lord as he sees the Mana enter Yukino's soul thanks to her great expertise in meditation, the result of her being trained since she was little.
" It works just like that... " the Lord says as he could see the Mana already reached the Soul as it finally makes the Aether within her.
"( This was fast, guess it spares me time from worrying about her progress, she could do this within her time here. )"
"( Despite this all, hope she still remembers this after waking up, that's the problem that I've feared for her. )" the Lord wonders at the same time, Yukino could feel another type of Energy bubbling inside her body, she could feel it the same like the energy she felt from the White Demon and his Black Shadows.
"( White Demon, so this is how you're able to perform such unnatural feats? )" Yukino wonders as she continues to meditate while the Lord watches her, guarding her.
" Good. "
" Good. "
" Now you're prepared. " the Lord says as he could see after Yukino managed to unlock the Aether, the Aether inside her began to feed over the negative energy within her, her own negative energy and some Demonic (Deviant) energy residue that came probably from the Demonic Monsters and Tainted Spirits she killed over the years as both being an S-Rank Hunter in Trinia and Japan as well as being an Entitled Exorcist since birth.
"( After this, I better add another juice into her... )"
"( The last phase of energy you should learn to at least withstand the White Demon's already overpowered state. )"
"( The 'Ki'. )" said the Lord as he then continues teaching Yukino that during her time in this realm.
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Extra:
Here we go, this is the last of Yukino's training before she faces Ragna the White Demon.
If you wonder why she gets it quickly, is due to her bloodline, early training, and years of experience in both physical and spiritual battles which is her winning factor more than Ragna who had to deal with the Abyss Tower first to achieve what he is now.
Besides that, if you read the early Chapters, Ragna has that Yakan Curse within him while Yukino doesn't, making her progress faster since she had no Yakan Curse that gradually nerfs her like Ragna.
But still, will she be stronger tho, who knows...
I'll promise you, faster doesn't mean stronger.