Chapter 24: Bonds Forged in Fire
Weeks had passed since Argus's intense training with Suzume began. The once-foreign landscape of the training grounds had become familiar, though no less brutal. Each day brought new, unorthodox trials designed to push Argus further than he'd thought possible. Suzume's methods weren't just harsh—they were torturous.
But they worked.
Under her wild and often sadistic guidance, Argus had become stronger, quicker, and more resilient. His instincts had sharpened, and every moment of their sessions demanded his full attention, with no time to think, only to react.
Today was no different.
"Ready for the next round, brat?" Suzume asked, twirling a whip-like vine she had pulled from a nearby tree. The thin but flexible vine looked harmless at first glance, but Argus knew better. It was enchanted with runes Suzume had scrawled into the wood, making it harder than iron and capable of leaving stinging welts if he wasn't careful.
"What, no swords today?" Argus quipped, barely masking his weariness.
Suzume grinned. "Swords are too predictable. Let's see how you handle something that doesn't follow your nice, neat little combat rules."
Before Argus could retort, Suzume lashed out with the vine, the whip snapping toward his feet. Argus barely managed to leap back in time, but Suzume was already moving, swinging the vine in a wild, unpredictable pattern. It cracked through the air, aiming for his arms, his legs, his chest—everywhere at once.
His mind raced to keep up. There was no rhythm to her movements, no logic he could anticipate. This was far beyond simple swordplay. Suzume moved with the reckless abandon of a force of nature, and it took everything Argus had to dodge and deflect.
"Come on, brat! You're moving like a slug!" Suzume shouted, her voice a mixture of mockery and challenge.
Argus dodged the sharp vine she whipped at him, his feet moving quicker now as he began to predict her movements. But predicting Suzume was no easy feat. She was unpredictable, switching between weapons at random—sometimes it was a sword, other times a whip, and then there were days when she'd challenge him with nothing but her bare hands.
She swung the vine again, and this time, Argus saw his opening. He twisted his body and caught the vine mid-swing, pulling her toward him. For a split second, he thought he'd outsmarted her.
"Nice try, brat," Suzume said, grinning as she released the vine and let him fall flat on his back with it.
Argus groaned as he hit the ground, dust flying up around him. "You fight dirty," he muttered, glaring up at her.
Suzume laughed, towering over him with her hands on her hips. "I fight to win. You'd better start learning that if you want to survive out there."
Argus stood up, brushing himself off, and gave her a smirk. "Is that why you need enchanted vines to beat me? I didn't realize you were so desperate."
Suzume's eyes gleamed, her grin widening. "Desperate? Brat, you haven't seen desperate yet. But keep talking, and I'll show you."
Argus chuckled, knowing full well that she wasn't bluffing. Suzume's idea of "punishment" usually involved the most torturous drills she could think of, and the last thing he wanted was another run through the gauntlet of her imagination.
"Fine, fine. I'll behave," Argus said, raising his hands in mock surrender.
Suzume tossed the vine aside and picked up a pair of wooden swords, tossing one to Argus. "Good. Now grab this and try not to embarrass yourself. You're improving, but I don't need you getting cocky."
Argus caught the sword with a nod, taking his stance. "I thought you liked me cocky."
Suzume raised an eyebrow, her smile twisting into something more devious. "Oh, I do. It makes it more fun when I knock you down a peg."
She retaliated with a wide sweep of the vine, forcing Argus to roll under it. He sprang back to his feet, reaching for the nearest tree branch and pulling himself up with an agile leap. Suzume's vine cracked just beneath his feet, narrowly missing him.
From his higher vantage point, Argus launched himself toward her, attempting to close the distance. But Suzume was faster. She dropped the vine, and with a swift motion, pulled out two small, sharpened stones from her pouch, hurling them at Argus with pinpoint accuracy.
Argus twisted midair, narrowly dodging one stone, but the other grazed his shoulder. He winced but landed on his feet, quickly recovering.
Suzume's grin widened. "Nice try, brat. But you'll have to do better than that."
Panting, Argus couldn't help but admire her. The creativity she brought into every session was relentless. One day it was swordplay; the next, it was using the environment against him, forcing him to think on his feet. Today it was whips and stones—tomorrow, who knew what she'd throw at him?
He wiped the sweat from his brow, heart racing. "Is this… how you normally train people?"
Suzume chuckled, lowering her weapons as she leaned casually against a tree. "You think I train just anyone? Don't flatter yourself, brat. I've never trained anyone before."
Argus raised an eyebrow, wiping more sweat from his forehead. "Wait, so I'm your first victim?"
Suzume grinned and twirled the vine once more, this time lazily. "First student, brat. You're lucky you've got that stubbornness in you—or I'd have broken you by now."
Argus couldn't help but smirk. "I thought breaking me was the whole point?"
"Oh, it is." Suzume pushed off from the tree, her grin never wavering. "But not in the way you think. There's breaking... and then there's rebuilding." She gave him a wink before tossing the vine aside and motioning for him to follow her toward a shaded clearing in the training grounds.
They walked in silence for a moment before Suzume spoke again. "Your mother knew I wouldn't normally take on a student, especially not someone as young as you. But when I saw that spark in you, that potential... I couldn't help myself."
Argus rolled his eyes. "I think you just wanted an excuse to beat up a kid."
Suzume laughed, throwing her head back. "Maybe. But you're no ordinary kid, are you?"
Argus said nothing. Despite the teasing, he knew Suzume meant every word. It wasn't just his mother's influence that had brought them together—Suzume saw something in him, something worth shaping. And as much as he hated to admit it, she had pushed him harder than anyone else ever had.
They arrived at the clearing, a small, circular space surrounded by trees. Suzume sat down on a rock and pulled out her flask, taking a long drink before offering it to Argus.
"Still not drinking that," Argus said, shaking his head.
Suzume shrugged, taking another swig. "Suit yourself. So, brat, what do you want to know?"
Argus tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"You've been eyeing me like you've got a hundred questions, brat," Suzume said, stretching out her legs. "Go on. Ask 'em. You've earned at least that much."
Argus paused, debating where to start. He had always been curious about Suzume's past—how someone with her skills and unpredictability ended up as one of the East's strongest warriors. "I've just been wondering... why you? My mother knows a lot of powerful people, but you don't exactly scream 'typical teacher.'" He smirked.
Suzume let out a hearty laugh, the sound carrying through the trees. "Well, I'm flattered. Thought you might've caught on by now—I'm not really one for playing by the rules."
Argus gave her a look. "Clearly."
She leaned forward, her smile fading slightly as she stared at the ground for a moment. "I wasn't born into some fancy life like most people think. I wasn't even supposed to live long enough to be where I am now."
That caught Argus's attention. He knew Suzume wasn't typical, but hearing that from her in a more serious tone made him pause. He stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
"I grew up as a street rat in the East," Suzume said, her voice casual, as if she were describing a simple fact of life. "No family, no home, nothing but what I could steal or fight for. It was a world where strength decided everything—if you were weak, you didn't survive. Simple as that."
Argus stared at her, trying to imagine Suzume, the wild, fearless woman who now stood before him, as a child fending for herself in the streets. It wasn't hard to picture—there was always an edge to her, something raw and untamed that hinted at a past built on hardship.
"Eventually, I got good at fighting," she continued. "Good enough to stop getting kicked around. Good enough to make people afraid of me."
There was no pride in her voice, just a statement of fact. She didn't revel in her past victories, nor did she linger on the suffering she had endured. Her words were matter-of-fact, as if the hardships were nothing more than stepping stones leading her to where she stood today.
Argus found himself wanting to ask more but hesitated. Suzume wasn't someone who shared these things lightly, and he knew better than to push too hard. Yet, before he could think of a way to phrase his next question, Suzume continued.
"Your mother..." She paused for a moment, her tone softening, an uncharacteristic shift in her usually carefree demeanor. "Your mother saved my life once."
Argus blinked in surprise. He hadn't heard this story before. His mother had never spoken of saving Suzume or the nature of their connection. Suzume's sudden vulnerability took him off guard, and he remained silent, listening.
"It was a long time ago, before I became a Guardian," Suzume said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "I was... well, not in a good place. Let's leave it at that. But your mother showed up and did what she does best—took control of the situation and gave me a second chance."
There was a subtle warmth in Suzume's voice now, a hint of gratitude that Argus wasn't used to hearing from her. For the first time, he could see beyond her tough, mocking exterior—there was history there, something deeper that connected her to his mother.
"You're friends with her?" Argus asked, cautious, not entirely sure how to phrase the question.
Suzume chuckled lightly, the tension in the air dissolving. "Friends? Sure, you could say that. Rivals, too. We've got our own history." She smirked. "But when she asked me to train you, I couldn't say no. Not after what she did for me."
Argus nodded slowly, absorbing this new information. His mother, always so distant and composed, had never shared this part of her life with him. It was strange to hear someone speak of her in such personal terms.
"So that's why you're here?" he asked, a bit more gently this time.
"Partly," Suzume admitted. "But honestly, brat, I wouldn't be here if I didn't see something in you. You've got potential—a lot of it. You remind me of myself when I was younger, except... you've got more discipline. More control."
"Is that your way of complimenting me?" Argus teased, arching an eyebrow.
Suzume grinned, leaning back on the rock. "Don't get used to it. I'll deny it if you ever bring it up again."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of the conversation lingering between them. It was a rare moment of vulnerability from Suzume, and Argus appreciated it more than he let on.
Suddenly, Suzume tossed her flask at him. Argus caught it midair, looking at her in confusion.
"What's this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Consider it a reward," Suzume said, her tone playful. "For surviving my training this long."
Argus shook his head with a small smile, still refusing the drink. "I'm nine."
Suzume shrugged, taking another swig from her flask. "Suit yourself, brat. But remember, surviving isn't enough. You've got to learn to thrive in chaos, to become one with it. That's when you'll start to really grow."
Argus nodded, the weight of her words sinking in. This was more than just physical training—it was about learning to adapt, to become stronger not just in power but in spirit. Suzume was pushing him to his limits, but she was also showing him how to break through them.
"Well, don't get too comfortable," Suzume said, rising from the rock with her usual grin. "Tomorrow's gonna make today look like a vacation."
Argus smirked, standing up and brushing the dirt off his clothes. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Master."
Suzume's eyes gleamed with mischief as she twirled the vine around her wrist. "Good. Now get some rest, brat. You'll need it."