"Don't want to be caught up by him?" Scathach asked, her tone calm and measured.
"Yeah," Kevin nodded vigorously, his expression serious. "I don't want to!"
Scathach regarded him for a moment before she reached to her waist, unfastened a small silver bag, and handed it to him.
Kevin took the bag, feeling the lingering warmth from Scathach's touch, and raised an eyebrow.
"It was made from a rare magical beast from the Sea of Death," Scathach explained. "The beast could swallow boulders, and its hide was crafted into this bag. It doesn't have much use beyond storing a certain amount of inanimate objects, but you can use it for your divine fruits."
"A storage bag?" Kevin's eyes brightened as he grasped the concept. Looking up at Scathach, he asked, "You're giving it to me?"
"Yes," Scathach nodded.
"Hey…" Kevin drawled, narrowing his eyes as he studied her expression.
"What's wrong?" Scathach tilted her head slightly, her red eyes watching him closely.
"No, I was just thinking… Could this be your way of apologizing for tricking me into coming here? You know, Master, that was really underhanded—"
Before he could finish, Scathach's sharp gaze stopped him.
"Is it no good?" she asked, her tone laced with amusement.
"No, no, it's great!" Kevin quickly clutched the bag tightly to his chest as if afraid she'd take it back.
Once Scathach taught him how to use the bag, Kevin carefully placed all his divine fruits inside, marveling at how easily they fit.
"Does it have a name?" he asked, turning the bag over in his hands.
"No," Scathach replied.
"Did you make it yourself?"
"Yes," she answered simply. She didn't elaborate on how she had spent months hunting the beast in the treacherous Sea of Death to create it.
"Well, in that case, I forgive you!" Kevin declared with a grin. "I knew you were the best, Master!"
Only days ago, he had called her a "stinky Master" and a "BBA," but Kevin's mercurial nature was not lost on Scathach.
As she habitually pinched his cheek, Scathach chuckled. "Rest well. Once your injuries are healed, we'll resume your formal training. If you truly don't want Cu Chulainn to catch up, you'd better not slack off."
"Master, are you going to train Cu Chulainn more seriously too?" Kevin asked cautiously.
"I wasn't planning to," Scathach admitted with a wry smile, "but now I know exactly how to."
Kevin decided to drop the subject. Not my problem if Cu Chulainn gets it worse.
Later, Kevin lay on his bed, bored, when Cu Chulainn appeared, laughing uproariously with Ferdia in tow.
"You here to visit me or just laugh at me?!" Kevin shouted, throwing a pillow at Cu Chulainn, whose laughter only grew louder.
"Don't make a fuss," Cu Chulainn said, catching the pillow effortlessly. "Just lie there and be a cute little patient."
"Little is unnecessary!" Kevin retorted angrily, his cheeks puffing out indignantly.
Ferdia stepped forward, his broad frame casting a shadow over Kevin. "You don't need to call me senior brother," Ferdia said warmly. "After all, you've been learning under Master longer than I have."
Kevin shook his head. "That doesn't feel right. I never officially joined the Kingdom of Shadows before, so just treat me as your junior brother."
The admission drew a collective sigh of relief from Ferdia and the others. The thought of addressing Kevin—slender and youthful—as "senior brother" had been more than a little unsettling.
Meanwhile, Cu Chulainn smirked. "What a shame. I was looking forward to watching their faces twist as they called you 'senior brother.'"
The trio spent the afternoon chatting. Cu Chulainn regaled Kevin with exaggerated tales of his training, prompting Kevin to call him a masochist under his breath. Ferdia shared stories of the challenges he had faced, earning Kevin's respect.
Eventually, the undead arrived to summon Cu Chulainn and Ferdia. Scathach had decided to push Cu Chulainn to his limits, doubling—no, tripling—his training regimen.
Kevin, left alone, chuckled to himself. "Serves him right."
By the third day, Kevin, whose injuries were far from fully healed, could no longer stand idly by. Ignoring Scathach's orders to rest, he joined Cu Chulainn in training.
The Shadow Kingdom's disciples, inspired by Kevin and Cu Chulainn's relentless drive, began pushing themselves harder as well. The undead, tasked with assisting in the training, watched in horror as the warriors fought with newfound determination, as though possessed.
In the meantime, Kevin's rivalry with Cu Chulainn reached new heights. Watching his brother's seemingly endless stamina, Kevin cursed him as "unreasonable" but redoubled his efforts regardless.
A week later, Kevin stood at the boulder-jumping trial outside the Shadow Kingdom, still nursing his injuries. Scathach had mentioned that a guest would be arriving, and Kevin was instructed to meet them.
He didn't wait long before a familiar bird landed on his shoulder.
Kevin smiled at the sight and reached out to stroke its feathers when a gentle yet commanding voice called out from behind him.
"Kevin."
The boy turned, his eyes lighting up as they fell on a blue-haired man with a handsome face and a serene demeanor.
"Father," Kevin greeted warmly, a grin spreading across his face. "Long time no see!"
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