Salomé settled on the stone bench, holding Sakolomé's hand in hers as if afraid he would disappear again. Her yellow eyes shimmered with an almost childlike intensity, but her voice carried a clear assurance.
"You know," she said softly, "I'm aware of the contest that's about to take place."
Sakolomé raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Really? And you also know that… I've become a teacher?"
Salomé flashed a mischievous smile.
"Of course. Ramos tells me everything. He keeps me informed; he's never hidden your steps since you arrived here."
At that name, Sakolomé fell silent for a moment, then a slight smile stretched his lips.
"Ramos… always in the shadows watching, huh?"
Salomé nodded, then her expression grew more serious.
"But tell me, big brother… what has Ñout told you since you became his human subject?"
Sakolomé held her gaze for a few seconds. He knew he couldn't lie to her, but he also couldn't reveal everything right away. So he answered in a calm voice:
"I will explain to you later. I promise. But for now… I have to go home."
Salomé blinked, surprised.
"Already? Why the rush?"
He took a deep breath, as if preparing to reveal an important confession.
"Two of my students will come tonight. They are waiting for my answer… They asked me to guide them to become Deviants."
Salomé's face immediately lit up. She straightened up, almost bouncing, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"Really?!" she exclaimed. "Then don't hesitate for a second, accept!"
Her voice rang out like a statement of fact. Her excitement made Sakolomé smile despite himself, and he raised a hand to calm her a bit.
"Easy, Salomé… This isn't a decision to be taken lightly. You know what it implies."
But she shook her head vigorously.
"Exactly! If they asked you, it's because they already know there's no one better suited than you."
Sakolomé and Salomé walked side by side, their steps echoing in the quiet alley leading to the master's residence. The evening light filtered between the rooftops, tinting the air with a dark glow.
As soon as they rounded the corner, they saw two still figures standing in front of the house. Dan and Wendy were already waiting, looking serious but visibly impatient.
Sakolomé smiled in surprise.
"Well… I didn't expect to see you this early."
He stepped forward and raised his hand to introduce his companion.
"Dan, Wendy, this is Salomé… my little sister."
Salomé took a step forward, her energy almost overflowing. She extended her hand warmly.
"Nice to meet you!"
Dan nodded politely before shaking her hand. Wendy, however, crossed her arms with a smirk.
"She's really young…"
Then, with a mischievous smile, she added:
"Well, since the master is barely out of adolescence himself, it makes sense."
Sakolomé rolled his eyes without replying, while Wendy finally offered her hand to Salomé.
"Well, hi, nice to meet you."
Salomé shook her hand without hesitation.
"Likewise!"
Wendy raised an eyebrow, a playful look in her eyes.
"Tell me… are you as strong as your brother?"
Salomé's smile widened, revealing a hint of challenge.
"You get straight to the point. I couldn't say… My brother is formidable, but I'm no slouch either."
Wendy's eyes widened, caught off guard, then she frowned, recovering.
"Honestly… I find that hard to believe."
Salomé shrugged and gently withdrew her hand.
"You're free to doubt. But don't confuse youth with weakness."
A brief silence fell, broken by Sakolomé's calm voice.
"Dan, Wendy… I've made my decision. I accept you as life students."
They exchanged a surprised look.
"That's actually," added Sakolomé, glancing at his sister, "thanks to Salomé's enthusiasm that convinced me."
Dan inclined his head slightly toward her, sincere.
"Thank you… Thank you very much, Salomé. Without you, maybe he'd still be hesitating."
Wendy, squinting, asked suspiciously:
"But why? You don't even know us. Why insist that he accepts?"
Salomé lifted her head, her yellow eyes gleaming with confident brightness.
"Because I love seeing people evolve. And besides… if you think becoming a Deviant is just a game, you're gravely mistaken."
Her words struck Wendy hard. She remained silent for a moment, lips parted.
"Wait… you… you know Deviant things?"
A predatory smile crossed Salomé's face.
"Of course. I am a Deviant myself. And believe me, Wendy, underestimating someone by their appearance is a serious mistake."
Wendy abruptly turned her head, a blush rising to her cheeks despite her sulky expression.
Salomé crossed her arms, radiant with confidence.
"It's not because I'm younger that I can't be stronger than you."
Dan lowered his head slightly, thoughtful, while Sakolomé behind them watched the scene with a mixture of pride and fear.
After Salomé's stunning revelation, Dan and Wendy had no more doubts: if they wanted to follow the path of the Deviants, they would have to accept a journey of sacrifices, suffering, and extraordinary trials. A road far from simple training, but an ascent to a state beyond themselves.
Sakolomé observed them for a long moment, his gaze serious. Then he took a breath and addressed Dan first:
"Dan… I need to show you something."
His eyes then rested on Wendy:
"You too, Wendy."
He entered his house, letting a brief silence hang between Salomé and the two students. Moments later, he reappeared with a thick notebook, covered in annotations in dark ink, a symbol of all the knowledge he had patiently accumulated about myths and ancient lineages.
Without a word, he placed his hand on the notebook. His mana flowed into it like a silent river, and the book split into two identical copies, each vibrating with a strange aura as if containing more than just writings.
He handed the notebooks to his students:
"What you seek goes beyond mere training. To become Deviants, you'll have to follow a complex path, made of renunciations and conquests. The first step will be to cut your chains."
He paused, his tone firmer:
"You must abandon the Nemesis system."
Wendy's eyes widened, shocked:
"Huh?! Abandon… Nemesis? But… it's the foundation of everything we've learned from the start!"
Sakolomé held her gaze unwaveringly.
"Exactly. The Nemesis system is too weak to contain what you hope to become. It will only limit you, like a golden cage. If you want to cross the boundaries of causality, you will have to agree to break it."
He then placed a notebook in Dan's hands, then in Wendy's. The contact made their fingers vibrate as if the paper itself held a part of the world's truth.
"Read these notebooks. Completely. They contain the keys to what you need to know. When you're finished, then… the training will begin."
Salomé frowned, a glint of mischief shining in her yellow eyes.
"Big brother… becoming a Deviant is not a school exercise. It's literally walking toward divinity, conditioning what conditions, touching the order of meta-concepts… You want to lead them on this path with a tournament approaching? How do you plan to juggle both without spreading yourself thin?"
She was right: even for Sakolomé, balance seemed impossible.
Dan and Wendy, clutching their notebooks, shared the same concern deep in their eyes. How could their master teach such a titanic path and at the same time prepare them for an imminent competition?
But Sakolomé answered with a mysterious smile.
"They will participate… but not directly."
Wendy tilted her head, puzzled:
"What do you mean, 'not directly'?"
Salomé raised an eyebrow, half amused, half intrigued.
Sakolomé let a short silence hang before calmly stating:
"Clones."
The word fell like a stone into a lake, causing a moment of stunned silence.
Salomé burst out laughing lightly:
"Clones? You really plan to send copies of them to the tournament? Aren't you afraid it will backfire?"
Sakolomé held her gaze, serene.
"Not ordinary copies. I will create doubles born from their very essence. They will be identical in every way: strength, mind, soul, memories, down to the slightest vibration of their being. No one will be able to tell the clones from the originals."
Dan, mouth slightly open, clutched his notebook as if afraid it would disappear.
Wendy placed a hand on her hip and sighed:
"Clones from our essence… that sounds both terrifying and… incredibly exciting."
Salomé, amused, crossed her arms, a predatory smile on her lips.
"That promises to be interesting. But don't forget, you two… just because you have clones doesn't mean your real ascension will be easier. The path to Deviant… forgives no weakness."
Her tone suddenly more serious chilled the air around them. Dan and Wendy exchanged a knowing look, aware that what they had just accepted was not mere learning, but a step toward absolute the unknown.