"...Yeah."
Cu Chulainn responded as the magic spear in Scathach's hand vanished. She turned her back to him and said, "Then you'd better work hard because he has already graduated."
"Wait... graduated?" Cu Chulainn repeated, his excitement shifting to confusion.
As he recalled the peculiar light circle that had blocked Kevin's entry to the Kingdom of Shadows, it became apparent that Scathach had orchestrated it all.
"Yes." Scathach nodded slightly, her piercing crimson eyes gazing into the distance. "Our agreement was strictly about spearmanship, and after these five years, I have already taught him everything I know. There is nothing left for him to learn in that regard."
Cu Chulainn remembered Kevin's use of the deadly spear techniques and nodded in understanding. But a thought lingered in his mind, prompting him to ask, "Then what was that light circle about? The one that I couldn't enter?"
"That was his graduation test," Scathach replied, her voice calm but resolute. "If he passes, I will reward him with a graduation gift, a magic spear worthy of his achievements, and a little something extra from me."
"Reward?" Cu Chulainn tilted his head, the word catching his attention. "What kind of reward?"
Scathach observed him for a moment, deliberating. Perhaps because he was Kevin's brother—or because she had been waiting so long for someone to speak with—she decided to explain.
"Why do you think I didn't tell Kevin the truth about the nature of this test? Why didn't I inform him that his destination was still the Kingdom of Shadows?"
Cu Chulainn blinked. He opened his mouth but failed to form an answer. How would I know?
Scathach chuckled—a light sound that sent shivers down his spine.
"It's because I tricked him," Scathach admitted, a glint of amusement in her gaze. "He wouldn't have come otherwise. After all, the agreement between him and me only pertained to spearmanship."
"...Wouldn't come? Why not?" Cu Chulainn asked incredulously. "Isn't this an opportunity for him to grow stronger?"
Kevin's words from their journey flashed in Cu Chulainn's mind: "If I don't go, I'll die!"
Although Cu Chulainn didn't fully understand what kind of relationship Kevin and Scathach had, he felt he could summarize it with one word: complicated.
"Even if he came willingly, there's no guarantee he would survive," Scathach said, her tone neutral but firm.
Cu Chulainn frowned, considering her words. He glanced at her, then decisively turned and left, muttering under his breath. "Willful indeed..."
Had Kevin known this was all part of Scathach's elaborate trap, his first instinct would have been to flee. And Scathach, knowing him better than anyone after five years of grueling training, had ensured he wouldn't have the chance.
Two weeks had gone by since Kevin had entered the trial, and he was still nowhere to be seen. The time exceeded even Scathach's original expectations.
As the days stretched into weeks, even Scathach's composed demeanor began to falter.
"Cú Chulainn, calm down!"
The usually serene city wall of the Kingdom of Shadows became the stage for a heated argument. Several disciples were attempting to restrain an injured and furious Cu Chulainn, who was determined to confront Scathach.
Ever since arriving in the Kingdom of Shadows, Cu Chulainn had been training tirelessly, pushing himself beyond his limits. At first, he had trusted that Kevin was merely delayed by the difficulty of the test.
But as time dragged on, and whispers among the disciples revealed how perilous the trial truly was, Cu Chulainn's patience snapped.
"You've sent him to his death!" Cu Chulainn shouted, glaring at Scathach as she watched silently from the wall.
Scathach remained unmoved, her gaze cool and detached.
Cu Chulainn's anger boiled over, and he lunged forward to attack. But as before, Scathach swiftly subdued him, leaving him broken and bloodied.
This marked the seventh time Cu Chulainn had challenged her, and each time he was defeated, his injuries growing worse. Yet, he refused to stop, returning the moment he could move again.
"Ferdia, let me go!" Cu Chulainn struggled against his senior brother, a powerful warrior named Ferdia, who held him back.
"If you go up there again, you'll die!" Ferdia yelled, his voice laced with frustration.
From her position on the wall, Scathach watched the commotion with her usual composure. But as she turned her gaze back toward the horizon, a flicker of emotion crossed her face.
Then, as if sensing something, her crimson eyes sharpened.
Far in the distance, Kevin approached the final trial of the graduation test: a series of floating rocks suspended over a violent, churning river.
His clothes were torn, his body battered and bleeding. The magic fruits that had once sustained him were long gone. Despite his dire condition, Kevin's expression was resolute.
He took a deep breath and leapt onto the first rock.
Pain shot through his body, but he gritted his teeth and kept moving. Rock by rock, he edged closer to the Kingdom of Shadows.
But as he jumped for the next stone, his strength faltered. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he felt the icy rush of the river below pulling him down.
Is this it? Kevin thought, his consciousness fading.
Just as Kevin began to fall, a figure materialized beside him.
Scathach caught him in her arms, holding him tightly as she leapt from stone to stone with ease.
"Too slow, stupid disciple," she murmured, a rare smile gracing her lips.
Everyone watched in stunned silence as Scathach carried Kevin into the Kingdom of Shadows.
Her disciples exchanged confused glances. Cu Chulainn, still restrained by Ferdia, blinked in disbelief.
Scathach, with Kevin cradled in her arms, walked past them all without a word. But the soft smile on her face spoke volumes.
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