Satomi stands in front of Nobu and Reina, her fists clenched and her face red with anger. Her friends look up at her sheepishly, knowing they've once again put themselves in danger.
"You... Both of you..." She stammers, struggling to keep her temper in check. "Why do you always end up getting into these freaking deadly situations?" She screams, hitting their heads with her fists. "You could've gotten yourselves killed!"
Nobu and Reina both flinch, hands over their heads as they feel the pain of the fresh blow, "We... We're sorry", They whisper in unison.
"Um... Satomi?" Yagami interjects, his voice calm and soothing. He kneels beside Reina, his hands glowing with healing light. "Would you mind controlling your anger a little? I mean, no need to get their condition to worsen, right?"
Satomi takes a deep breath, her anger slowly dissipating. She looks at her friends, concern etched on her face. "It's not my fault that they keep jumping into trouble!" She stammers, before taking another deep breath. "Well, I guess you're right! Let them rest for now!"
Nobu, always reading behind the lines, can't resist commenting. "Saying 'for now' at the end of your line isn't really promising!" he says, grinning as he pulls out a chocolate bar from his pocket.
As Sayuri jumps over Nobu's back, her body weight causes him to cry out in pain, "Ouch!" He screams, "Oy, Pipsqueak, can you be a little more careful?"
Sayuri chuckles and leans her body on Nobu, "Sorry, I got carried away. But seriously, you guys did a good job standing against that thing!"
"Yeah," Ash nods in agreement as he leans on the doorframe, "but you both still need to take it easy. Your injuries from the entrance exam haven't fully healed yet."
"We didn't jump into trouble," Reina finally speaks up, "he was targeting me just like last time!"
Nobu nods and wipes a drop of sweat from his forehead, "And he was way too strong. It was terrifying. I have a feeling that he wasn't even able to use his full power."
Sayuri looks confused, "What do you mean he wasn't able to use his full power? You think he was holding back?" She asks
"No," Shrugs Nobu, "it just felt like there was some kind of restriction on him. Like he couldn't go all out."
Nobu's face lights up as he remembers his friend Katsu, "Oh! By the way, how's Katsu doing? Did those weird markings disappear?"
Ash lets out a light sigh before answering, "Yeah, they disappeared the moment that spirit thing vanished."
Nobu's expression softens with relief, "That's good to hear." But then, he turns to Ash with a scowl on his face, "And why didn't you do anything to help us, ha?" He screams, pointing to Ash, "The four of us were in the same complex. You could've helped us!"
Ash raises his hands in a defensive gesture, "Oy oy Nobu, take it easy." He stammers, "I was dealing with my own struggles, you know!"
Nobu looks confused, "Your own struggles?"
Ash takes a deep breath and begins to tell the story with a captivating flair. "Picture this, you guys. The moment that thing crawled out of Katsu's mouth, it locked eyes with me, and I swear to you, I've never felt so terrified in my life. It was like it could see right through me, and for a moment, time stood still.
Then it turned away and muttered something like 'Nah, you're not the one,' before unleashing its wrath on the wall, with a water bolt, shattering it to pieces and charging towards you two.
I was in shock for a moment, but I quickly snapped out of it and focused all my attention on Katsu. He was in a trance-like state, completely unresponsive to anything I said or did. I shook him, I yelled at him, but it was like he was in another world.
It was then that I remembered the strange steak he had eaten earlier. It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to help my friend.
So I summoned my powers and created a cord that wrapped around Katsu, using all my strength to shake him up and down, hoping to dislodge whatever it was that had possessed him.
I gave it my all, but unfortunately, it was all in vain. Katsu remained unresponsive."
Ash pulls out a small, spiked seed from his pocket and holds it up for everyone to see.
"Finally, after your grueling battle, the spirit possessing Katsu vanished, leaving this bizarre seed in its wake."
He looks up to see his friends staring at him with concern, and Reina interjects, "So Katsu's still not feeling well, right? Is he in the bathroom?" and Ash nods solemnly.
"Yeah you're hopeless", Continues Reina, clearly amazed by the way Ash wanted to solve the problem.
As the gentle breeze rustles the leaves around them, Shinso and Kaeya sit in a quiet corner, sipping on hot tea. Kaeya looks thoughtful, lost in his own musings.
"I was hoping someone would come to help me get these recruits in shape," he remarks. "But for the Queen to send her bodyguard? That's something else," he adds, taking another sip of tea.
"I'm a sacred soldier, just like you," replies Shinso calmly. "Protecting the Queen is my primary duty, but I'm happy to help with other missions too. I'll do my best to refine their skills."
"Let's talk about our recruits," suggests Shinso, shifting the conversation to the task at hand. "What do you think of them?"
Kaeya's face lights up with enthusiasm. "Their full potential will be a true work of art," he says, pointing toward Sayuri's form. "Take that girl, for example..."
"I know her," interrupts Shinso. "She's Sayuri Violra. A survivor from Paradise and the Shadow Dragon host. I've seen her before."
"Ah, I see," says Kaeya, turning his attention to Reina's form. "And what about the one who's been targeted all this time?"
"That's Reina," replies Shinso. "His magical energy is the highest here, even higher than ours. He'll become unstoppable in time."
"That's right," confirms Kaeya, "He doesn't even need to take the magical resource test, I'm sure that he'll break the gem that's supposed to measure his magic!"
Shinso leans forward, his expression serious. "I want you to tell me what you think about that Nobu boy" he adds.
Kaeya looks worried. "To be honest, I don't know what to say," He says, "He destroyed Paradise as if it was nothing, even though he doesn't have magical energy. He can even survive without eating or drinking water! And his senses are highly attuned..."
Shinso's next statement leaves Kaeya completely stunned. "What if I tell you there's a possibility Nobu has Kamaitachi's power?" He interrupts
Kaeya drops his cup, causing it to shatter on the ground. His face turns pale, and he begins to sweat profusely, knowing the life of the boy he raised will be much harder than he expected.
"How did you...what are you saying?" asks Kaeya, his voice trembling. "Kamaitachi? The demon that appeared 3000 years ago? Did Kamaitachi's sphere react when he awakened?"
"No, it didn't," replies Shinso calmly. "But I have the sphere now, and we'll see what happens when Nobu unleashes his true power."
Kaeya realizes the implications of Shinso's words. "You said he has Kamaitachi's powers. Doesn't that make him Kamaitachi?"
"Nobu is a host, not a demon," explains Shinso, still sipping his tea. "If he were a demon, the sphere would've reacted right away. And since he's mostly going to be a demon host..."
"It means Nobu might have two elements," Kaeya says in amazement. "In other words, Nobu is a prodigy."
"A prodigy indeed. But now, let's go to the newbies," says Shinso, standing up. "We need to tell them about the spirit thing as well." The two sacred soldiers head to the recruits together, ready to begin training.
"Hello, newbies!" Greets Kayea with a big smile and a friendly wave as he opens the door. "How's the healing going, Nobu and Reina? Feeling better?"
"It's old man Kaeya!" Grins Nobu back. "Thanks to Yagami, we're healing up way too fast."
Kaeya nods approvingly. "That's what I like to hear!"
"It's Shinso!" Sayuri exclaims, pointing at the man as she jumps off Nobu's back. "Shinso! What are you doing here?"
Shinso replies calmly, "I'm on a Mission," He says, "And it's Master Shinso."
"Oh, you're the guy who defeated that spirit back then!" Chimes in Nobu, recognizing Shinso as he turns to Sayuri, "Oy, Pipsqueak! Have you met him before?
Sayuri's eyes widen as she remembers, "He's the one who saved me from Paradise's corruption!" She answers.
"Ah, so that's how it is," Nobu remarks with a knowing smile. "Hey, Shinso, next time you save someone, make sure it's not this thing." Nobu chimes in with a cheeky grin as he squeezes Sayuri's cheeks, "She's a real handful."
"Hey!" Sayuri protests, lightly hitting Nobu with her fists. "That was mean! Apologize. Apologize, right now!"
The atmosphere is electric as the group gathers, eager to hear what Shinso has to say. Chuckling, he remarks on the liveliness of the place before getting straight to the point. "I'm glad to see you all safe and sound," he begins. "But there's something I need to tell you about. A certain someone."
"A certain... Someone?" Reina echoes, a note of suspicion creeping into her voice.
"Warhammer?" Nobu and Reina say in unison, exchanging a knowing look as they realize that they are finally getting to the heart of the matter.
"You know who he's talking about?" Asks Satomi, her confusion evident.
"We don't know him personally," Reina shakes his head, wrapping his arm in bandages. "But he's been sending his minions after me. Twice now."
"First Kurogiri, the man with thread magic," Shinso adds. "We already sent him to the capital for some investigations. And then he sent that water man, Yamato."
"Did he really send him?" Nobu asks, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, he was in a spiritual form and he kept sucking Katsu's magic. It seemed like some kind of trick."
"You're right about that," Shinso confirms as he turns to Ash. " I was told that you were with Katsu when the spirit got out of his body, Ash?"
Ash nods, pulling the small seed out of his pocket. "Yeah, I was. And this thing came out of his mouth when that Yamato thing disappeared."
Shinso takes the seed, analyzing it carefully. "So that's what dropped when I rewound the spirit..." He mutters, "Another one of Warhammer's demonic seeds..."
"That's the thing that Katsu ate before getting those markings over his body," Says Ash eagerly. "I'm certain of it. What is it, anyway?"
Kaeya, with his hand under his chin, finally speaks up, "It's a demon seed, one of Warhammer's spells! It can be used for many purposes as well!"
Sayuri, who's clearly confused by the term, "Demon seed?" asks for clarification.
Shinso, quick to chime in, explains, "It allows the user to relocate a certain amount of their power by draining the host of this seed, just like what happened to Katsu! It can also be used to gain limited demonic power. It's quite a handful, to say the least!"
"Come to think of it, I did feel like Yamato wasn't able to go all out," interjects Nobu, "And what about Warhammer? Why is he after Reina?"
Kaeya takes a deep breath and begins to explain the situation to the group in simpler terms. "Warhammer is a powerful demon who is sealed in two parts - his soul is in the demonic realm, while his body and most of his powers are in the human realm. He wants to use Reina's magical resources to unlock the seal on his body, which would give him access to his full power."
Reina's face pales as he realizes the gravity of the situation. "But why was he sealed in the first place?" he asks.
"3000 years ago, there was a war between the demons," Shinso explains. "Warhammer was the leader of the devils, and the other side of the war was formed by one and only one demon. He was so powerful that the entire demon population couldn't defeat him. So, they cursed him and sealed his powers, dividing the demon realm into two parts to keep him contained. But after they realized that Warhammer was in the wrong, he was also punished with the sealing."
As Nobu looks confused, and Kaeya realizes that he needs to simplify the explanation even further. "Long story short, Warhammer is a bad guy who wants to get stronger by unlocking the seal on his body." He says after signing lightly, "We don't really know if his only goal is to restore his power but we need to stop him before the Night's Fury anyways! For now, you all need to rest for a week before we start your training."
The group nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. They know that they have a daunting task ahead of them, but they're determined to stop Warhammer and continue toward their final goal.
A week passes in the blink of an eye, and the newbies gather in the training ground along with Shinso and Kaeya.
"Okay, everyone!" Says Shinso, picking their interest, "First things first, we'll start by testing your stats so we could know which classification suits you best, okay?"
As they answer him by nodding their heads, they proceed to the stats tests. Starting with speed, a solo sprint race over a distance of 500 meters while relying on any magical ability that may harness your speed.
The test of Stamina comes after, the trainees must hold onto two stone balls for as long as they can. The catch is that the stone balls are magically enchanted to become heavier and more slippery over time, testing not only a warrior's grip strength but also their endurance and mental fortitude.
Then, a combat simulation that tests the individual's ability to react quickly and think critically in high-pressure situations as a test for BIQ. This test includes simulated battles against opponents that become increasingly difficult to defeat.
As for agility, its test is a also combat simulation that includes dodging, spell casting, and attacking. Not to mention the obstacles that the individual must navigate and simulated enemies that they must defeat.
To determine one's power resource stock, the candidate takes a test that involves channeling the entirety of one's magical prowess into a single, special gem - a gem that had been imbued with the power to calculate the stock of magical energy within a person.
A test of healing and defensive abilities could be used to measure blessing power. This includes a dummy that the individual must protect and heal the wounds of the dummy as fast as possible.
And, last but not least, Intellect! A test that includes a spellcasting competition where the individual must cast spells from a distance and hit specific targets with accuracy.
The sun has set, casting a warm orange glow across the training grounds as the trainees finally complete the grueling seven tests. Sweat is dripping down their faces as they collapse onto the ground, gasping for breath. However, there's one person who remains to stand, unfazed by the intensity of the training. Nobu looks as if he had just taken a leisurely stroll in the park.
"Man... That was really... Something" Mutters Ash, barely able to speak, as he promptly passes out, succumbing to his demon nature's instinct.
"Demons are quite amazing!", Nobu giggles as he watches him fall asleep, "I mean, they could sleep so soundly once they expended all their magical energy."
"Amazing huh?" Mutters Magnus, making Nobu turn to him and ask, "Something wrong?"
"Not really" Mganus continues, seeming skeptical of Nobu's seemingly effortless performance. "I'm confused," he says, raising his head to look at Nobu. "You're not even sweating. How is that even possible?"
"Well, he does have a point" Confirms Reina while laying on the floor, looking physically out of shape, "Even though my magical energy is the highest you could ever meet, I mean, I did break the measuring gem back there, it wasn't good enough to boost my physical capabilities, so I was worn out in no time! However, you've been only relying on your physique, so basically, you're the one who's supposed to be out of shape the most. But still... You're perfectly fine, and the physical tests we just had are no joke as well..."
"I agree with them," Says Katsu, incredulous. "That can't be considered human."
Maybe, because he's different!" Suggests Sayuri, clinging to Nobu's back for support, " Maybe because he doesn't have any magical energy."
"No, wait, that doesn't make sense," she corrects herself. "Magical energy is supposed to enhance your stamina, not the opposite!"
"Or maybe... Because he has something that others don't have..." Murmurs Reina as he scans Nobu with his perfect vision technique, his words kept for himself.
"I don't really know," Admits Nobu as he shrugs, "I've just always been like this. I want to understand what kind of being I am as well you know."
As the new recruits rest from their intense training, Shinso and Kaeya analyze the results of the tests, trying to classify the stats of each trainee as accurately as possible. Kaeya holds up Ash's report and remarks, "Ash appears to be the fastest, for now, finishing 500 meters in 23.14 seconds. He might even break the sound barrier if he trains to evolve his speed."
Shinso, amused by the rookies' enthusiasm, reminisces about his own youth. "I used to break the sound barrier with my time magic, but I'm a geezer now. I got nerfed," he chuckles. But then he turns his attention to Nobu's report. "However, something in here is a bit more impressive if you ask me, right?"
"It does catch interest, yeah," agrees Kaeya as he turns to look at the still-standing Nobu around the worn-out others. "For healing, power resource stock, and intellect, he's the weakest of them all. Those three stats are literally zero, to be clear. However..."
"He's way too impressive in the rest," interrupts Shinso, still trying to comprehend the reason behind Nobu's strength. "He almost caught up to Ash in speed, finishing 500 meters in 25.03 seconds. He's second in Stamina, after Magnus. The way he analyzes the situation in battle is extremely remarkable as well. He keeps trying to find ways to confuse the opponent. It appears that he doesn't even have fatigue, I mean, he's still standing normally after those intense tests! And, he has the greatest agility."
"His moves are lightning fast," adds Kaeya. "As if he has a lightning element. No, his reaction speed might even be greater! Just what is this boy?"
Shinso and Kaeya both ponder the mystery of Nobu's exceptional abilities. They know there is something special about this recruit that can't be explained by stats alone. As the night fell, they continue to discuss and analyze the results, determined to uncover the secrets behind the exceptional trainees under their tutelage.
"It's about time we finished their classing according to their stats!" Exclaims Kaeya, stretching his hands as he gasps after realizing how late it is.
"Yeah", Adds Shinso, "However, I do believe that this ranking is going to change. Especially for him!"
----
Ranking of the newbies: intellect
Reina (highest resource stock; fourth in stamina; third in speed; fourth in agility; highest BIQ; second in blessing power; highest in intellect)
Ash (seventh in resource stock; third in stamina; highest speed; second in agility; last in BIQ; fifth in blessing power; seventh in intellect)
Yagami (third in resource stock; last in stamina; seventh in speed; last in agility; sixth in BIQ; highest blessing power; third in intellect)
Satomi (fifth in resource stock; fifth in stamina; fifth in speed; seventh in agility; second in BIQ; fourth in blessing power; fourth in intellect)
Magnus (fourth in resource stock; highest stamina; last in speed; sixth in agility; seventh in BIQ; sixth in blessing power; sixth in intellect)
Sayuri (second in resource stock; seven in stamina; sixth in speed; third in agility; fifth in BIQ; seventh in blessing power; fifth in intellect)
Katsu (sixth in resource stock; sixth in stamina; fourth in speed; fifth in agility; third in BIQ; third in blessing power; second in intellect)
Nobu (last in resource stock; second in stamina; second in speed; highest agility; fourth in BIQ; last in blessing power; last in intellect)