Sage

"Why are you back, Kento-boy? You're not thinking of stealing the Black scroll, are you?" the geezer exclaimed.

"No, I'm not here to end the world. I'm here to ask for a favor," Kento responded calmly.

The old geezer slammed the marble table with a loud bang, sending tea cups scattering.

"How dare you! You don't have the right! Not after what you've done!" he shouted angrily.

Granny Iho raised her hand, silencing the old man. "You know the gravity of what you've done, boy, yet you seek me, your enemy? Why is that? You must have some important favor for you to risk your position."

Kento scratched the back of his head nonchalantly. "Where to start… First of all, Abbadon is alive."

Granny Iho and the old man both sprang to their feet in shock.

"What?! Demon King Abbadon is alive?! Wasn't he defeated a millennia ago?" Granny Iho stammered.

"That's what I thought as well, but Abbadon is inside my pupil, and he is the son of Abbadon too," Kento explained.

"Abbadon's offspring? And Abbadon is inside him? How can that be? And why are you teaching a treacherous devil? You're committing a capital sin!" the old man scolded him.

Kento continued, "Well, he isn't fully a demon."

"What?" Granny Iho asked.

"He's a hybrid, half Mystic, half Demon," Kento revealed.

"He's half Mystic?! Insane! Who in the right mind would give birth to the most dangerous entity in the realms?" the old man exclaimed.

"You guys don't live inside Hiroyama, so I believe you don't know the story. Only high-ranking personnel know this. Not even the Heavenly Commanders know this, except for me," Kento stated, creating an atmosphere of intrigue.

"Well? Tell us. What's the story?" Granny Iho asked.

Kento took a deep breath and began to explain. "The Katashi clan, one of the former three powers of Hiroyama, now a new batch of clans took over, and the Katashi clan and its people disappeared one by one. Not one soul knew how a powerful clan ceased to exist, but I dug deep into this case. Katashi Kohana, a former Heavenly Commander, married Abbadon. She was influenced by the demon's ideals and principles. She sided with him and fell in love. Kohana tried her best to hide the fact that she had married the King of Kings, but it was obvious the difficulty... the Great Mystic Elder learned of this blasphemous act and sent a special group of Mystics to hunt her down, my father led the group. At the moment of her death, she whispered some last words according to my father… 'The world blooms twice.' And her body was scorched and turned to ash. She already had a kid, he was in the overworld, safe from Mystics."

Silence settled around the table as Kento's words sank in.

"Well, I found the little rascal; he's healthy and has talent," Kento said.

"We heard rumors about that kid; he opened up a Menos. He's infamous, apparently," the old man chimed in.

"Yeah, I heard Pepo overhearing a traveler speaking with someone else," Granny Iho added.

"Indeed, during his training, I got close to him and learned why he did it. He was sent to the south of Sheol by a dark group. He risked his life to protect the life of a civilian, resulting in an override of his menu. He was able to use an amazing skill and broke the rift of reality, creating a rift back to his homeworld, but he didn't know how to close it," Kento continued.

More silence followed Kento's revelation.

"He tried to save a life? The son of Abbadon?" Granny Iho asked.

Kento nodded, sipping some green tea.

"He's a noble soul, a kind-hearted Mystic who prefers to risk his own life for others. I came here to request your aid. I want you to help him as you did with me," Kento implored.

"Bastard, do you think Iho-sensei will help you after what..." the old man began, but Kento kneeled down, apologizing profusely.

The old man turned his head away from Kento. "You… Tch."

"Kento, I must say, I never would've guessed you had a soft side," Granny Iho remarked.

Kento scowled at her. "Shut up, granny. I owe that kid, my father did something despicable to Shuuta's mother. So I decided to atone for my father's mistake."

Granny Iho smiled warmly, reflecting on her days of training Kento when he was younger. "Fine, bring that boy to me. I'll make sure not to kill him by accident."

"Please... He already died once," Kento whispered anxiously.

Granny Iho halted, shocked by such a statement, and turned rigidly to Kento. "Seriously...?"

Kento nodded, and after a moment's contemplation, Granny Iho said, "I'll see what I can do."

With that, Kento used another rift to teleport next to Shuuta, who was already out of bed and looking out the window. The sun gleamed on the lad's face.

"Nice! You're awake! Come, we are going to train somewhere else," Kento said.

"Sensei... You know about Abbadon, don't you?" Shuuta asked, seeking answers.

Silence. Kento hadn't expected Shuuta to ask him directly, but he nodded in response.

"Yeah, since I first met you, I used my Appraisal skill and noticed an anomaly inside you. I later realized that the anomaly was Abbadon himself," Kento explained.

"Will you kill me at one point? I know that my father is a demon... and the former king too," Shuuta asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Kento smiled at him. "Well, there's a lot going on inside Hiroyama. The Great Mystic Elder wants to kill you, yes. But I don't want to. I'm working behind the shadows to revolt against that fool geezer. He's scared of new talents overtaking the council, so he rids them afterward. Such a pity for those souls. I've had enough. I'm creating a team of talented Mystics to rise against corrupted individuals for a better Mystic society, and you, my pupil, are the core of it all."

"Huh? You mean I'll be the center of it all?" Shuuta asked, a blush coloring his cheeks.

"Yes! There are talents like you, but you have what others don't have as a Mystic. You have a heart, a true Mystic, one not molded by prowess and glory, but one coated by grace and forbearance. I believe this, and I'm sure your superiors believe this as well. You will change the Mystic society as we know it!" Kento declared.

Shuuta scratched the back of his head, his face flushing like a girl's. "I'm flattered."

He raised his cheeks gently and slammed his fist on his opened hand, displaying determination. "Then what are we waiting for? Hanako needs me!"

"Right! Let's head over to my old teacher's Domain," Kento said.

Kento opened up a rift and pulled Shuuta with him, teleporting them back to the beautiful bamboo forest.

"Wow! I've never seen bamboo before," Shuuta marveled as he touched and felt the rough texture.

"Ah, you're back. Please don't go breaking the Domain again! I already fixed it," Pepo the panda spoke from behind a torii, peeking a bit hesitant.

"The panda spoke?!" Shuuta exclaimed.

"Actually, I'm a bear," Pepo claimed.

"No, you're clearly a panda; you have the white and black colors," Shuuta retorted.

"No, I'm a bear!" Pepo insisted.

Both of them argued, unable to agree on Pepo's identity. "You're not a carnivore! You only eat bamboo!" Shuuta challenged.

"I eat meat too!" Pepo asserted.

"Prove it!" Shuuta challenged further, his bravado beginning to waver.

"I will devour you!" Pepo threatened.

They rammed their heads against each other, sparks flying as their eyes locked in a fierce clash.

Kento eventually had to step in. "Now, stop acting like an idiot." He raised Shuuta like a child by his shirt and pulled him away from Pepo.

"He will mess you up, Shuuta. Pepo-san is level 200," Kento warned.

Shuuta nearly choked in disbelief. "T-that panda… is level 200?"

As Shuuta's words left his lips, he turned back to the menacing Pepo, who had a dark face and an aura of death so potent that it reeked of killing intent.

Shuuta nervously laughed, thinking that Kento might have been joking, but he soon realized that Kento was serious.

The panda looked cute and soft, just a few centimeters taller than Shuuta. It appeared innocent. But to be on par with Heavenly Commanders? Shuuta felt like he had almost died again.

Inside a delicate dojo, Shuuta remained impassive and sat with his gaze going nowhere.

"Is this... your pupil?" Granny Iho stuttered as she looked over the boy, who seemed to be in a daze.

"Y-yeah," Kento replied, also looking at Shuuta with concern.

"Well...? He looks out of it," Granny Iho observed.

"He just learned that Pepo is level 200. Let him be," Kento explained.

"Anyways… Let's get to business. What do you need me to do? Is this child sturdy enough? Because his body could break like a plastic toy," Granny Iho inquired.

"I trained him like you trained me before," Kento assured her.

"So you used 'that,' eh?" Granny Iho questioned.

"Indeed, and he improved rather quickly, even faster than me," Kento admitted.

Granny Iho raised an eyebrow at that statement, surprised that Shuuta had even greater talent than Kento, who had been one of a kind during her time.

"How times change…" she murmured, reflecting on the passage of years and her long life.

Images of friends, parents, and adventures flashed in Granny Iho's mind.

'Oh… Shigeo... why did you have to die? A kind warrior like you is necessary for this tarnished society.'

By the time Granny took a ride down memory lane, Shuuta had already regained his senses. His smile, radiant appearance, and willful aura gleamed in Iho's eyes. He was the spitting image of Shigeo, his reincarnation was sitting right in front of her. Granny Iho's eyes widened at the view.

'S-Shigeo... I will grant your last wish.' Warmth spread on her cheeks.

"So… who's the girl? Is she like the granddaughter of Azula-san?" Shuuta genuinely asked.

Granny Iho's patience reached its limit as she popped a vein on her forehead. Azula was also taken aback by Shuuta's comment, while Kento appeared thrown off by it.

As Shuuta glanced around the place, he could make out a little girl sending electrifying streaks of blows toward Shuuta. He, on the other hand, was able to perceive the danger and quickly got out of the way.

"Oh?" Kento grinned at Shuuta's swift evasion. He had clearly improved his body during the rigorous training Kento had forced upon him.

"Fast. Kento-boy wasn't lying. He is good. But how good is he?" Granny Iho placed her hands together in a prayer-like manner and summoned a small twin-blade, one that looked like a relic.

"Come on, boy, unsheathe that Katana. Words are stale; actions are preeminent," Granny Iho challenged.

"Huh? Why do I have to fight you? I don't want to hurt a child!" Shuuta protested.

But in the blink of an eye, a streak of gold reached Shuuta, a slash aimed to kill him. He parried the attack just in time.

"T-that was close… why are girls always trying to kill me?" Shuuta wondered aloud, pushing the twin-blade away and almost landing a blow on Granny Iho.

"Ha! Nice movements! Did Kento-boy teach you how to wield a blade?" Granny Iho praised.

"Kento-boy? Y-yeah, Kento-sensei was the one that taught me," Shuuta replied, feeling oddly about the little girl calling Kento-boy like an old person.

Granny Iho then presented a shower of golden stars that pierced everything in their path.

"Oh boy, not again!" Pepo yelled in distress.

Suddenly, Shuuta and Granny Iho found themselves teleported away from the wooden living room, now standing in the bamboo forest.

'Tch… I have no skills! This girl has an arsenal! But I will not stray from my path; I will not lose ever again! Whether it's a little girl or not!' Shuuta's face bore a look of determination and calm, akin to a demon sizing up its prey.

Shuuta began slashing the golden stars that aimed for his vitals, only taking the hits he had to. 'T-this kid... he's an oddball!'

"So we're battling? What's the winning point?" Shuuta inquired.

"If you can land a single blow, you win," Granny Iho stated, her excitement palpable.
Azula shook his head, watching Granny Iho's antics. She was acting childishly, and the only time she acted that way was when Shigeo was around.

'Huh?! Cocky much! Why didn't Azula-san teach manners to this girl?' Shuuta wondered silently.

"Very well, have it your own way." Shuuta suddenly adopted a villainous tone. "But know this, I, Shuuta, level one, no skills, only standing with the flame of resolve, will defeat you. Whether you're a kid or not. Even if it's shameful."

Granny Iho widened her eyes again. "Level one? Impossible, one at level one could never dodge my lightning-fast attacks." She turned to Kento, who was grinning as if taunting her.
"What did you do to this kid?" she questioned.

"Me? Nothing at all, I just taught him how to wield a sword and some calisthenics. He's been at level one all along, even at the Sheol incident, he remained level one," Kento replied. He paused and pointed at her.

"Only with guts, willpower, and resolve alone. He will demonstrate how worthy he is of your training! Granny Iho!"

"G-granny? She's a granny?!" Shuuta was beyond shocked.

"Shuuta, was it? I am the Great Sage of The Mountain of Deities, a teacher of all, a scholar of truths unknown, and a proud Master of my students. Let this battle extend your ambitions, and fight against all odds!" Granny Iho announced.

Shuuta steadied his footing, understanding that she was the strongest opponent he would ever face. He aimed his Katana and poised himself for the coming battle.