The Mysterious Black Magician

—Poke!

"!!"

"Br, bro?"

A poke on her forehead had pulled her back to reality.

"Sigh, I'm sorry, I thought something happened to you. You're not answering me."

"Eh? S-sorry, I was just lost in thought."

Yana said.

"Hehe." Yman chuckled.

<Uhm, Partner? Sister Yana?>

Suddenly, his trusted Deity woke up and called them. 

Sistela wondered what happened. Her partner was embracing his sister. But she could feel that some kind of drama was happening. So she opted for a retreat.

<Ah, nevermind, I'm still sleepy.> She said and about to curl back to sleep again, however. She felt someone's hand was reaching out on her, then grabbed her.

"!!"

Sistela jumped in the air to evade. But it was futile. Her partner's hand was so reflexive, however!

She unfolded her wings and flapped them. <Hehe, you can't catch me!> she thought after her tiny figure evaded the hand of her partner. But, it was still useless. Her partner's hand was too fast to get lost.

And like that, she was still caught in a second. Well, she too had a breakthrough. Regardless! She just wanted to test her speed by using her partner as her training dummy. PUWAHAHA! In the mind of Sistela, she was standing on the slope of defeated enemies, overlooking everyone beneath her while she was laughing like a hero.

<?> No, nothing really. She just wanted to use him as a training dummy and annoy him a little. There's not so much bonding lately. 

In any way, she wanted to challenge that bug sprite. This time! She's going to beat the shit out of that bug! Puhehehe. Sistela's thought.

Then again.

She was hugged by Sister Yana. Unfortunately, her cuteness made the people around her awe-struck to her. Good grief. With the addition of puppy eyes, she believed that no one could defeat her cuteness!

SISTELA's cuteness level reached MAX level!

Whooooo!

Sistela was on fire. But her self-indulging was shattered in pieces after her partner announced something.

"My deity, it's time to use that Imp-model skin."

<What?>

(x_x) <Rest my poor soul…> Sistela fainted with a background sound of 'Plop!'. Yana, on the other hand, was giggling at the two.

Nonetheless, Yman focused his mind. A second later, he sighed in relief. Looks like she was fine. 

He transmitted to one of his scout birds who was scouting Rea from above. At the moment, she was on the rooftop, practicing her magic.

He believed that it was the rooftop of the hospital. She maybe couldn't sleep and decided to use the time to practice her magic.

Yman smiled.

"Bro, by the way…"

"Yes?"

"Uhm, Miss Rea is—"

He touched her head. "Mhm! I know, she's on the rooftop, right?" Yman then stood up and stretched his body.

"No, I mean… she's worried about you…"

"Wait up, Yana. I will return in a second."

Thump.

Yman wasn't able to hear her words as he already left the room and shut the door.

"....."

"And also bro, I saw the girl from your childhood…" Yana whispered in the air.

Yman went to the rooftop and looked for Rea. He saw her in the middle of the rooftop emitted a brilliant aura all over her body while standing in focus.

Rea disliked the fact that she didn't notice the battle that happened between Crimson aka Yman in the riverside. Because of it, he almost endangered his life.

While she was sleeping, unknowingly, the battle was happening beside her.

She bit her lips. Frustrated at the fact that she was useless. She knew that it was his job to protect her but. But she felt frustrated for unknown reasons.

What if… what if the one who was lying as a cold corpse that time when she exited the tent was... Crimson? Although she already learned his real name, she preferred calling him Crimson, out of habit.

Wait up. The thought of him lying as a corpse made her uncomfortable and she couldn't understand her feelings.

But one thing she was certain…

She didn't like it.

Yes, she didn't like it!

That's why she wanted to train. She wanted to notice when something not right was happening around her.

She didn't like to be a useless person like a side character. And also, she was mad! She was mad for no apparent reason. Wait, she was mad at Crimson, or maybe she was mad at that girl who approached him.

Hump! Why did that guy let himself be approached easily by other...? What if that girl was an assassin. He would be killed easily! Rea stomped her feet in annoyance. Wait, she wanted to focus, FOCUSSSSS!!!

"....."

Yman who was watching silently at the back of Rea had a stupefied face. He wondered what she was doing. Just recently, the aura she emitted was very pure and tranquil in which you could be at ease just standing near her. However, a second later, it suddenly became darker. Maybe his eyes were tricking him? Look, she emitted a malicious aura while repeatedly stomping her feet like a child, throwing tantrums. Then she shouted, "I'm beautiful as wellll!!!"

"....."

"Is she fine?"

He whispered.

He decided to let her be. Looking at her, it looked like she was fine, just acting weird, for some reason. It's better not to get involved this time. Well, he saw nothing. It wasn't Rea. Yeah, it wasn't her. Yman repeatedly told himself.

In one of the residential areas for female trainees, Almina was unsettled as well. She was walking back and forth.

"....."

Kesha looked at her with a stunned face. Until now, she couldn't believe her best friend. Never came into her mind that her best friend likes that person. No, it wasn't just a simple liking. She was in love with him!

It was awkward. As she was lashing bad words to him in the presence of her.

She wondered what her best friend felt about her after she heard all the bad words she said to that guy.

Regardless, Kesha still couldn't believe it. In terms of looks, well, she agreed that person changed a lot that even she— would agree that he looked handsome this time but.

But in terms of wealth, power, and connections, he was far behind the prince charming-like Kiko. 

All these times she thought that her best friend had a crush on Kiko. But looks like she was wrong. Still, it was unbelievable that the school goddess fell to that peasant.

"....."

Seeing her best friend who was unsettled as she walked back and forth in the room, she wondered to what extent she loved that guy. It could also be puppy love, you know. If that was the case, there was a chance to turn her back to the right path.

But seeing her face that was both wearing an immeasurable happy and worried expression, Kesha could only shake her head. In truth, they already went to the hospital if not five, then seven times.

Aside from that, is this lovestruck girl had no plan of going to sleep? It was already very late, you know!

Earlier, inside the barrack's pub, Bob, Chloe, and Mai were talking about Yman's change. They almost could not believe his huge transformation. Not only in looks but also in power.

They couldn't tell his exact strength, but defeating Bruno in such a domineering performance was very hard to believe. None of them could say in the certainty that they have a chance of defeating that person. In fact, Bruno was one of the feared to face in a match by most trainees because of his unusual ability that could slow and kill his opponent's velocity. Truly, it was a cunning ability.

The only ability that could defeat it was the ability similar to that of Kiko's explosive, destructive ability.

However, not only Yman didn't use an explosive or destructive ability in their match, but he also faced him in a melee, it was very unbelievable because the fight was contrary to their expectations. Well, it wasn't actually wrong either as most of them thought that the fight would be one-sided. In which the enemy could not land a hit or two. However, although the result was as they pictured in mind, the expected person to come out victorious was the opposite to their expectations.

And who would have thought that it was Yman!!! That friend of theirs suddenly disappeared after the Demon incident. He finally came back! And with a huge surprise. He probably secluded himself to train arduously this past month. 

"Well, isn't it understandable that he left and secluded himself?"

"What do you mean, Miss Mai?"

Mai suddenly said and Bob threw a question a second after hearing her. Chloe was looking at Mai, waiting for her reply.

In front of them were their deities, sitting on the table.

"I heard that only Yman who didn't receive apprenticeship from the elders and instructors."

"..."

"For real?" Bob asked with both frown and surprise.

"Mhm!"

"That is… unreasonable…" mumbled Chloe.

"Exactly!" Bob agreed while crossing his arms across his broad torso.

"Isn't it suspicious?" Mai asked.

"It is." Bob nodded.

"Well, in truth, I also heard someone was pulling something behind the scene. It might be the reason why it happened," Mai blurted.

"Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean, Miss Mai?" Bob aksed in haste.