Chapter 5: Magic and Steel

As their first night in Hell began, Alex looked out the window, watching demons fly through the distant sky. As the red mist slowly rolled in, swallowing the area until only vague silhouettes of demons were seen through the haze. He swallowed hard, unease tightening his chest. Sleep was the last thing on his mind.

Turning toward Celeste, he asked, "Are you sure this barrier will hold?"

Celeste replied calmly, "Yes. The magic barrier of Onimaru will hold just fine, as long as no strong demons appear in this area."

Alex sighed and sat down beside her, as the weight of exhaustion mixing with the sharp sting of hunger gnawing at his stomach.

After a quiet moment, he muttered, "I think we forgot food before we started this journey."

Celeste smiled faintly. "No, check your bag. God wouldn't have let us go without proper preparations. Everything we need is probably in there."

Alex turned to his backpack and unzipped it, thinking about what he wanted to eat. Suddenly, the thought of his favorite type of pizza. He reached in, and to his surprise, pulled out a warm pizza box.

He blinked. "How is this warm?"

Celeste chuckled softly. "It's magic. Everything in there is probably frozen in time, just as it was when first placed inside. Knowing God, you could probably think of any type of food or drink, and it will appear just like that."

Alex opened the box of pizza, and the warm, savory aroma of a combination pizza filled the air. He looked down at it, then at Celeste, and asked, "Would you like some?"

Celeste crept forward, curiosity softening her expression. "I haven’t had human food from Earth in a long time. Angels don’t need to eat; it’s been hundreds of years since I’ve had anything at all, but I suppose I’ll try it. I’m curious what human food tastes like nowadays."

She scooted closer to the box of pizza lying on the building’s floor, the red glow of the beating moon from the window faintly reflecting off the melted cheese.

Celeste picked up a slice and took a small bite. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow... this is actually really delicious."

Alex grinned proudly. "Yeah, this is my favorite. I have to eat this at least once a month."

They sat together in silence, enjoying their meal in the silent building. The outside groaned with distant shrieks, yet inside, there was a strange calm.

Eventually, Alex glanced at Celeste and asked, "When we were fighting earlier, I noticed you kept looking at me. Is there a reason for that?"

Celeste finished chewing before answering. "You have no idea how to fight. Before we go any deeper into Hell, I’m going to have you train to fight properly. So prepare yourself. Tomorrow, we’re not leaving this spot until I think you’re at least somewhat ready."

Alex blinked and thought to himself, I see... so, training, huh? I can do that.

Celeste gave him a sharp look. "It’s not going to be normal training. I’m going to feed you to the demons out there."

Alex froze, gulping nervously. Oh crap... what does she have planned for me tomorrow?

Silence returned as they finished their meal, the red light dancing across the cracked walls. Soon after, they found a small corner of the building to rest for the night, each lost in their own thoughts about what the next day in Hell would bring.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Celeste retrieved Onimaru and urged Alex to follow her. They left the building and headed toward the castle's bridge, choosing it as their training ground so they wouldn’t be surrounded from all sides by the horde of undead.

Once they reached the bridge, Celeste thrust Onimaru into the ground. A burst of magical energy erupted outward, forming a shimmering barrier that warded off demons. The air around them pulsed with magical energy.

Leaning casually against the railing, Celeste said, "Pull out one of your weapons. You’re going to fight the undead samurai, or whatever demons show up, and I’ll instruct you on what you’re doing wrong."

Alex nodded but hesitated. "What about magic? Can I learn that too now that I’ve recovered some mana?"

Celeste smirked slightly. "We’ll get to that. But first, swordplay comes before magic."

He gave a small nod, gripping the katana tightly as he stepped forward.

Moments later, an undead samurai emerged from the mist, dragging its chipped and cracked blade across the ground. The screech of metal echoed through the area as it shambled closer, its hollow eyes locked on Alex.

He steadied his stance, holding his weapon at the ready, heart pounding as his first true lesson began.

Just as Alex was about to swing, Celeste raised a hand. "Stop. Don’t swing yet. For now, we need to focus on blocking, defending, dodging, and parrying. Stand back and let it attack you first."

After a few hours of practice, they finally switched to offensive drills. Alex’s movements were clumsy at first, but gradually became smoother under Celeste’s constant instruction. Sweat clung to his skin as exhaustion set in.

When he could barely lift his weapon anymore, he trudged back toward Onimaru’s demon ward and slumped to the ground. Reaching into his pack, he pulled out lunch for both of them, the smell of food briefly cutting through the heavy, sulfur-tainted air.

As they sat down and began to eat, Celeste offered feedback on his progress. "You’re getting a lot better," she said, her tone thoughtful. "But you need to learn when to step back and catch your breath. You’re constantly right up in the enemy’s space, fighting even when you’re exhausted. That’s when mistakes happen."

Alex listened quietly as she continued, "When you start to feel tired, step back a few steps and catch your breath, and let the enemy come to you. It’s not always about offense. If you want to survive long battles, you need balance between attack and defense."

After lunch, Alex stood up and continued practicing for several more hours. His arms ached, and his legs felt heavy, but he pushed through until Celeste finally stepped forward and called out to him.

"That’s enough for today," she said, noticing the red mist beginning to roll in again. "Let’s return to the building and rest. Tonight, I’ll explain to you how magic works. Though, for you as a human, it should come fairly naturally. Humans once used magic freely until God suppressed their ability to do so."

She pulled Onimaru from the ground, the protective barrier fading as the blade left the earth. Together, they began walking back toward the building across the street, cutting down a few stray demons that dared cross their path along the way.

Later that evening, Alex and Celeste sat down for dinner inside the building. As they ate, Celeste began to speak about magic.

"By now, you should be able to feel the magical energy coursing through your body," she said, her tone calm but instructive. "What you need to do is focus that power, accumulate it into a single point within yourself. Once you’ve done that, use your imagination. Fire, wind, ice, whatever element you desire. Picture it clearly in your mind. The more vivid the image, the stronger the spell."

She paused, glancing at him with a small smile. "Magic is creation born from thought. As long as your will is strong and your imagination clear, all you have to do is cast it."

Alex looked at her in confusion as he swallowed his food. "But you didn’t explain how to actually cast it."

Celeste blinked, then chuckled softly. "Ah, you’re right. Once the spell has formed in your mind and you feel it gathering in your hand, you need to project that power forward. Imagine it shooting outward, forward, left, right, whatever direction you wish, depending on the nature of the spell. Everything about magic relies on imagination, even control."

As Alex continued chewing, his imagination began to run wild. He decided to start with something simple. In his mind, he pictured sparking a fire from a lighter and watching a tiny flame flicker to life. He focused on that image, channeling mana through his body toward the tips of his fingers.

He concentrated hard, then snapped his fingers. Sparks of light burst out, but faded instantly, like a lighter that failed to ignite. He tried again. And again. Each time, his mental image sharpened, his focus narrowing until he could almost feel the fire forming.

Then, finally, he snapped his fingers once more. A tiny flame appeared at the tip of his finger, flickering softly in the dim light before it disappeared.

A wide smile spread across his face, and for a moment, he almost shouted in joy, but stopped himself, remembering the demons lurking nearby.

Celeste looked at him and smiled. "Good. You did well. Keep practicing a bit longer, then get some sleep."

Alex nodded, still grinning, and continued practicing until exhaustion took over. Eventually, both of them drifted to sleep, waiting for the next day to come.