Volume 5: Part One Hundred Ten — She Came Back

　She arrived on an otherwise ordinary afternoon.

　No fog-gate this time.

　No ceremony.

　No warning.

　She was simply there, suddenly standing at the edge of Horizoncrest's training grounds like she'd never actually left.

"Hello again."

　Nyxara said it cheerfully, entirely unbothered by the way every person nearby had gone rigid the instant they registered her presence.

Oh.

Oh, she's actually here.

In my town.

On an afternoon I wasn't remotely prepared for this.

"You could have announced yourself."

　I said it carefully.

　My blade wasn't drawn yet, but my hand was already resting near it purely out of reflex.

"I did."

　She gestured at herself with open amusement.

"This is me, announcing myself."

"Rather efficient, don't you think?"

　Elaine appeared at my side within seconds.

　Her aura was sharp and ready.

　Eris was close behind her, equally tense, both of them clearly prepared to fight despite having no real understanding of exactly what they would be fighting.

"Stand down."

　I kept my voice quiet.

Urgent.

"Both of you."

"This isn't a fight either of you can actually survive."

"And you can?"

　Eris asked, tension evident in her voice.

Honestly, probably not either.

But better me than you.

"I don't know."

　I admitted it.

"I'd rather find out alone than lose either of you finding out with me."

　Nyxara watched the entire exchange with open, delighted curiosity.

"They care about you."

　Her eyes moved between the two of them.

"Genuinely, from the look of it."

　A small smile appeared.

"That's rather sweet, actually, given what you are."

"What do you want?"

　I asked directly.

　There wasn't much point dancing around the question.

"I wanted to see my new toy properly."

　She said it as casually as though she were discussing an afternoon stroll.

"Watch how you actually fight, when you're not simply overwhelming lesser demons in disguise."

"I'm curious how your Null actually holds up against someone who isn't playing at your level."

Null.

She knows the new name already.

Doesn't waste time, apparently.

"And if I refuse?"

　I asked.

"You won't."

　She was still smiling.

"You're curious too."

"I can feel it."

...She's not wrong, honestly.

Annoyingly.

　I turned toward Eris and Elaine.

"Clear the area."

　Then I raised my voice enough for the others gathering nearby to hear.

"Aeron, get everyone else away from here too."

　There was no argument.

　No one needed an explanation beyond the expression on my face.

　Once the training grounds had been cleared, I turned back toward Nyxara.

　My blade finally came free.

　Null threaded cold and unmistakable along its edge.

"Fine."

"One fight."

"You leave everyone else out of it."

"Naturally."

　Nyxara settled into a stance that looked almost lazy in its ease.

"Wouldn't dream of involving anyone but the actual toy I came for."

Alright.

Let's see exactly how outmatched I actually am.

――

　I want to be honest about what happened next.

　Because it deserves more truth than pride would normally allow.

　I attacked first.

　Full force.

　Everything Ignivar had spent months teaching me was thrown into a single opening strike.

　She caught it with two fingers.

"Cute."

　She sounded genuinely fond.

　Like I'd offered her a child's drawing rather than my actual best effort.

...Okay.

That's—

That's genuinely humbling.

　I tried again.

　Faster.

　Harder.

　I released more of my own limiter than I'd ever dared release outside genuine desperation.

　She met every strike.

　Every single one.

　The same effortless, almost bored precision.

　Occasionally, she offered small, encouraging comments that somehow stung worse than any actual wound could have.

"Better."

　She said it once.

"Try harder."

"I am trying harder."

　I said it between breaths, already breathing heavily despite the fact that she hadn't even broken a sweat.

"No."

　Her correction was gentle rather than insulting.

"You're trying your hardest."

"Different thing entirely."

"Keep going."

――

　The fight stretched on.

　Far longer than I'd expected.

　Mostly because Nyxara seemed genuinely invested in seeing exactly how far I could push myself rather than simply ending things the moment she grew bored.

　Every time I thought I'd finally found an opening, she was already there.

　Every time I changed my rhythm, she adapted.

　Every time I increased my speed—

　She matched it.

　Then exceeded it.

　And somehow still looked entertained.

　I landed exactly one real hit.

　A shallow graze along her forearm.

　No deeper than a training scratch.

　Nyxara looked down at it.

　For a moment, she simply stared.

　Then—

　Something close to genuine delight crossed her expression.

"There it is."

　She looked back at me.

"That's the interesting part."

――

　Then, without any visible transition—

　The fight simply ended.

　My blade was knocked cleanly from my hand.

　Her presence suddenly became overwhelmingly close.

　Close enough that I understood, with absolute clarity, exactly how thoroughly this had never been a contest at all.

"Good."

　Nyxara stepped back.

　Entirely satisfied.

"Considerably better than I expected, for someone your age."

"Vaelith wasn't exaggerating your potential."

I lost.

Completely.

Embarrassingly.

And apparently exactly according to her own expectations.

　I looked toward my fallen blade.

　Then back at her.

　Nyxara's expression changed slightly.

　Something curious entered her eyes.

"Now..."

　She paused.

"Let's see the other thing I actually came here for."