A month had passed — an endless cycle of pain and frustration.
Aziel remained locked in his brutal "friendly spars" with Phantom Fenrir. The Mythical Beast relentless pushing Aziel to his limits.
Day after day, he was forced to endure the same merciless routine — fight, lose, get healed, and fight again. There was no true rest — only brief pauses before the next round of being torn apart.
Aziel threw everything he had at the Mythical Beast. His collection of arms, his growing understanding of swordsmanship — he used them all in desperate attempts to land a single blow.
He'd summon the Samurai arm, and launch a lightning-fast attack with the katana. Phantom Fenrir would casually flick a clawed finger, deflecting the blade with a metallic clang.
The Big Guy arm would descend from above in a crushing blow. The Mythical Beast would swat it away with a casual backhand, sending the giant limb clattering across the ground — causing a small tremor.
Papa arm would slash and thrust. It would simply shift its stance, avoiding the attacks with effortless grace.
He even used the Gorilla arm's unique magic, shifting form mid-combat to strike from unexpected angles, or disguising himself in an attempt to gain the upper hand. But Phantom Fenrir saw through every trick, effortlessly unraveling every attempt he made.
He tried switching roles, using the Gorilla arm to swing the katana, or the Big Guy arm for swift jabs. Nothing worked. No matter the strategy, no matter the combination of arms, he couldn't land a hit. He couldn't even touch the creature.
On the other hand, Phantom Fenrir's attacks were simple — punches, kicks, slashes with its claws, blocks, and dodges. There were no flashy techniques or elaborate strategies.
And yet, Aziel still couldn't defend himself.
The real challenge for Aziel wasn't the variety of moves — it was the sheer speed at which they came. Phantom Fenrir moved with such blinding speed that Aziel simply couldn't keep up.
But, amidst the pain and repeated defeat, something within Aziel began to change. His movements grew swifter, his reflexes sharper. The clumsiness he once had with the summoned arms faded, replaced by a natural, instinctive control. He was adapting — learning at a terrifying pace.
The sparring sessions, though still one-sided, slowly began to resemble actual fights rather than simple tortures.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, it happened.
Aziel, using a combination of the Samurai arm for offense and the Papa arm to create a brief distraction, managed to evade a swift body blow from Phantom Fenrir. He rolled away, narrowly avoiding the crushing weight of a follow-up stomp. Scrambling back to his feet, he parried a follow-up kick with the Gorilla arm just in time.
His breathing was ragged, every muscle in his body screaming, but he was still on his feet. Still fighting.
Aziel prepared to launch another attack.
But before he could initiate his move, a blur of blackness engulfed his vision. A powerful force yanked him backward, his head snapping painfully.
Phantom Fenrir, impossibly fast, materialized behind him. One of its massive, clawed hands gripped his hair, pulling his head back at an unnatural angle. With its other hand, the Mythical Beast formed a fist, ready to deliver a crushing blow.
But just as the fist hurtled toward Aziel's face, mere inches from impact, it stopped mid-air.
"Ten minutes," Phantom Fenrir said. "You lasted ten minutes this round, Aziel. Bare minimum, but you finally met my expectation."
The grip on Aziel's hair loosened, and the Mythical Beast stepped back.
"The spar ends here," Phantom Fenrir declared, dismissing the battle with a wave of its hand.
**********
Aziel followed Phantom Fenrir towards a cavernous opening in the rock face.
"Welcome to my sweet home," the Mythical Beast drawled, gesturing with a flourish towards the entrance. "Do come in."
The exterior was rugged, unrefined even, befitting the wild nature of the Death Forest.
Aziel anticipated a damp, echoing cave filled with the stench of decay and the usual trappings of a beast's lair.
What he found instead was…astonishing.
Stepping inside felt like walking into a completely different world. The rough rock walls abruptly transitioned into polished marble, the uneven ground transformed into exquisitely patterned tile. Torches burned with smokeless flames, giving off a soft, warm light.
It was as if someone had squeezed a grand palace into a cave. Plush couches and low tables were set up around the room, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, scattering rainbow-like glints everywhere. Clearly, Phantom Fenrir's home wasn't just a simple den — it was more like a royal lounge.
"Make yourself comfortable. But please, don't actually make yourself at home. I'll be back in a jiff."
With that, the wolf-headed creature strode to a doorway at the far end of the cavern and vanished inside.
Aziel moved toward the plush couch and sat down slowly.
He drew in a long breath and exhaled it in relief — as if every trace of tension in his chest had melted away with that single sigh.
Aziel closed his eyes for a moment, letting the mental weight he'd accumulated during sparring fade away into calm as he rested his mind.
Suddenly, Blackie's voice echoed in his mind.
"Hey Aziel. How was the sparring session? Exciting, isn't it?"
Aziel grumbled, a sardonic smile twisting his lips. "Blackie, my supposed assistant, where the hell did you disappear to?"
He was genuinely annoyed that the ring had been silent during the painful sparring session. Being beaten to a pulp was not his idea of fun.
"Haha… Relax, Aziel. I was there the whole time, just… observing."
"Observing? That's it? While I was getting my ass handed to me by that guy?"
"Hey, I didn't say it was fun for me either," Blackie said dryly. "But seriously, I remained silent so you could study this Mythical Beast yourself. Analyze its fighting style, its power, figure out how to deal with it on your own. It's a training exercise, whether you realized it or not."
"You make it sound so easy, all the analyzing, the studying. You weren't on the receiving end of those claws!"
Blackie was silent for a moment before asking, "Can you honestly say you didn't learn anything? Come on, who are you kidding here?".
Aziel didn't respond, his jaw tightening. "Fine. But you better not pull a disappearing act like that again. Got it?"
Blackie chuckled softly. "Alright, alright."