A New Motivation: Chapter 17

Steam flooded the bathroom as I opened the shower curtain, sighing as the cool air caressed my reddened skin. Grabbing the towel hanging on the nearby rack, I stepped out, drying myself off with the fluffy white garment. A nice, relaxing shower was just what I needed to get going in the morning, unwinding my muscles and getting them ready for the day ahead.

Though we had only been here for a few days, this trip had already taken a pretty big toll on me,both in body and mind, but it was worth it. I was already beginning to see improvement in several areas, and though it wasn’t super drastic, it was enough to keep up my resolve to see it through.

Could do without the bruises though. I thought as I observed my naked body in the mirror. Training with Souji was rough; and though the bruises had long since healed by now thanks to my altered physiology, I could practically still feel them even now. Devil physiology made me tough, but that didn't really mean anything when I was up against the toughest in the entire Underworld.

At least I wasn't alone in my suffering. I was sure the others were in similar states to me, but just like me, they took their welts and kept going. We all knew that this was the best way to improve, and while our bodies may have been bruised, our spirits were still high. And they would only rise higher still as our training began to show more and more results.

I slipped on my pants and shoes, tying the laces deftly. Just as I finished, there was a knock at my door, a familiar pattern of knuckles on wood.

“Nero? Are you decent?” It was Akeno, here once again to help me put on my bra. 

I glanced down at my human arm. Nobody but Kiba knew that I had managed to figure out how to change it back to normal, not even Akeno. I had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to get her back for all of that teasing, and today I would.

With a thought and a flash of light, my arm was once again the scaly, almost dragon-like limb that it had been since I got to this world. I then grabbed my bra from my bed, holding it up to my chest and turning away from the door just as I had dozens of times so far, “Come in, I'm ready!”

The door opened promptly and Akeno's footsteps made their appearance. As she closed the door, I could practically feel her eyes on me, "You've already healed, I see. I'm sure Kiba envy’s you. He looked quite the sight when I last saw him.”

Perks of healing fast, I guess.” I said as she stepped behind me, “Souji doesn't hold back all that much when we train. He says it encourages bad habits.”

I shivered as she raised a hand, running her delicate fingers along my back where vivid bruises once colored my skin. I tried not to show my reaction to her touch even as my cheeks turned red, “Unfortunately, getting hit with a sword hurts no matter what part of it he hits you with. I'm mostly used to it by now though; you should have seen me before they healed; I looked like I crawled through hell.”

Akeno hummed languidly as she grabbed the straps of my bra, “As much as I enjoy a good lashing, I much prefer to see your pretty skin untarnished instead of covered with bruises. At least ones that weren't caused by me.”

The bra clipped easily, showing that Akeno was just taking her time. She stepped away from me and I gave her a small smile, “Thanks. You're helpful as always.”

“That's why I'm here.” She smiled back, and my mind buzzed with mischief as I grabbed my shirt off of the bed and pulled it over my head. 

On any other day, it would slide smoothly over and fall around my torso, but this time I purposely let it catch itself on my demonic arm. I feigned slight panic, acting as if it had gotten snagged and I couldn't pull it out.

Behind me, Akeno giggled as she watched me squirm, “I've never seen that happen before. Do you need some help, Nero?”

Still squirming, I smirked internally, “No, I-I think I got it.”

With a flash that was barely muffled by the shit itself, my arm returned back to normal and I slid it through the hole, freeing myself from the predicament I had placed myself in in the first place.

“There we go.” I said, patting myself down nonchalantly, “I just had to get that thing out of the way and we're all good. That's probably one of the things I hate most about that arm. It always gets stuck on things.”

After making sure my shirt was free of the wrinkles that didn't exist, I turned towards Akeno to see her reaction, and I couldn't keep the smirk on my face as I was met with the girl's stunned expression. She stared at me, and then my arm, as if she was unsure she was really seeing what she was seeing and I straightened my face into a more normal expression, “Is everything alright, Akeno?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

“Your arm… when did you figure out how to turn it back to normal?” She asked with a befuddled expression on her face. I giggled, filled with absolute glee that I had managed to get one over on her like this.

Still, I played it cool, pretending like it wasn't a big deal, “Oh that? I figured that out before we even came on this trip. I was training with Kiba on how to fly and one thing led to another and boom, I don't have a demon hand anymore.”

Something in Akeno's expression shifted at my words. Her confused expression became sly, and I got the distinct impression that I had mistepped.

“So you've been able to turn your arm back to normal for several weeks, hmm?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief, her voice containing a teasing lilt, “Oh my, Nero, how naughty of you, to lie to me like that. I didn't realize that you cherished our mornings together so much~”

Oh no. Suddenly, I found myself on the emotional backfoot as all of my confidence fled me in an instant, replaced with wariness and stark embarrassment, “That's not… You're misunderstanding the situation; I was trying to–!”

“No need to play coy with me.” Akeno interrupted smoothly, stepping towards me. I stepped back as she drew closer, wary of that smirk on her face, “You just wanted to spend time with me, didn't you? Half naked and exposed…those moments between just the two of us… You didn't want to let go of them, did you?”

My throat bobbed as the bed hit the back of my knees, “I–”

Akeno's fingers grazed my jaw and all brain function ceased as she strokes my cheek gingerly, purple eyes lidded and only a few inches away now, “Well don't worry. You don't need an excuse like that just to see me; I'm more than happy to visit you every morning for as long as you want…”

The last word grazed my lips, her breath a mix of fresh mint and another scent I couldn't place. It made me shiver, and Akeno lingered there for a moment, holding eye contact just long enough to make me wonder… before pulling away completely.

She stepped away from me with a tiny smirk on her face, “In any case, I'm sure you don't need my help from here on out so I'll be on my way. This was enjoyable as always, Nero.”

And then, with that insufferably sexy smirk on her face, she just left, leaving me standing there with my jaw practically on the floor and strangely weak legs.

Needless to say, it took a little while, and another shower, before I was ready to start the day.

~~~

Wind whipped through my hair as I dove downwards to avoid the sharpened pillar of ice that came only inches away from taking my head off. Magic gathered on my arms, moving slowly but responding all the same and I held a hand out, conjuring a spinning magic circle in my palm.

Flames burst from the sigil as I sent a fireball careening towards the woman down below. Grafiya didn't bat an eye at my attack, simply sending her own fireball in retaliation. It smashed through mine like it wasn't even there, shooting towards me on a comet trail and causing me to curse and swerve, letting it fly right by me.

This training trip wasn't just about improving our strengths, it was also about improving in the areas we weren't that experienced at. While my swordsmanship was pretty good, I was still pretty much a novice in magic. That was what we were working on today.

As I flew upwards, my partner in this exercise, Akeno, dove down to take my place. The girl's clothes were torn and she was breathing heavily, but she didn't let it affect her as she sent bolt after bolt of lightning soaring down towards the woman below us with a shout.

She looked utterly exhausted and I was no different. Training my magic was different but just as intense as training my swordsmanship. Grafiya was somehow less forgiving than Souji when it came to our training, demanding no less than our very best to even be able to keep up with her. Her regime required the utmost focus and discipline if we wanted to make it out alive, and even then, alive was the only guarantee.

Grafiya watched as Akeno's bolts shot down towards her, “Powerful.” She commented, holding up a hand. A plane of ice appeared in front of her, blocking the bolts with the barest effort, “But it lacks focus. You'll never get through a strong barrier with that sort of attack.”

With a gesture, the ice was sent flying towards Akeno much faster than the spike I had dodged moments ago. The girl's eyes widened as she thrust both of her hands out in front of her, creating a barrier just as the ice reached her. The spell lasted a fraction of a second against the projectile before shattering like glass but that was just enough time for Akeno to dart out of the way, avoiding the attack which flew into the distance behind her.

I flew behind Akeno, holding an arm out to steady her wobbling flight. She gave me a thankful look and I nodded before turning to face Grafiya who was waiting patiently on the ground.

Just as magic training wasn't like swordsmanship, Grafiya wasn't like Souji. With Souji, it was all go without any stop; you didn't get a chance to breathe as he broke you down and built you up in the same battle, improving your flaws while beating you up and down whatever field he decided to train you in that day.

Grafiya was much more methodical. She took us apart like she was doing a complicated surgery, slow and methodical. She broke our bodies and spirits while at the same time giving us polite instructions on what we were doing wrong and how to improve.

It was a bit demeaning at first, I'd admit, like a parent teaching their child how to turn on the dishwasher, but I couldn't deny it was effective. 

My spectral Devil Bringer burned to live as I summoned it, using it to bat away the chunks of ice that had been thrown at me. I retaliated with another bolt of fire, this one much larger than the last, just as Akeno threw even more lightning the maid's way.

Our combined spells slammed into the ground, creating a plume of dust as Grayfia jumped out of the way, flying straight towards us on tattered wings.

The Yamato met a blade made of ice and the ice stood firm. My arms shook from the force behind Grayfia's strike but I allowed her to follow through, using the momentum provided to fly away from her much faster than I would achieve on my own. She loved to pursue but Akeno's lightning bolts locked her down, screaming through the air in front of her as I regrouped.

When these lessons had first begun, I had foolishly decided to refrain from using my swords to stick to magic only so that I could improve faster. One match with the Strongest Queen made sure I wouldn't ever make that mistake again. Though she was our instructor, she was still an opponent to be respected, and if we didn't, we would absolutely suffer for it. We had to pull out all the stops against her and hold nothing back.

I circled around the two as Grayfia switched targets, watching as the woman fought Akeno with a mixture of magic and swordsmanship that left the Queen struggling to keep up. Grayfia was oddly tough on her when compared to me, and I had a feeling it had something to do with the girl's hesitance to use her Fallen Angel powers, something that the maid would obviously be aware of.

I really needed to have that talk with her soon. I was scared of messing things up between us and it kind of wasn't my place, but it was necessary. Rejecting a part of herself like this wasn't doing anything but hurting her.

But that was for later. I put it out of my mind for now to focus on the present. Grayfia was focused on Akeno who, while losing ground, was putting up a pretty good fight. This was a good chance to try something that I'd been wanting to for a while now.

I brought my Devil Bringer towards me, letting the spectral arm float in front of me as I raised my human hand, summoning a spell circle. I concentrated, summoning my demonic energy, and a moment later a whirling tunnel of wind flowed forth, flying up into the sky without a target. For now.

This part was a bit tricky. Keeping a spell going always required some amount of concentration so adding what was basically another on top of that wasn't the easiest task. I managed it though and a moment later, Synthesis pressed the active spell matrix into my Devil Bringer, combining the two and thankfully not exploding in my face as the two distinct energies mixed without rejecting each other.

What I was left with was similar to my Devil Bringer, but inextricably linked with the spell I had cast. The blue energy gave way whirling winds, ready to pull in and rend everything around it, a tornado trapped in the facsimile of a demon's hand

Even from this distance, the wind yanked against my clothes, trying to pull me in, and I knew by its very nature that adding more magic to the matrix would make it even bigger and the storm, even more powerful. It would surely catch Grayfia off guard if I could time it right.

I smiled, happy at my success, but the crack of thunder reminded me that the battle was still far from over. I turned to where Akeno was fending off Grayfia just in time to see the Strongest Queen break through my friend's barrier with a pillar of ice, sending her soaring die towards the earth like a rocket.

As she went to pursue, I shot towards her, sending my Devil Bringer forward ahead of me to push Grayfia away from the other Queen.

The spectral arm zoomed through the sky faster than ever before, carried by the wind fueling it. It reached the pair well ahead of me, and Grayfia turned around as her instincts warned her of its approach. 

Her eyes widened and she jumped away, but I focused, increasing the amount of magic I was sending into the spell. My Devil Bringer immediately swelled in size as the winds fueling it grew more violent. Grayfia's backwards leap slowed to a crawl and she was sucked back towards it.

She gave the spell a shewed glance, “Interesting  you've never done something like this before. It's nice to see that you're capable of thinking on the fly.”

She then turned, blocking my sword with her ice as I tried to get the drop on her, “Unlike her, you're actually giving this everything you have. That's good. A King is only as strong as their pieces, after all.”

I grunted as she pushed me away, blocking her poke and pushing her sword off to the side, “Akeno has a lot to work through. It's gonna take more than a couple weeks for her to use the part of herself that she's rejected for years.”

“A Queen's job is to support their King to the best of their ability, no matter their personal issues.” Grayfia responded, swiping at me with her blade, “She is letting her own selfishness stand in the way of her duties.”

I scowled at the words, ducking under her sword as we danced around each other in the air, “It’s not selfish! It's… well I'd say human, but we aren't are we? It's a normal reaction nevertheless, and I'm planning on helping her work through it but that trauma is a part of her and it's not going to go away just like that!”

Grayfia regarded me with an ice cold gaze, “You think Rias hadn't tried the same? What makes you think you'll succeed where she has failed?”

The woman's tone was almost challenging, as if she didn't believe I was up to the task and it made me a little angry, the idea that she didn't think my bond with Akeno was strong enough.

“No clue, but I’d be a bad friend if I didn't try.” I said honestly, recklessly pumping even more power into my Devil Bringer.

To my surprise, instead of responding to my will immediately like normal, it thrashed against my mind like a wild animal trying to snap its leash. I just barely managed to wrestle under control, grunting with the effort required, but it was a near thing and I resolved to test this new skill more before 

My Devil Bringer swelled massively and the squall pulling against Grayfia increased just as much. The woman seemed surprised as she was dragged backwards outside of her control and I didn't hesitate to seize the opportunity, rushing forward and striking out with my sword. She managed to block, but the force of my strike sent her flying backwards anyway.

I had my creation open its hand and she slammed into its palm, grunting as the wind sliced her clothing into ribbons. I gestured, throwing my hand downwards, and my Devil Bringer followed my lead, carrying her towards the ground and slamming her into the earth.

The moment she landed, a veritable storm of lightning bolts shot down from above, slamming into my Devil Bringer and Grayfia as well. I looked up, startled at the sudden burst of magic, to find Akeno floating a few feet away from me. She looked slightly worse for wear but was smirking with glee as she unleashed her magic upon her fellow Queen.

She was far away enough that I doubted she had heard a single part of the conversation/argument Grayfia and I were having, but she certainly seemed a bit pissed nonetheless. I guess getting smacked in the face with that much ice would do that to a person.

I stopped feeding magic into the spell, letting it return to normal size as I flew to Akeno's side, looking down at the cloud of dust our combined spell had made, “I'm surprised we actually managed to hit her.” I said idly.

“You caught her by surprise. Whatever conversation you two were having must have been intense to take all of her focus like that.” Akeno licked her lips as sparks danced from her limbs, “That was very vindicating, if I do say so myself.”

“Well take a second to savor that vindication because it's not over yet….” I said as the smoke cleared, revealing Grayfia standing just as tall as she always did. The maid's uniform was in tatters but her skin was pristine. Not even the edges of her hair were singed.

She stared up at us silently, before holding a hand out and reforming her sword, only this one was much bigger and sharper than the thin thing she was using previously. I gulped as I saw it and the look she was giving me specifically.

“And I have a feeling things are about to get a lot harder.”