Chapter: 6

-Aedric-

 "Gramps, where are we? And who on earth lives here, I mean the place is filled with beasts, and the weakest is at high rank, are we meeting some questionable person?", I ask gramps, honestly who volunteers to live in a place like this, and I'm for sure they have some loose screw.

"Hmm, guess I never told who we would meet, did I? Well, it matters not after all; once you complete your training, both of you will be a force to be reckoned with," said Gramps. We continued to walk for some time, and then a magnificent castle came into view.

[Image here]

Gramps, with a smile, says "Welcome to the Land of Shadows", with a cheeky smile, both of us have a shocked look, after all, we are going to meet, the trainer of some of history's greatest heroes. The Queen of The Land of Shadows, Scathach.

Well, now I understand why Mum, released the seal on the subdimension and told me to go beyond my limits during the test.

-?-

The day was the same as the last thousand years, monotonous, like a never-ending cycle, where I had to stay still without change. The only positive side of this is that I have become a master of Runes, and from time to time people from all factions come for my skill, and in return for some of my knowledge, I ask for the same, now I single-handedly have one of the greatest collection of books on magic. The only thrill I had for the last 100 years is when I summoned a devil for my foolish disciplines, to save his life.

To think that I would summon, Zepharion Phenex, "Hell flames of the Underworld". Well, he did perform his task, without taking advantage of the situation as well, when I asked him why all he said was to fool me, would be too much work. I owed him a favour for his honesty and for saving my student, and he was the only one who is allowed to enter my lands without my permission. I still, wonder what he will ask.

I sensed the very person, I was curious about entering my lands, with him a young boy and young girl both not more than 5, the boy at peak-low class and the girl at reaching mid-mid class, and Zepharion himself has grown stronger it seems, well I can already guess his request, I would most likely accept it, well if they pass my test that is, hmm it seems the winds of time is beginning to blow.

-Aedric-

As we make our way to the castle, up a mountain we get a closer look at the ancient castle, Dun Scaith, home to the Queen of The Land of Shadows, The Warrior-Queen, Mentor of Heroes, Scathach.

Coming closer to the gates of the castle, they open by themselves, I'm for sure gramps, has to be owed by the ruler of this place, after all, I already learnt that subspaces like Land of Shadows require permission from the owner of the place to enter, and gramps directly brought us here.

After making our way into the castle, we reached the reception hall. Where she was seated, in a reception room, covered in ruins, well it's no wonder people say fighting a mage on their home turf is suicide, the woman thought was a beauty with long purple hair and blood-red eyes, wearing a body suit with metal shoulder pauldrons. And on the side floating, a crimson red spear with an ominous aura.

As we entered, she gestured for us to sit, accepting we sat across from her.

"Many years have passed since, I received guests", she says to us. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Scathach, Queen of The Land of Shadows"

I shivered with excitement, after all the woman in front of me is a living legend, even if I couldn't become her disciple if I got some pointers I could improve leaps and bounds. While my mum, dad and grandparents are good teachers, even they can compare to Scathach.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance", I reply, "I am Aedric Phenex, son of Solarius Phenex and Elizabeth Phenex", I bowed politely.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance", Albedo also greeted, "I am Albedo, granddaughter of the Queen of Succubus", she stated while politely bowing

"Hello, Scathach, been some time since we met ha, well I know you ain't one for formality, and I'm sure you already guessed why we came here, right?", my gramps tells, I'm not sure to be impressed or to snitch him to grandma about this.

"I, see your happy-to-go personality hasn't changed, but you are right, I do not like formalities, and yes, know why you have come here, they shall fight me first and then we shall see if they are worthy of learning under this Scathach. And if they or even one of them pass, even then the favour I owe you will not be paid.", replied Scathach.

"Very well, I know arguing with you is of no use, so very well.", gramps replies

"Now, let's go to the grounds and let this, Scathach, witness your skill in battle", says Scathach.

-Grounds-

-3rd POV-

On the grounds, we see our hero and his little lover getting ready for the battle ahead, as both know that failure isn't an option, after all, many would kill to be in their position.

Aedric takes out his spear from his subspace, while Albedo starts preparing spells to aid him in the upcoming fight. Aedric started using reinforcement magic to the max his body could handle, even abusing his bloodline to push it even a bit further.

Scathach has a small smile seeing this, which was noticed only by a single person, "Are you both ready?", she asks the two, and both nod, "Then let us start", she says.

[Pic of spear]

Hearing this both, start, with Albedo firing spells at her from a range and sending some support spells at Aedric, and Aedric starts using his most skilled magic, fire magic over his spear and condenses it like a certain old man in his Bankai. Rushing towards, Scathach, he thrust his spear right side of her chest, she countered easily with her hand with some reinforcement magic, and kicked him in his stomach sending him backwards.

Seeing this, Albedo sends spells towards her, to help Aedric recover, Scathach easily dodges and attacks her, but is blocked by Aedric's flames and goes to attack her in close combat, letting Albedo get space.

-Zepharion-

Seeing them do so well, for someone their age, I can't help being proud of them. I can even tell that even, Scathach, is pleased with their performance, even when she could have ended the fight many times, she pushes them further and further. And because of that, Aedric broke through and reached Mid class in strength and Albedo reached Mid-Mid class in strength.

Oh, it seems after 5 minutes, she wants to end it, ah there she goes and gets Albedo incapacitated, well the ruins teleport her to my side, and now it's only my kiddo and her. She lands a clean punch on his stomach, a bit above his strength level and even his regeneration doesn't kick in as he's out of DP, I get up to go towards the ground while floating Abedo, beside me with telekinesis when it happens

-Scathach- 

The winds of time are truly getting ready to blow, in this little test of mine both of them broke through, and showed skill and fighting prowess far above their level, and the girl, a part succubus, a royal blood one as well, I wonder just what she saw, I'm getting excited just thinking about it, after all they only interfere like this when something big is going to happen, I'll ask, the hell bird about it afterwards.

While the young phenex charges towards me with an attack, that could easily kill a peak mid or even a high-class being if caught off guard, I parry and kick him to the side and before the little girl could help him, I knock her out.

And punch the young phenex in the stomach, with his DP depleted in his fight against me, he can't regenerate and I put in a bit extra strength to completely knock him out, and start walking away, and just as he is about to fall, he stands straight and says,

"NO", but that isn't what shocked me rather the gold wave that came from him, even my fingers twitched for a movement, to make a being of my level twitch involuntarily, just what magic was that, he then fell unconscious, but still standing.

What magic was that even I who has knowledge from all mythologies, and different magic systems, don't know what that was, if there were any low-willed individuals or those weaker than him present, then they would have fallen unconscious. I must ask the hell bird, about this and if possible get some info about it.

Turning to see him reach down, I understand it's pointless to ask about it, seeing a shocked expression on his face, "I get it's pointless, but either way, do you know what that was?", I ask

"Hm, it is pointless, I have no clue", I thought so still to think that the boy would make him have such a serious face, one not even present when fighting God's Angles…

"Scathach", he calls me out of my thoughts, then proceeds to explain certain things, things he tells only because he knows my character.

A few moments later

Now this, Scathach, understands why the hell bird came to me for their studies and training, to think that he's this talented, and I am now sure that wave, was some new system of magic. And to think that both have unlocked the zone before 5 itself, I didn't even notice that they were in the zone, due to their strength, this Scathach forgot about their age, what a blunder on my part, looking it the hell bird I say,

"I, Scathach take on Aedric Phenex and Albedo of House Phenex as my disciplines, if they accept", with my oath, the hell bird relaxes, and nodes

With that, I take both of them to the throne room, with the hell bird following behind us, I place them on the floor with pillows and a blanket, while waiting for them to recover, while the hell bird stands in the back also waiting, and I go and sit on my throne.

A while later both of them start waking up, as expected of the phenex bloodline, even with the hit I gave he's recovering faster than the girl, I'll be sure to take advantage of this while training hehehehe

-Zepharion-

What on earth is she laughing about??, oh the recovery, oh how I pity you, my grandson

My condolences to your future 

-Aedric-

Getting up, I felt sore all over my body, to my side even Albedo was also starting to get up, how long was I unconscious?

"You were unconscious, for around a half hour", I hear behind me, can she read minds??

"No, I 'cannot it's just your face", she says again. Just then albedo also got up, hm both of us increased our strength.

"Now that you both are awake, are you willing to be this, Scathach's disciplines", she asks

"Yes, I'm willing", both I and Albedo tell at once. Our new master nods, with a small smile, while gramps claps from the back.

"Now, both of you will train with Scathach, till you are 15 and Albedo 17. And when Aedric, reaches 10 years of age, you both will return for his Nobel introduction, yes it got shifted to 10 instead of 8, and every year for your birthdays you both will return for a week, understood?", gramps asks

Both I and albedo nod at this, while master comes closer to us,

"Now, Aedric just what was the final move you used during the test?", gramps said fully in his serious mode.

"Yes, even I would like to know what that was, even I who has who has the basic knowledge from all mythologies, and different magic systems don't know what that was", my master says, albedo looks confused, so master tells what happened after she was knocked out, now all three look at me,

"Well, that was a spiritual technique, called Haki", and like that, I start explaining what it is and how it works.