Chapter 17: A Lesson in Mid-Air

Instructor Xiluo Ya moved agilely across the training grounds, his energy blade flashing in hand. His target was, without a doubt, Akuma, who stood directly opposite him.

Seeing this, Akuma showed no panic, and just as she had done on stage days prior, she conjured a defensive shield before her.

Two days had passed since the trial. Now, they were officially training as Instructor Xiluo Ya’s students.

It had to be said, Akuma’s movements had subtly improved compared to two days ago. Both her attack angles and defensive stances showed noticeable enhancements.

Mo Ya, observing from beneath a nearby tree, reached this conclusion.

He then withdrew his gaze, turning it to the mark on his hand.

The black Ouroboros moved ceaselessly, yet it seemed to possess a strange sentience, only ever coiling around his right arm.

Since the second night, Mo Ya had begun to see the ‘veins’ of magic. Each time he gathered his magic, the serpent would begin to move, radiating an unsettling, indescribable aura. He narrowed his eyes, falling into deep contemplation.

“Conrad, huh…”

However, deep thought was not permitted. A complaining voice drifted from ahead, belonging to Akuma.

“How long are you going to stare into space? Hurry up and join in!”

Akuma felt a surge of frustration.

She had just managed to fend off Instructor Xiluo Ya’s attack, yet this guy had zoned out completely. How could Akuma not be furious?

If it weren’t for the demands of their training, she would have undoubtedly pinned him to the ground and given him a thorough beating.

Moreover, Xiluo Ya’s offensive was far more relentless than during the trial two days prior. He had definitely held back then.

“You can’t get distracted during a fight, you know.”

Akuma had seized a momentary gap in Instructor Xiluo Ya’s assault to issue her command to Mo Ya, but at the same instant, Xiluo Ya’s voice echoed beside her right ear.

Xiluo Ya did not let the opening pass. In that very instant, he bypassed the defensive shield and appeared beside Akuma.

An energy greatsword, formed from condensed magic, materialized on his arm, aiming directly for Akuma’s neck.

It seemed he intended to recreate the scene from two days ago. Perhaps having a sword pointed at his neck had left a rather unpleasant impression on him.

The energy greatsword lunged swiftly, but Akuma had no spare energy to deal with the instructor’s sudden attack.

She had to resist the energy blade directly in front of her.

It was then that the figure beneath the tree moved.

With the sound of a storm, Mo Ya’s body suddenly appeared between Xiluo Ya and Akuma. He raised his right arm, reaching out to grasp the energy greatsword.

“You idiot! Why are you going in bare-handed?!”

“It wouldn’t be any fun otherwise.”

Mo Ya’s open palm seized the energy greatsword, causing its form to twist and shift.

After all, it was a construct materialized from magic. Without precise control, it was easily disrupted. Mo Ya had seen through this, subtly injecting his own magic into the greatsword’s weak points, causing it to destabilize and dissipate back into raw magic.

Xiluo Ya watched this, a hint of amusement gracing his features.

“Your control over magic is quite good. Without excellent control, you can’t interfere with materialized constructs. This mark has truly helped you a great deal. However… you’re still far from enough until you comprehend your own unique magic.”

The greatsword in Xiluo Ya’s right hand had been disrupted by Mo Ya, yet he did not falter. From his left hand, a brand new blade had already appeared.

Compared to the previous greatsword, this one was slender and long, lacking the oppressive weight of its predecessor.

He swiftly thrust the blade from his lower left. If this attack connected, Mo Ya would likely lose more than just a layer of skin.

Yet, he remained perfectly calm, slowly uttering his words.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“You don’t need to tell me!”

Akuma leaped out from behind Mo Ya, sharp spikes emerging from her right hand.

Her target was, naturally, Xiluo Ya, who was now without any defensive measures. Thanks to Mo Ya’s obstruction and distraction, Xiluo Ya was at his most vulnerable. Therefore…

“We win.”

With a confident expression, Akuma closed in on Xiluo Ya from mid-air.

The latter, however, showed no surprise. Instead, he wore an expression of effortless composure.

“A lesson for you: never launch an attack from mid-air casually… because you’ll lose all your defenses.”

Xiluo Ya’s drawing hand abruptly halted midway, and the blade began to transform.

Magic particles reconfigured, the materialized blade twisting and expanding several times in volume, then… it transformed into a massive blue dragon with enormous fleshy wings!

“You lose.”

The blue dragon flapped its wings, unleashing a powerful hurricane that caused Akuma to lose her balance in the air, sending her rapidly falling backward.

If things continued like this, a nasty fall was unavoidable.

While it wasn’t strictly Mo Ya’s concern, he still leaped forward, catching Akuma just before she hit the ground.

“Thank you…”

Mo Ya offered no reply, merely fixing his gaze on Instructor Xiluo Ya, and the blue dragon behind him that was gradually dissipating. He suddenly wanted to try and shatter that dragon, but Xiluo Ya had already dispelled the magic construct.

Mo Ya couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

“Alright, that concludes today’s training. Now… would you care for some tea?”

Xiluo Ya straightened his suit and glasses, posing a question a butler might ask. Although his attire and manners were indeed similar, that wasn’t the point.

He waved his arm, and instantly, three magic-formed stools and a round table appeared on the empty ground. Then, as if performing a magic trick, he quickly prepared tea leaves and a teapot.

Mo Ya and Akuma watched in bewilderment, Akuma exclaiming,

“Instructor, is your pocket a four-dimensional space? That’s impossible…”

As she spoke, Akuma walked to the round table and sat down. Mo Ya, however, had no intention of drinking tea. He simply returned to the shade of the tree, leaning against its trunk.

“Hey, dead weight, aren’t you having any? It’s rare for the instructor to make us tea.”

“You two drink. I’m not interested.”

He curtly replied to Akuma, turning his head to gaze at the azure sky. White clouds drifted lazily, aimlessly wandering without a destination.

Mo Ya snorted at the sight, closing his eyes, hoping to rest. But even this was not allowed. Instructor Xiluo Ya, as if calculating the exact moment, interrupted his attempt at relaxation.

“Oh, you two… help me deliver a letter, please.”

“Eh?”

“What?”

Akuma and Mo Ya turned their heads, looking at Xiluo Ya, who was sipping his tea.

“Help me go to Yarcalo Town.”