Eating Your Weight: Of a Kind

[Of a Kind]

​“Are we there yet?”

​The question slipped out before I could stop it, and I immediately felt the weight of Miyo’s sigh against my chest.

​“We would be,” she said, her voice dry, “if you would just get over your irrational fear of teleporting.”

​“It’s not irrational,” I protested, my tattered wings flapping lazily to keep us airborne. “And we’ve already been over this. I don’t want to get into the specifics of preserving the human consciousness again. It’s a perfectly rational fear and I refuse to be mocked for it.”

​Below us, the Underworld stretched out in an endless expanse of black, shadowed by the late hour. The Underworld looked remarkably similar to the one I was used to, if a lot larger and much more organized.

​Miyo was pressed tightly against my chest, clinging onto me as we flew. She was warm and soft, and her scent filled my nose with every breath, making me want to purr with contentment at having her so close.

​Flying to my right, Serafall let out a soft giggle.

​“Oh, nobody’s mocking you,” she said, her voice suggesting otherwise. “But you have to admit. It does make the journey a lot longer. You should probably figure out a way around that phobia, or you’re going to have a tough time getting around the Underworld.”

​I wanted to argue, but she had a point. The Underworld was massive, and I couldn’t exactly walk or fly everywhere. That being said...

​“I’m actually working on something,” I said.

​Miyo raised an eyebrow, pulling back slightly to give me a look. I returned it with a grin.

​“What? I know I can’t exactly walk or fly everywhere for the rest of my life. Especially not between dimensions. But I think I’ve figured out a way around it.”

​I didn’t reveal what it was just yet — mostly because I didn’t want to look like an idiot on the not-so-off chance that my theory didn’t work out. If it did though, it would definitely be a game changer, and not just because it would completely eliminate the need for public transportation.

​Serafall glanced over, her violet eyes sparkling with interest. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.”

​She paused, then added, “Did that human friend of yours have a safe trip back home?”

​I pouted. “You’re teasing me.”

​Aika had to return home, both because she had no real reason to stay now that I was awake and stable, and because my parents were going to start asking questions if both of us disappeared at the same time. Having her back in the human world gave me an alibi, someone who could at least pretend things were normal.

​Mittelt, on the other hand, had stayed behind at the mansion. She’d been acting weird since last night, leaving our bed for her own room before I even woke up. On top of that, she had been acting strange all morning, oddly subdued as opposed to the borderline caustic personality she usually touted.

​Something was going on with her.

​Serafall giggled. “I don’t know what you mean. Oh, look! We’re here!”

​I blinked, looking down as Serafall began her descent. Below us, the somewhat tame terrain shifted to something much wilder.

​We touched down in a forest of dense, gnarled trees. Their trunks were twisted into shapes that looked almost sentient, as if the forest itself was trying to grab at anything that passed through. The branches overhead formed a thick canopy, leaving only a small trickle of moonlight to pierce through.

​I looked around, taking in the strange flora that surrounded us. “This is the place we’re gonna find the person to help me get control of my power? Seems kinda... what’s the opposite of suburban?”

​“I don’t think the description fits either way,” Miyo commented as I set her down.

​“Desolate, then,” I said. “Does anyone even live here?”

​“A few, but the one we’re looking for is really deep.” Serafall tilted her head, gazing at me with curious eyes. “Can’t you feel it?”

​I paused. Now that she mentioned it, there was something there. It was a tingle at the back of my mind, a vague sense pressing against my consciousness. But it was faint, barely there, and I couldn’t quite place the feeling.

​“Not really,” I admitted, shaking my head. “I feel something, but I can’t describe it.”

​Serafall pouted. “We should head deeper then. I think I remember the way.”

​“You think?” Miyo’s voice was skeptical as she looked around. “You’re taking us into a strange forest based on a hunch?”

​“It’s more than a hunch,” Serafall said, pouting at the accusation. “It’s just... been a while.”

​“How long’s a while to someone who lives thousands of years?”

​Serafall’s cheeks puffed out in anger. “Are you calling me old?”

​“I didn’t say anything like that.”

​“Hmph! Well I’m not, just in case you were wondering. I’m as young and spry as any other centuries-old creature of darkness,” she huffed, stepping deeper into the thicket. “Now come on. It’s this way.”

​We headed deeper into the forest, the trees growing thicker around us. As we walked, I began to notice movement in the shadows between the trunks. Small shapes darted through the underbrush, their eyes catching the faint light before disappearing into the darkness.

​An implike creature with leathery wings scurried up a nearby tree, its eyes wide as it watched us pass. Something that looked like a faerie with glistening wings flitted between the branches overhead, its glow flickering nervously before it vanished into the canopy.

​It was a pattern. Everything ran when we approached, and the forest grew quieter with each step we took, as if the very creatures that lived here were fleeing from our presence.

​“Why is everything running away?” I asked, frowning.

​“Because you’re scaring them all away, you idiot!”

​The voice came from above us, high and annoyed. We all looked up to find a strange old man perched on a thick branch, glaring down at us.

​“Whoa,” I said, blinking up at him. “A wild pervert appears.”

​The old man’s jaw dropped, his face twisting in outrage. “I am not a pervert!”

​“Really?” I raised an eyebrow, gesturing at his outfit. “The backwards snapback and bright backpack to make it seem like you’re younger than you are? Plus, you’re sitting in a tree in the middle of a magical forest watching young women walk by. That’s like, peak pervert behavior.”

​And yes, I understood that me calling someone else a pervert was the pot calling the kettle black, but I like to think I was a more classy version of... whatever this guy was.

​“That’s just my style!” he sputtered, his face turning red. “And I live here! I’m not some kind of creep!”

​Miyo and I exchanged skeptical looks. The old man’s eye twitched.

​Serafall giggled, floating up slightly to meet the man’s gaze. “This is the Familiar Master,” she explained, her tone patient. “He’s in charge of this place. The Familiar Forest.”

​“I’m not in charge,” the man corrected, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m a resident, just like everyone else. I just happen to know the area better than most.” He turned his glare back toward me. “And you’re scaring all of my roommates!”

​I blinked. “Roommates?”

​“The creatures,” he said, gesturing broadly at the forest around us. “They’re skittish enough as it is without you stomping through here like some kind of—”

​“Actually, that’s why we’re here,” Serafall interrupted, her voice chipper. “Naomi needs help with her power. We were hoping you could point us in the right direction.”

​The Familiar Master’s eyes narrowed, studying me with new interest. “Her power, eh?”

​“Dragon,” Serafall said simply. “She had a bit of an accident, and now she needs someone to help her get it under control.”

​The old man’s expression shifted, curiosity replacing annoyance. “Dragon, you say? Hmm. Yes, I can see it now. The scales, the eyes...” He nodded to himself. “Definitely draconic. But why come to me? I deal with familiars, not training.”

​“We’re not looking for you specifically,” Serafall said. “We were hoping you might know where she is.”

​“She?” His eyes went wide, his voice climbing an octave or three. “Wait... You don’t mean her, do you?”

​While Miyo and I shared a look at his worry, Serafall simply nodded with a wide smile. The Familiar Master’s jaw dropped.

​“You must have a death wish!” he cried. “Don’t you know what happens when you bother her? Last time someone waltzed into her territory uninvited, they didn’t walk out again!”

​“Sometimes they don’t even crawl out,” a new voice rumbled.

​We all turned to find a small creature emerging from the bushes. It looked like a squirrel, if a squirrel was the size of a small dog and had glowing red eyes. It sat up on its haunches, regarding us with an expression that was far too intelligent for a rodent.

​“I hobbled,” it added almost conversationally. “She broke my legs.”

​The Familiar Master sighed, reaching down to pat the creature’s head. “Thank you, Bubbles.”

​“Bubbles?” I repeated.

​“She likes bubbles,” the old man said, as if that explained everything. He straightened up, adjusting his snapback. “Look, are you sure about this? She doesn’t take kindly to visitors. Especially not ones who come asking for favors.”

​“She’ll make an exception for me,” Serafall said confidently.

​“You don’t understand. She—”

​“Ajuka sent us,” she interrupted.

​The Familiar Master’s mouth snapped shut. He stared at Serafall for a long moment, his expression shifting from disbelief to resignation.

​“Fine,” he muttered, hopping down from the branch. “But I’m only bringing you there. You’ll have to find your own way back because I’m running in the other direction before she sees me.”

​“That’s fair,” Serafall nodded understandingly.

​The old man trudged forward, his yellow backpack bouncing with each step. “This way. And try to step quietly. The creatures of the forest aren’t used to your kind visiting outside of a full moon.”

​I glanced at Miyo, who shrugged. Together, we followed the strange old man deeper into the forest, Serafall skipping along beside us like this was a pleasant stroll through a park rather than a trek through dangerous territory to meet someone who apparently had a history of violence against visitors.

​This was going to be fun.

​The forest grew darker as we walked.

​The trees pressed closer together the deeper we went, their gnarled branches twisting overhead until only fragments of moonlight pierced through. The path, if it could even be called that, wound between ancient trunks and over roots that seemed to shift when I wasn’t looking.

​And with every step, the feeling in the back of my head grew stronger.

​It started as a tingle, a vague sense of something pulling at my consciousness. But as we ventured deeper into the forest, that tingle became a hum, and then a buzz, and then a constant pressure that made my skull throb.

​“Naomi?”

​Miyo’s voice cut through the fog in my mind. I blinked, realizing she had stopped walking and was now watching me with concern.

​“What’s happening?” she asked, her brow furrowed. “You’ve been tense for the last few minutes.”

​“I don’t know,” I admitted, shaking my head. The pressure was making it hard to think. “It feels like...”

​I trailed off, trying to pinpoint exactly what I was feeling. It was familiar, something I had experienced before, but the memory was just out of reach. I pushed through the haze in my mind, searching for the connection.

​And then it hit me. The last time I felt like this was with Issei.

​There was another dragon nearby.

​My senses sharpened, reaching out instinctively as I finally put a name to the lingering sensation in the back of my mind. Now that I knew what I was looking for, the presence was there in abundance, lingering against the backdrop of normal forest smells.

​I could smell them. The stench of another dragon. It was everywhere — in the air, on the trees, seeping into the very ground beneath our feet.

​My teeth clenched. My hands balled into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms hard enough to leave marks. Something deep in my chest stirred, a low rumble building that I couldn’t quite suppress.

​“Easy there,” Serafall said, glancing back at me with knowing eyes. “We’re close.”

​The Familiar Master muttered something under his breath, but I was too focused on the path ahead to pay attention. Every step forward felt like I was walking into territory that wasn’t mine, and every instinct I had was screaming at me to either flee or fight.

​Even my reaction to Issei wasn’t this strong. Who was this person that we were going to meet?

​We pushed through a particularly thick cluster of trees, branches scraping against my arms and snagging on my clothes. And then, suddenly, the forest fell away.

​We emerged into a lush clearing, a perfect circle carved into the forest itself. The moonlight shone down unobstructed, illuminating grass that reached up to our knees in a thick carpet of green. A glistening lake sat at the center, its surface smooth as glass, reflecting the crescent moon above like a mirror.

​A waterfall fed into the lake from a rocky outcropping on the far side, the gentle rush of water filling the silence. And behind that waterfall, every sense I had was screaming that there was something I needed to either destroy or submit to.

​The Familiar Master stopped at the edge of the clearing, his face pale. “Look, are you sure about this?” he asked, wringing his hands. “She really doesn’t like being disturbed. Especially not during her evening bath.”

​Serafall ignored him completely. She skipped forward, her pink dress bouncing with each step, and cupped her hands around her mouth.

​“Tiamat!” she called out, her voice echoing through the clearing. “It’s me! I have a request for you!”

​I stared at her back, my heart pounding in my chest. The name meant nothing to me, but the presence behind that waterfall meant everything. Every fiber of my being was focused on it, instinct rising to the surface in response to the challenge it perceived.

​Then suddenly, the waterfall moved and a woman stepped through.

​She was naked, her body glistening as rivulets of water rolled down her smooth skin. Her hair was a pale blue that fell past her waist, darker blue eyes scanning the clearing with irritation. Her figure was perfect, with large breasts and thick thighs that drew the eye despite the situation.

​Yet even the lust brought about by the sight of such a beauty paled in comparison to the visceral reaction I had to her power. It poured out of her effortlessly, bathing the entire clearing and causing the fire burning in my chest to blaze even hotter. My fists clenched tighter, and I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood.

​The woman — Tiamat — regarded us with cold eyes as she waded away from the waterfall. She didn’t seem to care about her nudity, moving slowly as her eyes locked onto the Devil leading us.

​“Serafall,” she said, her voice smooth. “This had better be important.”

​The Familiar Master had already retreated, disappearing into the trees with surprising speed for his age.

​I couldn’t blame him. The pressure radiating from Tiamat was immense. Overwhelming. I suddenly found myself struggling to breathe, caught in a strange moment of near-lucidity.

​Serafall, apparently oblivious to the tension, bounced on her heels. “I brought someone to meet you!”

​Tiamat’s gaze swept over the clearing, passing over Miyo without interest before landing on me.

​The moment her blue eyes met my own, instinct took over. The tension I had been holding back exploded forth in a tide of emotions that overwhelmed my calm and swept me with little regard for what my rational mind had to say about it.

​Light flashed.

​I moved.

​The distance between us disappeared in an instant. Between one blink and the next, I materialized in front of my enemy, Kijin raised high above my head and blood boiling as I swung the sword down with every ounce of strength I had in my body.

​BOOM!

​“Naomi!”

​Water sprayed across my face as my strike sent a shockwave of draconic power rippling across the lake. My hands were like vices around my sword but they shook regardless, and I watched with wide eyes as the hazy mist in front of me cleared to reveal the woman standing there, a single hand gripping the edge of my blade in an almost lackadaisical manner.

​For a moment, the two dragons stared at each other, one in abject fury, the other in cool contemplation.

​Tiamat’s pale blue eyes swept over the girl before her, taking in the wild black hair tinged in orange, the scaled patches visible on her arms, and the fangs that had grown in place of human canines. The girl’s chest heaved with rage, her ochre eyes burning with an intensity that was almost impressive.

​Almost.

​Those scales… Tiamat recognized them. She had seen them before, many centuries ago, on a being who had been content to gnaw on the roots of the World Tree rather than involve himself in the affairs of the world.

​She stared into the girl’s eyes, and realization settled upon her alongside a wave of disgust.

​“Ah,” she said, her voice flat. “I had wondered what happened to him. I suppose that lays that mystery to rest.”

​The girl — Naomi, the Devil had called her — didn’t seem to hear the words. She was too far gone, lost to the instincts that now ruled her blood. Tiamat could see it in the way her muscles tensed, the way her pupils had contracted to thin slits, the way her breathing came fast and shallow.

​There was no sense to be had here. Just violence to be answered in kind.

​Tiamat raised a hand, pressing it against the girl’s chest. She felt the racing heartbeat beneath her palm, the thrum of power that was not the girl’s own, yet not so dissimilar to be completely foreign.

​“A pity,” she murmured. “He had such potential.”

​She pushed.

​The shock that entered Naomi’s body was a wave of pure draconic power that swept through every fiber of her being and commanded her to move. Naomi flew backwards, her body carving a trench through the lush grass, the impact sending dirt and vegetation spraying into the air. She tumbled end over end, her limbs flailing uselessly, before colliding with a tree at the edge of the clearing with a sickening crack.

​The tree shuddered. Leaves rained down around the crumpled form which immediately began to move.

​Naomi looked up, pain and rage clouding her vision. Her body screamed at her to stay down, to submit and acknowledge the superior predator before her, but a greater part of her roared in defiance, demanding that she fight.

​Tiamat stepped out of the lake, the water cascading off her naked form. She crossed her arms beneath her massive bust, her expression cold as she regarded the girl struggling to rise.

​“The instincts of a dragon and the arrogance of a human,” she said, her voice echoing through the clearing. “Truly, there is not a more dangerous combination. Many dragonkin far stronger than you would sooner slit their own throats than raise a blade against me — much less in my own territory.”

​Naomi’s only response was an inhuman growl. She launched herself upward, her wings snapping out to propel her forward. One hand waved through the air, and massive chains burst from the ground, their barbed ends seeking to pierce and bind the woman before her.

​Tiamat didn’t even bother to adjust her stance. The only movement she allowed her opponent was a single flex of her index finger.

​Power erupted, thick and potent. It slammed into the chains and shattered them. The metal links disintegrated, falling as harmless dust to the forest floor.

​Naomi wasn’t deterred by her failure. She created more chains, sending wave after wave at the dragon who stood unmoving in the face of her assault. Tiamat simply destroyed them as they came, her expression bored as she waited for the rage to run its course.

​Hopefully it wouldn’t last overly long. Her patience was already running thin and though she would prefer not to kill the girl before she had her answers, she wouldn’t abide by this insult for much longer.

​“Is this the best you can do?” Tiamat asked, her voice cutting through the chaos. “I expected more from one who carries his essence.”

​Naomi’s only response was a roar that shook the leaves from the surrounding trees. Her human companion reeled backwards, watching her warily as the girl’s power swelled and the jeweled gloves on her hands blazed with orange light.

​Orange energy burst from Naomi’s skin, licking the air like tongues of flame. The grass around her feet wilted, turning brown and crumbling to dust. The trees at the edge of the clearing groaned, their branches cracking under the pressure.

​Tiamat’s eyes narrowed and she uncrossed her arms as draconic warmth washed over her. It was potent and carried a hint of something foreign, devoured energies brought to bear as the girl drew out everything she had.

​She has eaten well, Tiamat thought, feeling a swirling mix of demonic and draconic energy batter against her skin. She narrowed her eyes, tasting the air. There was something else there, a rare power that she had seldom felt in centuries. Nature energy as well? This could prove troublesome. She has already given into her instincts — to attempt Senjutsu right now would drive her even deeper into that abyss.

​Naomi’s power peaked. The orange glow wrapped around her body, swirling like a vortex and obscuring her form.

​[DEVOURING DRAGON OVERBOOST—]

​“That is enough.”

​Tiamat finally moved. One moment she stood in the center of the clearing; the next, she was behind Naomi, one hand extended toward the girl’s back, a magic circle spinning in her palm.

​There was a beat, then the glow around Naomi dimmed before, with a sound like shattering glass, it broke apart entirely.

​Naomi’s eyes rolled back in her head and her legs gave out beneath her. She crumpled to the ground, her body folding in on itself as the power that had been sustaining her vanished like mist in the morning sun.

​Tiamat stared down at her fallen form, a small modicum of respect entering her gaze. That surge of power, while still far below her even at her weakest, was well past what most regular dragons could manage.

​“A reasonable attempt,” Tiamat spoke calmly. “But you are centuries too early to challenge me in my domain.”

​She turned, her pale blue hair swinging over her shoulder as she regarded Serafall, who stood at the edge of the clearing with her hands clasped in front of her. The Leviathan’s expression was carefully neutral, but Tiamat could see the concern flickering in her violet eyes.

​“You brought her here,” Tiamat said. It was not a question.

​“I did,” Serafall agreed. “She needs help controlling her power. Ajuka said you might be willing to assist.”

​“Ajuka says many things.” Tiamat’s gaze swept back to the girl on the ground. “He failed to mention that she would attack me the moment she sensed my presence.”

​“To be fair, I didn’t know that would happen,” Serafall said sheepishly.

​Tiamat hummed, gazing around at her sanctuary. The grass had wilted and three trees on the edge of the clearing were beginning to die as the girl’s power ravaged them and drained them of life.

​“You wish me to assist her,” Tiamat repeated, frowning at the devastation. “You ask me to help a whelp who cannot even control her own instincts. A child who would dare raise a blade against me in my own home.”

​“She didn’t know what she was doing,” Serafall said. “Her transformation is new. She hasn’t learned to fully control herself yet.”

​“And you thought bringing her to me would solve this?”

​“You’re one of the most powerful dragons in the Underworld. And yet most people don’t even know you’re here,” Serafall said carefully. “You have astounding control over your power despite having so much of it. We figured she could learn a thing from you.”

​Tiamat regarded Serafall with narrowed eyes. She knew when her ego was being played to, though she had to admit, this Devil did it well.

​“And why exactly would I waste the effort?” Tiamat ventured. “My time is precious, and though I consider Beelzebub a valued ally and tentative friend, a favor can only stretch so far.”

​Serafall’s expression shifted, the playful mask she normally wore falling away to reveal the Satan hiding underneath.

​“Nidhogg hates Ddraig,” she said simply. “I’ve been told you carry your own vendetta against the Welsh Dragon.”

​Tiamat stilled, the accusation hitting its mark. The mere mention of that wretched dragon’s name made something deep within her chest burn.

​“And?” Tiamat asked, forcing the words past her teeth.

​“And she has a deal with his current host,” Serafall pressed. “In return for Nidhogg lending her his power, Naomi will take care of his grudge against Ddraig and his host.”

​Tiamat’s brow furrowed. For a dragon to willingly bind themselves to a human, to share power — their very essence... that was unusual. That Nidhogg would lower himself to such an arrangement...

​He must be truly desperate for vengeance, she thought.

​Tiamat was of a kind. She had despised Ddraig for centuries, had watched as his power grew and the Welsh Dragon grew stronger and more entrenched in his arrogance. Centuries ago, she had often dreamed of being the one to defeat him. She wished to personally see the look in his eyes when she reclaimed her treasures from his mangled body.

​But the world had changed. The Heavenly Dragons no longer roamed the earth as they once did, and Tiamat refused to lower herself to do battle with their hosts instead.

​Nidhogg however, seemed to have no such qualms. And if his host had even a fraction of potential to go alongside that power...

​Tiamat may not get the chance to wrap her hands around Ddraig’s throat herself, but it would be almost as satisfying to see him humiliated by a dragonling with nary a century under her belt.

​Tiamat looked back at the clearing, where the human woman was kneeling beside Naomi’s prone form. Her hands glowed faintly with magic, her expression tight with concern as she worked.

​To see Ddraig fall...

​It was a tempting thought. More tempting than she cared to admit.

​Tiamat made her way across the clearing toward the pair. She could feel the eyes of the human woman on her as she approached, and sense the fear radiating from her in waves.

​Good. At least one of them had sense enough to be afraid.

​“Move,” Tiamat said.

​Miyo looked up, her hands still glowing. “I’m not finished—”

​“You are. Now move.”

​Tiamat didn’t wait for compliance. She simply reached down and pulled Naomi’s unconscious form from the woman’s grip, turning the girl over in her hands.

​The scales on her arms were dark, gleaming healthily. Tiamat ran a finger along one, feeling the texture and the way it resisted her touch. Good scales. Strong scales.

​“So much power,” Tiamat murmured as she pushed magic into the touch, feeling the way the girl’s power pushed back. “And she doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing with it.”

​“That’s why we came to you,” Serafall said, appearing at her shoulder. “She needs someone who can help her get control of her new strength. Otherwise she’s going to have to stay in the Underworld, and that’s not what she wants.”

​Tiamat’s gaze remained fixed on Naomi’s face, studying the features that were still so human despite the changes she had undergone.

​“And if I refuse?”

​“Then you refuse,” Serafall said with a shrug. “But you’d be passing up an opportunity to see the host of the Welsh Dragon brought low by someone you trained personally.”

​Pretty words. Tiamat gazed at the girl’s sleeping face for a long moment. Then she released her grip on Naomi’s arm, letting the girl fall back to the grass.

​“Three months,” she said. “That is how long I will give her. If she cannot master her instincts in that time, I will send her away and never think of her again.”

​Serafall’s face brightened. “Three months is more than enough. Thank yo—”

​“Do not mistake this for kindness,” Tiamat interrupted, her voice cold. “I do this for my own reasons. If the girl wishes to learn, she will learn. But she will do so on my terms.”

​She turned to face Serafall fully, her pale eyes sharp.

​“And if she attacks me again,” Tiamat said, “you may find yourself with a corpse perched upon your doorstep.”

​Serafall inclined her head, her expression serious. “I’ll make sure she knows the terms before we begin.”

​“See that you do.” Tiamat turned away, her long hair swaying with the movement. “Now get her out of my territory. I have no desire to spend my evening staring at an unconscious child.”

​“Thank you, Tiamat.”

​Serafall’s thanks went unanswered as Tiamat turned back toward the waterfall, her form disappearing behind the curtain of water without a backward glance.

​Miyo let out a breath as the dragon disappeared. Her hands were shaking slightly as she moved back to Naomi’s side, checking the girl’s breathing. Her magic had no effect on whatever had been done to her lover, and she stared worriedly at the girl’s sleeping face.

​“Is she going to be alright?” Miyo asked, her voice tight.

​“She’ll have a headache when she wakes up,” Serafall said, kneeling beside her. “But Tiamat was careful not to cause permanent damage. She’s surprisingly good at holding back when she wants to be.”

​“That was holding back?” Miyo stared at the Satan with disbelief.

​In response, Serafall turned to stare after Tiamat, her lips pursed. “Tiamat is closer to me in terms of power than Kuroka, and I could put that kitty down fairly easily. If she wanted to, Tiamat would have annihilated Naomi the moment she drew her sword.”

​Miyo swallowed, gazing in the direction of the dragon. Naomi nearly killed herself fighting Kuroka. Could Tiamat truly be that strong?

​A groan from the ground drew their attention. Naomi stirred, her brow furrowing as consciousness slowly returned. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused and confused.

​“What...” she mumbled, trying to push herself up. Her arms gave out immediately, sending her face-first back into the grass.

​“Easy,” Miyo said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You pushed yourself too far again. Just breathe.”

​Naomi turned her head, blinking up at Miyo. Recognition slowly dawned in her ochre eyes, followed by confusion.

​“Miyo? What...” She trailed off, her gaze drifting across the clearing. The memories seemed to return in fragments, her expression shifting from confusion to pain to something approaching embarrassment.

​“I attacked her,” Naomi said flatly.

​“You did,” Serafall confirmed cheerfully. “But don’t worry! She’s agreed to train you anyway. You just have to not do that again or she’ll kill you and leave your body for us to find!”

​Naomi stared at her for a long moment, eyes wide. She turned to look at Miyo for verification, and the woman simply nodded.

​Naomi’s head dropped back to the grass with a thud. “Awesome.”