Nathaniel took his students to the training field once again. Today's lesson? Sparring with wooden swords.
Pairs formed quickly, but Arthur was left without a partner.
With Seraphina absent, he had no one to spar with. Sighing, he walked to a corner and plopped down, arms crossed, his face blank with boredom.
In his mind, Hyorinmaru rested calmly, exuding his usual cold presence.
Arthur waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Until finally—
"I'M TIRED OF SITTING HERE DOING NOTHING!" Arthur suddenly shouted, jumping to his feet.
THUD!
A small blue dragon toppled off his head and crashed onto the ground.
Arthur blinked in confusion. "Right, Hyorinmaru?"
Silence.
Arthur looked around. Hyorinmaru wasn't on his anymore.
"Hyorinmaru? Where are you? This isn't time for hide-and-seek."
His gaze fell to the ground—there, Hyorinmaru lay sprawled out, groaning.
Arthur sighed. "There you are."
He reached down to pick him up—
WHAM!
A sharp kick to his stomach sent him flying back, tumbling across the ground.
"WHY DID YOU SUDDENLY STAND UP?!" Hyorinmaru yelled, his wings flaring. "AND WHO'S PLAYING HIDE-AND-SEEK, YOU IDIOT?!"
Arthur curled up, clutching his stomach. "Owww… Okay, okay, my bad…"
Hyorinmaru huffed, folding his tiny arms. "Still, you're right about one thing. Sitting here is pointless. Let's go train somewhere else."
Arthur, still groaning on the ground, suddenly shot up, eyes blazing.
"YES! I'M GETTING FIRED UP!"
He struck a dramatic pose, flexing his arms.
Hyorinmaru's eye twitched in irritation.
"Don't stand like that. You look stupid."
Arthur froze, then slowly lowered his arms. "You don't hold back with your hurtful words, do you?"
Hyorinmaru smirked. "I'm just stating the truth."
The tiny dragon floated up, landing on Arthur's shoulder.
"Let's train over there," he said, nodding toward a more open space.
Arthur nodded. "Let's go!"
---
Training Begins
Arthur took his stance, gripping his sword tightly.
"Frost upon the heavens… Hyorinmaru!"
Hyorinmaru vanished into mist and transformed into a shimmering blade in Arthur's hands. He took a deep breath and began swinging—each strike crisp and powerful.
Suddenly, Seraphina walked onto the field.
Nathaniel noticed immediately.
"Now that we are complete…"
He turned to Arthur. "Arthur, join the group. Let's move on to the next lesson."
Arthur groaned. "Seriously? I was just getting into it."
Nathaniel ignored him. "This lesson is about communicating with your Zeraphim."
The students perked up with excitement.
"Summon your blade, place it on the ground, and sit in front of it," Nathaniel instructed. "Close your eyes, concentrate, and gather mana around your body. This will help you connect with your Zeraphim."
Arthur glanced at Hyorinmaru.
"Do I really need to summon my blade? Can't I just put you on the floor instead?"
A heavy silence.
Then—SMACK!
Hyorinmaru whacked Arthur on the head with his tail.
Arthur yelled, holding his head. "Ow! What was that for?!"
Hyorinmaru glared. "You dare suggest putting a Zeraphim on the floor? Such disrespect!"
Arthur scratched his head. "I don't see what the problem is. We're all sitting on the floor too, aren't we?"
Hyorinmaru's eye twitched violently.
WHACK!
Arthur fell back, clutching his face.
"DON'T COMPARE ME TO YOU HUMANS!"
The two started wrestling, rolling around on the ground like children.
The other students stared in stunned silence.
Nathaniel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. How do these two ever connect?
Arthur and Hyorinmaru suddenly stopped, pointing at each other.
"He started it!" they both shouted.
Nathaniel rubbed his temples. "Enough. Get to training."
Everyone placed their blades down and began gathering mana.
Nathaniel walked around, monitoring their progress. But then—his eyes widened.
Arthur's mana was far too much.
"Arthur, that's too much! Stop immediately!"
Arthur didn't respond.
His body remained still—his consciousness no longer in the world of the living.
---
Hyorinmaru's Domain
Arthur opened his eyes and found himself in Hyorinmaru's domain once again—an endless icy expanse stretching before him.
He grinned. "Hah! I'm back!"
Up ahead, Hyorinmaru loomed in his massive dragon form.
Arthur smirked. "So you're all big and mighty again."
Hyorinmaru began to explain, but Arthur waved a hand.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Blah, blah, blah—spiritual form, this and that."
A vein popped on Hyorinmaru's forehead.
"You brat!"
WHOOSH!
His massive tail swung at Arthur.
Arthur's eyes widened. "Hey—wait—"
CRASH!
Arthur barely dodged, skidding across the ice.
He turned back, face pale. "Were you trying to kill me?! Don't you know how big you are in your domain?!"
Hyorinmaru scoffed. "Stop whining. Sit and concentrate. Let's get this over with."
Arthur grumbled but obeyed, sitting in front of him, gathering mana to connect deeper. As he focused, his spirit sank further and further—deeper into Hyorinmaru's essence.
"I did it!" Arthur laughed. "That was too easy! Me and Hyorinmaru might fight, but we're no doubt the best team!"
He walked further down a path deeper into the domain.
Then—he saw it.
A figure lurking in the shadows.
A voice cold and hoarse echoed through the air.
"What are you doing here?"
Arthur's breath caught. "I—I'm just training… trying to connect with Hyorinmaru…"
The figure remained silent before speaking again.
"Your real body… is still in the world of the living, isn't it?"
Arthur gulped. "Y-Yeah…"
The figure laughed darkly.
"You can train with Hyorinmaru as you like."
Arthur froze. "W-Wait—"
Before he could react, the shadow vanished.
It reappeared in front of Hyorinmaru.
Hyorinmaru bowed his head.
The voice chuckled. "I'm borrowing his body for a while."
Hyorinmaru's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
The voice grinned.
"I want to see how the world of the living is. It's been too long."
Hyorinmaru asked, "How will you do that?"
The voice laughed.
"Don't worry—I'll leave a small fraction of my power inside him and take control. Keep him preoccupied until I return."
Hyorinmaru closed his eyes. "Understood."
Darkness engulfed Arthur's body.
---
The Demon Awakens
In the physical world, Arthur's aura shifted.
Darkness swirled around him, sending a chill through the air.
Nathaniel's eyes widened in alarm,his voice shaking ."What's going on…? Is this his aura?"
Then—the darkness vanished.
Arthur's eyes slowly opened.
Nathaniel stepped forward. "What happened?"
Arthur blinked. "Nothing."
Nathaniel hesitated before concluding class.
As Arthur walked away, a sinister presence lingered within him.