The Sapphire Fang

“….are we in the right place?”

Though they had barely left the outskirts of Orsyr, to Yuushin it felt like he had stepped into an abandoned—yet incredibly well cared for—shack in the middle of an unpaved road. The shack was made of light wood, with thin wood stumps connected by metal chains forming a…very odd fence, to say the least.

“You must not judge the Sapphire Fang on appearances alone, Retsugo Yuushin.” The way Vel replied to him, not as a threat but rather a cautionary tale, made the man even more nervous.

Heidi and Johnny were taking care of their own errands, following Vel’s indications. Yet since the demon ruler actually knew the Soma master quite well, she decided to facilitate their meeting.

A group called Nine Fangs…made from the strongest Soma masters in all Ekkarys.

And Vel not only knows one of them personally, but was also this Fang’s teacher.

The female demon was not a Soma user, and according to her the ‘Sapphire Fang’ fought with gauntlets instead of a sword. So when Yuushin asked Vel what she had taught to the Soma master, her answer made his heart race.

“Soulchant.”

Yuushin had only used Soulchant twice, and doing so completely busted his mana channels. Yet he was almost certain that Jay had used it on him.

I want to learn more about Soulchant too…

“Also, be cordial. She dislikes students who lack manners to a great extent.”

Within a heartbeat, the man corrected his posture, his body tensing up. He hadn’t felt that nervous since his job interview…

Before Yuushin was ever ready, Vel knocked on the shack’s door.

Nothing happened. Not even a single movement or sound coming from inside. He wondered if Vel would knock again, perhaps call out for the master, yet she did nothing.

Just waited.

As Yuushin started to open his mouth to ask if there was anyone home, Vel placed her hand over his mouth, shaking her head slightly. When the female demon continued to cover his mouth as the seconds passed, Yuushin’s heart continued to race.

Can I even ask her to let go, or should I not speak at all?

At that point, he was afraid to even move.

*creaaaaak*

With no previous warning, the door creaked open—a single eye peeking from inside as shadows covered that person’s face and body.

“…”

Vel said nothing.

The eye narrowed, focused solely on Vel and her human form.

“…”

The silence stretched even more, neither of the two uttering a single word.

Yuushin was getting this close to having a heart attack.

“…you lost some weight.” The Sapphire Fang’s voice was gentle yet powerful. A voice that made the man even more on edge, afraid of the moment when that voice would be directed to him.

“And you got old.”

A scoff came from behind the door, the eye shifting elsewhere before landing on Vel once again, its gaze even more piercing.

“Hadn’t you died?”

“My brother did.”

It was not Vel’s words that slowed Yuushin’s heart but her soft yet calm reply. Its lack of emotion. And as he heard the demon’s reply, all the man could think of was how he could make her touch a bit warmer. Her pain more bearable.

For the first time since they arrived, the door opened a few centimeters more. Showing a glimpse of not only sadness but grief in the woman’s eye.

“You’ve come for retribution, then?” There was acceptance in that voice, as if the Sapphire Fang thought her end had finally come.

And when Vel gave her a soft smile, Yuushin began to wonder exactly what their relationship was.

“I have come for a favor.”

At last, the hand covering his face slipped away—robbing the region of its warmth. Then, Vel stepped aside, giving space for Yuushin to get closer to the door himself.

“M-my name is Retsugo Yuushin. I am a 23-year-old adult male, a-and I would like to humbly request your—”

*BANG*

The door suddenly burst open, almost hitting him in the face—Yuushin having to take two big steps backward just to dodge. And as that figure stepped into the light, the man almost bit his tongue, baffled.

Wearing a pale green dress, with frills on the shoulders and long sleeves, while also covered by a short and ragged knitted cloak, was an old woman with white, bobbed hair who barely reached Yuushin’s chest.

She closed their distance in one single step, the man holding his breath as his body froze in place.

The old woman narrowed her gaze even more, leaning closer and closer to Yuushin—as if she wanted to take a glance into his very soul.

Then she stepped back with a frown. Crossed her arms.

“Huh.”

He looked over to Vel for a moment, his eyes screaming for help. Yet as the silence began to form, so thick and suffocating it was maddening, Yuushin clenched his fists and gathered just enough courage to have the words slip from his mouth.

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to prove my worth to you, s-so, if I could request your aid to help me become stronger, I will—”

“This one’s good. Where d’ya find him?”

The Sapphire Fang completely ignored him, turning back to Vel.

“You do not need to know. Can you train him? I need him to be able to stand on equal ground with templar knights like Merzone.”

An amused grin appeared on the old woman’s face, barely any wrinkles in sight. “Merzone, you say…why, are you finally confronting Decimus? After all this time?”

“Yes.”

Vel replied in a heartbeat, making the woman widen her eyes—her smile getting even brighter and expectant. Then she turned to Yuushin again, cocking her head to the side.

“You said you’re willing to do whatever it takes, boy?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

*WHACK*

It was so fast, he couldn’t even react. No, he didn’t even see the woman taking the fan before it hit Yuushin right in the forehead.

“Who’s ma’am? I’m not that old—you’ll call me master, or Sapphire Fang. We clear?”

Yuushin held back the urge to rub the spot she had hit, giving one brief nod.

“Yes, master.”

It stings…

“Good.” Then she went back to ignoring Yuushin, shifting her attention to Vel once again. “How much time I have?”

And at that moment, even before Vel’s answer came, the air around them changed. It got heavier. Colder.

“Not much.”

The Sapphire Fang smiled once more, yet that time there was no amusement or joy—there were memories. Old emotions.

“I’m not a miracle worker, y’know.”

And the shadows that crossed Vel’s lilac eyes, Yuushin noticed, shared those same memories. “You are the closest thing we have of one.”

With a sigh, the woman began to stretch her body, her joints cracking with every movement.

“I’ll give him two weeks. If he doesn’t break through the first barrier by then, it’ll be out of my hands.”

Vel nodded, a faint smile reflecting the gratitude in her voice. “This is more than enough.”

When the Sapphire Fang turned back to Yuushin, though, the man saw a glow in her eyes that at first made him excited.

“So…Yuushin, right?”

But as Soma poured out of her body, its glow a beautiful and rich cobalt blue, his instincts started to react.

…Am I…

The cloak fell at her feet, her muscles bulging as she cracked her knuckles.

…going to be all right?

“Let’s see what you got.”

                                                                      ˚₊ ✧ ‿︵‿₊ ♱ ₊‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

A metallic stench filled the cell.

There was no light. No warmth.

The chains holding his wrists were ice cold. The filthy clothes made his skin itch. Yet what bothered him the most was not being able to see the sky.

When the door opened, Lyrelith closed his eyes—not fearful for the pain that would come, but the words he would be forced to hear.

The truths they would force him to face.

However, the one who opened his cell was not who he expected.

“The human man you helped, Jay’s kin. Tell me about him.”

…Yuushin? Why is she asking about Yuushin?

When he didn’t reply, the theryan lifted his head by the chin, loath dripping from her voice like acid.

“To have a wild magic practitioner within our walls is already a disgrace. The least you could do is obey to alleviate your sins.”

With his eyes still swollen, it was hard to distinguish Merzora’s lines. In his state, it was hard to breathe.

*BANG*

Merzora dove Lyrelith’s head to the wall—the priest’s ears ringing, the world spinning.

“You spent enough time with him to sow Chaos into his head—you must have things to share. Useful information.”

Yet Lyrelith said nothing. Even after the fourth time her palm struck his cheek, he said nothing.

With a grunt, the female theryan walked away, closing the metal cell with a loud, cold bang. And as her footsteps got fainter, just as she was about to leave the room—

“…he…he is alive…isn’t he?”

Lyrelith spoke between breaths, the air failing him at times.

Merzora never replied.

The door closed—loud, ruthless, raging. Lyrelith, however, felt a bit lighter.

Knowing for certain he had, at last, one reason to smile despite the pain.