"You have come, the one who will kill me in the future," a clear, aloof female voice rang out.
"Kill?" Kawashima Toya was startled and immediately retreated to keep his distance from the voice.
"Why retreat?"
Scáthach looked at the retreating Toya with indifferent eyes.
"To ensure there's no danger, of course." Toya finally began to size up the speaker.
She was an aloof, beautiful queen with waist-length purple hair. Her figure was tall and slender, dressed in a black outfit that perfectly matched his preferences.
When he looked at her, the solitary aura of a king struck him.
The heavy, majestic pressure pressed down like a giant mountain.
"Scáthach!"
"..."
Even though his body felt as heavy as ten thousand tons, Toya didn't waver in the slightest, standing straight and motionless.
After a long while, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Scáthach's crimson eyes, which seemed to hold the blood of countless gods. She spoke leisurely, "As the one who will kill me, you satisfy me."
In an instant, the terrifying regal pressure vanished.
Toya felt his body lighten significantly and exhaled softly. "I thought I was going to collapse."
The moment Scáthach withdrew her aura, he knew he had passed the test.
At the very least, he could now train under Scáthach, the Queen of the Land of Shadows who had slain numerous gods.
"You wouldn't have collapsed." Scáthach mercilessly pierced through Toya's self-deprecation, her beautiful eyes serious. "From now on, you are my disciple."
"I will impart all the skills I know to you."
"You must learn everything I know."
"Follow me. Let the training begin!"
Scáthach turned and led Toya away.
This place was too small and unsuitable for teaching her skills.
Toya followed Scáthach silently without any hesitation.
Becoming Scáthach's disciple was something countless people dreamed of.
He had looked forward to this for a long time as well.
In that chaotic world filled with Evil Gods, Angels, and Dragons, weakness would be the greatest sin.
A Vast, Ancient Arena.
Holding Gáe Bolg Alternative, Scáthach glanced at Toya, who had changed into training clothes, and said plainly:
"Those eyes are nothing but a burden to you right now."
"Aside from making you more reliant on them, they offer no benefits."
"Don't use your eyes."
"Understood, Shishou!" Toya responded seriously.
"Shishou..." A trace of nostalgia flashed through Scáthach's blood-red eyes.
She hadn't heard that title in a long time.
The last person to call her that, Cú Chulainn, had died long ago and ascended to the Throne of Heroes.
Everyone she once knew had passed away, and no one had visited the Land of Shadows for a long time.
For thousands of years, Toya was the first human to enter the Land of Shadows.
---
The Next Morning.
Toya woke up slowly.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "I'm back."
At this moment, his aura was completely different from the night before.
It was incredibly sharp, like a keen spear point ready to pierce the sky.
"Shishou's teachings are truly effective."
"Spending 30,000 Source Points was a massive bargain!"
"Not only has my strength increased significantly, but I also obtained the B+ Rank Noble Phantasm, Gáe Bolg Alternative!"
Toya felt his improvement; he was in a completely different state compared to yesterday, as if he had sublimated.
If that Evil God's minion came again, he could easily kill it without even using his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
"System, can I see my stats?"
Toya asked internally.
As expected, he received no response from the system.
Toya wasn't disappointed; after all, the system had no intelligence.
"There are still twenty-nine days left. I mustn't waste them." Toya decided to go back to the agency and continue sleeping.
In the remaining twenty-nine days, he would increase his strength as much as possible.
Whether he could gather another 30,000 Source Points in twenty-nine days was uncertain.
After all, one didn't encounter Evil God minions every day.
Toya changed his clothes and was about to leave when he ran into a yawning Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Utaha was wearing pajamas, walking out of her room with sleepy eyes.
Toya fell silent as he looked at the scenery Utaha was revealing.
"As expected of Fatty Kasumi... too alluring."
Even though he had spent ten days training with Shishou in the Land of Shadows last night...
Those ten long days had been filled only with training to become stronger; he had almost forgotten about women.
Yet, facing Utaha, those feelings were instantly reawakened.
He was still a red-blooded young man, after all.
having stayed up late last night, the still-droggy Utaha tilted her head blankly. "Kawashima, what are you looking at?"
"Hm? Your gaze?" Utaha followed Toya's line of sight and immediately realized why he was staring straight at her.
"Ah!!!"
"Pervert!"
Hearing Utaha's shriek of shame and anger, Toya hurriedly waved his hand. "Utaha, I have something to do, so I'll be going first."
"No need to save breakfast for me!!!"
With that, he dashed out the door, leaving behind a mortified Utaha.
"Bastard! How could I be so careless!!"
Utaha stamped her long, slender legs in anger, venting her shame.