When Masami woke up, his morning was filled with uneasy and vague frustrations regards the previous event. Unanswered questions and running away, Masami felt like all of what he has been doing in Myras City so far was wrong. He doesn't even remember if he heard it right, but supposedly he would meet up on the same location as before with his guild master to finish where they have left out. In a span of few days, Masami has learned already new things. One of those things is that you could actually threaten people in the Lower District to lower the prices of their overpriced goods, and that Masami himself was gaining quite the reputation. The boy wasn't so sure whether it was a good thing or not to have met the lady with the threads and corpse puppets, he could remember her voice and her stature but not her face. If it was true that she would never bother them again in that way, then Masami should have nothing else to worry about. However, because all of these questions are left unanswered, Masami couldn't help but be bothered. By the morning, he has already climbed Avvar Mountains once more, and then he sat at the peak beside the flag he planted on it for everyone to see. The ink that says "Conquered" in Joyan has not yet faded, and Masami was sure that this flag will stay here until someone else either steals it or replaces it. Not that it matters as much, but somehow the boy wished that it says here for a little longer.

In this peak, Masami could see the city lights, still bright before the sun would have completely risen. Masami sang a traditional Joyan song his mother would sing to him before he slept, just to pass the time before his guild master would arrive. Although they didn't exactly talk about the venue, Masami assumed that he would be able to see the red-headed person from this peak. Even if he does not see him, at least the guild master would see the blond instead. He had his mask hanging down the side of his face, too, and only recently Masami has learned that he could breathe fire through it. Learning that had reduced the amount of stress that weighed upon his shoulders, aware of how painful the stress could be as to the point of harming himself through it.

The scar in his lower lip remained, still healing from the previous re-opening. It still stung in pain, and Masami was trying hard not to touch it. The cold breeze from this peak had told Masami that the sun will rise in a few seconds, having to see a warm-colored hue in the sky whenever he turns to see the East. Not to mention how the scenery here was delicately beautiful, too, and very peaceful. The Smuggler's Steps could be seen from a distance at this peak, anyone could spot the secret location if they've been in it multiple times by now. Lastly recalling the previous magic Masami had witness in Smuggler's Steps before, he thought that it would be nice to have magic of the similar. Thus, while waiting for Tomoe, Masami spun a finger in the air, attempting to create a thread-like substance using the flames. "This is quite tiring..." he muttered, sighing in slight disappointment. Was he missing something, or was he forcing himself a little bit too much that he would fail? Doesn't matter, first times doesn't always succeed in the way they wanted. Although he complained a while ago, Masami continued to spin the thread, fire embellishing the sanguine thread.

Tomoe would never have imagined that after everything that had transpired, his fellow guild mage would once more wish to venture near the mountains ever again. Yet as the Joyan swordsman himself made the walk throughout Avvar Mountains, he was forced to believe it. It was a marvel, really, that anyone would once more put themselves on the front lines after what had happened a few nights prior. It wasn't something that could easily be forgotten by anyone who was still adjusting to the harsh realities of life as a guild mage. Or at least, Tomoe thought so. Masami tried to appear powerful, but the crimson cutthroat couldn't help but still see him as being as green as a leaf in Spring. There was the outline of someone who could be fearsome in battle and a force to be reckoned with within Masami, but the young Joyan just wasn't there yet, in Tomoe's eyes. The potential was what kept a positive outlook in his expression overall, though.

As he caught sight of Masami while moving further in, he could feel the sun rising on his back. He saw the boy already at work doing... something. What it was didn't really matter, as long as it wasn't too dangerous. How did people ever grow up in this world with magic everywhere, anyway? Tomoe had only received the ability to cast magic naturally a little less than two months ago now, so he couldn't grasp the idea that some children walked around throwing fireballs at each other.

Absolute insanity., Tomoe thought, digging wax out of his left ear with a drilling motion from his pinky, blowing it away in the cool morning breeze as he approached.

"Oi, Masami. You wanted to do this stuff early, huh? How's the magic comin' along?", Tomoe questioned, curious as to what the boy could come up with before the sun had even risen.

Closing in to within a few feet of the boy, Tomoe stood with an expression of inquiry and a gesture to proceed, awaiting an answer.

"Oh, crap, what the hell—" was what Masami immediately thought after sensing the voice from behind him, accidentally having the thread come to life like a snake due to surprise, the thread eventually dying out into ashes that was immediately consumed by the peak's wind. He almost staggered, his right foot carrying his weight so that he wouldn't fall backwards, then Masami finally stood properly to look at the source of the familiar voice, then looking around, not aware of where Tomoe came from. "Good morning, sir." he greeted with a quick bow, exaggeratedly saluting in the end. "Yeah, I hope that it doesn't bother you." Masami felt that he should have respected the guild master more than he was supposed to, that said, having to become verbally formal. As if it was a sin, the boy had felt the need to ask for forgiveness, but then because of the past interactions regards different people, Masami had learned that not everyone is into those things and perhaps even dislike Masami or think that he has been insincere. 'How I wish I knew that way before.' he sighed, stepping away from the flag in the peak, slightly hoping that the red-head would not question.

At first, he didn't know if he wanted to directly and immediately tell Tomoe about this, so Masami gulped in slight nervousness. "I met the woman... with the threads." he had hoped that the red-head would not charge in with multiple questions regards the mage, because then Masami would assume that Tomoe would want to get on with it, because the woman had been acquainted with the person who charged in at Tomoe, and bith of them knew that it was not a nice act. "Although, it was alright. She promised that she will not come to harm us." Masami shrugged, pressuring an "I'm very sure" look on his face as he shrugged, "She knew me quite well, so I believe that she knows you, as well." That said was quite threatening, because having information scattered all-over like that, you will never know who or what to trust. Masami was never the type to fight, which is why at first, he didn't know how to make the first moves. Knowing the guild master, Masami knew that a slight slap would get himself thrown over the cliff, instead he dashed towards Tomoe, enough to have Masami create a face-to-face distance with him, leaning closer while tip-toeing in order to catch up with the height difference.

"So, please go easy on me, okay?" saying this as if Masami had mentioned to Tomoe all of the things that circulated in his mind, this boy was certainly an odd one. "I don't like fighting, but I need to, so please do the first moves and then I shall follow." That wasn't such a hard request, was it? Masami stepped back, his hands relaxed to the side as if he prepared himself for this event. Then, he breathed in, then out, trying to focus like what those Joyan monks do before they casts their spells or chant their worship poetry. Masami wasn't sure if he would be able to handle Tomoe like this, learning the hard way how hard he was able to simply slap a random middle-aged man down to the ground, poor guy was unable to move; but Masami, for some reason, felt that he'd be okay if he was slapped in the end, believing that he'd still be standing still even after such an attack. Although he thought this, he knew that inside of him, he didn't want to get hurt.

"Don't bother with the 'sir' shit, it's just weird. My name is fine, unless you think otherwise?", Tomoe spoke out moments after being called by something so formal, clearly disliking the idea of such a title.

Joyan formalities such as the fear of calling one by their first name only, not using any kind of honorific... those sorts of things didn't sit right with Tomoe, who preferred things lax and informal. There was no need to make things more complicated than they were; socializing was meant to be a fun activity, not a matter of life or death where addressing people with the proper titles determined your safety and standing. It was for that same reason that nobles and royals annoyed him to no end, but that wasn't a conversation he was willing to have in the immediate moment.

"The woman, huh?"

Tomoe didn't remember many of his enemies. It didn't sound safe or in his own interest to keep enemies long enough that he could remember them easily. It was best for all threats to be removed before they could grow to a place of infamy in his mind, which meant that either the woman was someone who was too strong to kill when they met in his past, or that she was never truly an enemy. The man, on the other hand, was most certainly somebody that wished death upon Tomoe. That violence in his eyes that night was not an act and his words were deeply personal. Yet, who was he...?

Tomoe was brought back to reality. "Can't say I know who she is.", he replied with a shrug.

Stepping back after Masami had suggested the training begin in earnest, the Joyan warrior pondered for a moment about the best way to start things off. The boy would need a taste of both magical and physical attacks, so...

After getting into place six meters away from Masami, a blade was instantly conjured into Tomoe's hand with fifteen more appearing around him in that same moment. Upon summoning this stronger version of the spell for the first time since that night, the swordsman immediately realized the problem with using this to train: it would be too overwhelming if his opponent wasn't ready for it.

Realizing what a problem it would be and that Masami would learn nothing if he faced a rain of steel right away, fourteen of the telekinetic blades found themselves stabbed into the ground surrounding Tomoe. Only one of them was still in the air pointed towards Masami, as well as one still conjured and maintaining the spell by staying in the warrior's hand.

"We'll do it this way for now. Dodge the sword, and destroy it if you can. Or come straight for me, if you think ya can. Up to you, really.", Tomoe stated as if he were a general explaining orders to his troops.

After giving Masami two seconds to process this information, the single Caelum blade that was above Tomoe's head would soar directly towards Masami at 20 m/s, aiming to stab him in the stomach if he would not avoid. Tomoe knew that the attack would not be life threatening even if it hit, probably. It was guesswork at the end of the day, and he was still learning how to properly teach people. If Masami nearly died as a result of this training, that would be a mistake to avoid for next time, right? It was all about trial and error, at the end of the day.

---

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Simply, as the boy would think of, he watched Tomoe position himself without Masami moving an inch from his spot. Not that he was confident at all, in fact he was the opposite of it. A huge side of Masami knew that he was going to get beaten up, it was just that he hoped he would not be getting the same slap the creepy grown man received a few days ago... or was that a few weeks ago? Anyhow, Masami remembered exactly how it felt being saved in such situation, but the Tomoe from that time was drunk, or at least sober. Masami was sure that this time, there was no liquor and perhaps he'd receive an entirely different method of getting beaten up. After all, the boy has not yet proven to himself that his guild master is the sympathetic type, but perhaps he'd go easy simply because it was what the Joyan 'child' wished. "Yup, kind of learned a thing or two." he mentioned as Tomoe was in the process of distancing himself, Masami amplifying his voice a little bit just for the red-head to hear him clearly. He didn't reveal exactly what he 'learned' from the woman by intention, even assuming that Tomoe would get the wrong idea out of it, but it was what Masami had intended, or at least how he wanted to temporarily 'mold' the guild master to become, as of the moment. That way, Masami would get the benefit out of this either way, not everyone values information like Masami does.

Fifteen swords conjured immediately – no matter how many times Masami had seen this, he cannot help but face it in awe, being amazed despite already envisioning how each sword would pierce through his body all at the same time. As if it had already happened, Masami groped his left waist through the layered cloth all-over his upper body, feeling the satisfaction of a not-pierced flesh through the thick overcoat. He wasn't supposed to think of all those things, apparently, because then it would hurt, and Masami doesn't like that. Almost not blinking the whole time, his eyes automatically closed for a split-second when fourteen of the swords stabbed the ground, altogether in an odd fraction of harmony. That single sword threatened Masami, but he heard completely what Tomoe wanted to make sense of. 'The dodging is okay but... destroying?' with the thought, Masami released his hand from the waist he held for a short time, relaxing his shoulders in the end and focused unto both the sword and the caster. Somehow, the word 'destroyed' rang a bell upon Masami, as if it was an open hint about what he could do, but that hope immediately vanished when he realized that he won't be able to 'destroy' them all as quickly as he wanted. He had to be overly-rational at this point, because then the guild master would not go easy, if Masami's perception was correct this whole time.

Left, or right? Masami was taught to always go right, but at this point did all of those matter not at all – either way, Masami only thought of any means running away, perhaps even some taunting in between. Such were sufficient for the young Joyan. Then, the single leftover sword took flight, immediately after Masami assumed that it would. The boy wasn't sure if it would switch directions, but it probably could – Masami would choose not to go after Tomoe, assuming that he could easily pick up the swords to both defend and attack, Masami knew almost nothing and it was enough to remind him that he wouldn't match at all until he gets something out of Tomoe, which was information, lots of it. Thus, Masami dashed directly to his east via a spell, giving about a 3-meter distance change from his original position, facing the northwest with an attempt to glance at both the single active sword and its caster – his body still engulfed in the strange feeling of warmth provided by the mana as it gave Masami's skin some sort of glow while it was still active in those few seconds. Still wasn't used to how that spell worked, Masami took deep breaths afterwards, as if he was going to die. Although his left pinky raised up on impulse, he had forced this to stay relaxed as he was no means in position to attack the red-head, assuming that it would grant him poison for not sticking to the orders. If he had attacked the target and not the swords for the intent of 'destroying' them, for some reason, this would automatically be suicide in Masami's perception.

Any sort of movement regards spell casting, as much as Masami believes, would grant him perhaps another sword for Tomoe to pick up in return. Why did it seem as strict as this? Has Masami been overly-cautious about what would happen in the future, this whole time? Thus, while panting after the dash, he held his wrist before his body could tremble in adrenaline, or whatever that sort of energy was called, Masami did not want it. All those attacks seemed slower as an audience but Masami was playing the role of a runaway victim, and only now he had realized that all of those slow attacks were faster than Masami could imagine. He didn't want to be made fun of, but that was inevitable, and Masami was annoyed over the thought. How could such a man grow this strong, and in what way could Masami catch up? Is this perhaps the reason why the girl named Faithe appeared to be so weary around Tomoe before their travel onto Myras?

Masami remembered exactly what the woman told him, her voice imitating what the woman exactly sounded like. The boy realized that he wasn't supposed to be placed in a situation where fear is such a present value, therefore right after the dash, his right foot supported his weight before his body could give up. "Wait, wait!" as if begging, he had the right palm covering the knee on the same side, the other palm stretched out. Although Masami already assumed that the red-head was in no place to believe Masami upon his future statements, the boy wished either way. "Stop. Hold on for a moment." he looked down as he tightly squinted his eyes, heavily panting from that one single spell – his body wasn't used to the usage of mana and Masami automatically knew that his body won't take it. "I thought of something, get your swords out of here, or else I might actually die out of fear." he said this as he panted, Masami's knees giving up and now his forehead touched the cold floor, his hands trying to pump his heart back inside as they lay on top of the boy's own thighs, seemingly curled up. In other words, he was already hyperventilating and was in a state where, even with enough storage of mana, he would be unable to do anything else. Something about the mind and the body had answers in the boy's phenomena, and Masami was impulsively speaking words based on his self-sustaining attribute.

Sour words embellished his taste buds when he admitted that he was afraid, his mind still not completely accepting the fact that he is not made nor created for the mere purpose of fighting. It was only recently that he had learned of his mask being able to support more spells, but testing all of those, this sudden? Masami completely did not allow that. Once again, his body didn't feel warm because of the mana, but it felt warm inside of him – uncomfortably warm, as if he was going to explode, just like previously in Marigold's theater and in a tea session with a new acquaintance. Something inside of him wanted to unleash if this situation keeps up, and Masami was not yet ready as to allow such situation occurring in front of his guild master's eyes. "Just... hold on for a moment." Masami wanted to try something out, but how could he if his body was already giving up due to mere ignorance? Although Masami wanted to get answers out of Tomoe in the first place, it seems as if he needed to get answers from himself instead.

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Masami dodged to the side using magic. In a situation such as the one the boy found himself in, he trusted in the power of his magic to guide him more than his own legs - more than his own body? That exchange, as brief as it was, told Tomoe a lot in a single choice. What might initially appear as a rather linear exercise resulted in a revelation towards the one who would attempt to act as a mentor for those less experienced. Masami was not one of significant physical power, to the point of wishing to expend mana for an act as simple as movement - to Tomoe, that showed desperation and a body that needed more strength. Masami was frail - dainty enough to even be considered a young woman to some - but that didn't mean he had to stay that way. The biggest weakness for a mage was their body, and in the next exchange, Tomoe would demonstrate firsthand exactly what-

...

The sword that maintained a linear path intentionally by Tomoe's own guidance stopped dead in the air after missing its target. Moments later, the sword would return to Tomoe's side in a blink and find itself stabbed into the earth alongside the other fourteen swords, the sixteenth and final sword still remaining in his hand to maintain the spell. The fact that one sword was required to be held in hand to maintain the spell was not something that would be obvious to anyone else at first or even second glance; who could blame the Joyan warrior for wishing to keep one in hand in case someone could close the distance? Tomoe would also not share this secret of his magic, of course. He was a mentor, but he wasn't stupid enough as to give someone advantageous hints towards his own defeat in the process. They would be required to figure those out themselves.

Regardless, in the heat of the moment, combat seemed to be the last thing on the mind of the one being trained.

"Ehhh? Whaddya mean, 'stop'?! This ain't a show, y'know. In a real fight the enemy ain't gonna let you catch your breath. The average enemy we're gonna be going up against? They'd see your hunched over frame as an assured victory.", Tomoe exclaimed in frustration, still not moving forward or away from the position he had started the brief training session in.

Nevertheless, he wasn't the kind of person who would attack a teammate when they're down in a mere training session. Or at least... he would try not to let that sort of thing happen again. Becoming a teacher for these kinds of scenarios was a rough road, and with his former careers, that made learning a more constructive path all the more difficult.

"Even so...", Tomoe muttered, left hand raised to his chin in thought while watching Masami regain his breath.

One sword. One sword. Dodging a sword a single time drove the boy to the point he was at now? Tomoe had started this session prepared to walk away seeing Masami keep up with at least four swords simultaneously. Conflict grew in the crimson cutthroat's heart, unsure of whether his expectations were too high or too low. Regardless, he knew that the potential he had seen in Masami was not a lie. It would just take more time and effort to draw out, was all. He would not stop until the new pupil he had unofficially taken in would be able to find a counter to all sixteen swords at once. Only then would he reach a grade that Tomoe could deem a "pass".

For now, the boy was as clay that could be molded so many ways. It wouldn't do to jump to anything reckless so soon. Injuring the boy pointlessly would do no good. As much as the deep and primal instinct within his chest urged him to let a bit of his old and more brutal training tactics out on Masami, bombarding him until he'd realize what it meant to be mortal, that wasn't the kind of thing that would get him anywhere.

What's wrong with me...?, Tomoe thought, a pang of guilt rising up from within him for even thinking such things.

Yes, perhaps he wasn't "all there" from the beginning. Was his reformation away from HER really complete? Or was it all a fabrication? He didn't know, and he hated that he didn't know. He hated it so much that he wished he could kill whoever drilled such thoughts into his head.

But you don't really want to kill me, do you?, an incomprehensible voice, distorted and not clearly a man or a woman, rang from within the core of Tomoe's being - a haunting and enchanting whisper that only he would hear.

A ghost. A fragment of what once was. Something utterly useless and reprehensible. No good could come from acknowledging it. That specter had no power. Pushed to the side, the phantom would dance its words away on the wind, leaving as soon as it had entered. Whether it would return? Tomoe already knew the answer to that, despite it being the first time he had heard it.

"What's your training plan then, kid? No way are you gettin' a break after performing a single dodge. That was the easiest I could've possibly made it, given the circumstances.", Tomoe spoke in response to Masami's question, his eyes  that had been somewhere else for a second returning to the present moment as if nothing had happened and looking with a firm yet curious gaze towards the boy.

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Proud; proud of the guild master for being realistic. He was becoming the embodiment of Masami's memories about the boy's teachers back in the theater, and those words left him more satisfied than ticked for being aware of what Tomoe mentioned in the first place. The boy wouldn't bother arguing, not that it matters if he already knew what the actual enemy would do or not, because this is Tomoe he was facing and not an actual enemy. Being in a situation where he is facing someone he trusts didn't allow Masami to re-imagine himself facing a life-or-death scenario in front of a blood-lusted enemy – rather, Masami didn't allow himself to view his own guild master as the enemy just for the shallow sake of this training. He was being forced to fight via words, stressing the boy out as he continuously wiped the tears off of his eyes. Despite cleaning his vision off of liquid, more would come out after. His cheeks were flushed in a red hue and he was sure of it despite not seeing his own face through any reflection. His mask, too, seemed to shake because of the stress he had been feeling, but it wasn't because he was afraid of what might happen to him, but more of what might happen to someone else. Breathing in then out, he calmly raised himself up to glance over Tomoe, still wiping sockets off of tears, except the color of his eyes were completely red, just like how it was back in the Marigold Theater. The same would happen to his tea session in the city of Myras if Masami wasn't able to control it, but the open air in the mountains had left wrapped in a strange embrace of comfort, as if he should not have been afraid of what he would do in the first place; automatically muttering words, some of them he did not completely know.

As if glitching, his whole body continued to switch into one form to another: a more adult-like body and light-colored clothes, Masami wasn't aware of this occurrence as he tried grasping a clean vision, away from all the shadow-like substances that only he could see. A gigantic magic circle glew right below Masami, colors transcending from red into purple, affecting even the wind direction with its' magic. What seemed to be purple flames, perhaps due to mana, had excreted itself until they formed flickering Noh theater masks made out of flames, all-over Masami; the spell itself was not sure whether to activate or not, leaving to this sort of phenomenon. Staggering, Masami stood up with the weight of heavier clothing, his appearance completely changed into a different form; what seemed to be an image of a gigantic woman's upper body appeared behind the boy, in which she had symbolized the demon in charge of Masami's magic. Then, with ease and damp fingertips, he placed them on the left side of his neck then slid his fingers down until he reached his palms, the fire that surrounding him continues to flash and flicker, amplifying more and more for every slight movement Masami makes. Tapping his wrist twice, two magic circles for two fingers – Masami pointed these at Tomoe and extracted red, thread-like substances out of the flames. Masami's intuition was correct: he was able to focus the spell more, now that his mind is fixated upon the thought of having an actual target for the spell.

The threads entangled themselves all over Tomoe's neck and wrists, immediately vanishing into what seemed to be small tattoos on the bottom of his left eye and then the nape. When the spell was finished casting, it was as if Masami himself started to burn up even if he only used a small amount of mana into composition, as if his magic was trying to force him to use more spells to inflict pain upon the guild master despite Masami being heavily against it. Instead, the fire consumed Masami himself, immediately turning him back into his original form; the woman was no longer there. He had his mask held in his hands when he was back, the traces of purple flames subsided over the wind of the mountains. Somewhat, Masami felt... better than earlier, perhaps it was for releasing what has been building up this whole time?

What caught his attention first was the new marks placed upon Tomoe's left eye, which glew at first before being fixated into an opaque color. "Woah, you have it, too!" Masami exclaimed, pointing at Tomoe's eyes as he ran towards him, slightly tripping. It's like nothing had happened previously, but it made Masami feel better than usual. When he closed a distance between him and the red-head, the boy encircled Tomoe, looking from head to toe for certain changes. "You have this, too?!" he was overly-amazed just by seeing another mark in his guild master's nape, knowing that it was caused by his own spells. "What? What do you feel? You're supposed to feel something!" He recalled the woman mentioning a slight feeling of stinging upon becoming in-contact with the threads, but then afterwards she mentioned feeling overwhelmed and entitled of power, reminding Masami that he was better off using his magic for supporting rather than killing. He patiently waited for Tomoe's answer, words Masami would like and expected hearing. He doesn't seem to be in need of anything else but simply the inflicted person's answer into some survey the Joyan boy had in his mind, even looking directly at Tomoe's eyes despite the height differences, tip-toeing to support this.

He was back to normal, you could at least say that. The remaining fragments of memories regards the take-over still remained, but Masami acted as if he had immediately forgotten about it all. In reality, he had questioned himself multiple times and was slightly fearing the event of Tomoe himself asking the blond what just had happened to him. Masami remembered the warmth of the flames that surrounded him in those few seconds, but how he appeared when casting those two, simple spells was something he was not aware off. Resembling an airhead, just like how Masami wanted to appear, he made himself look as if the only thing mattered to him was Tomoe's response regards those spells, because internally he still did not know the answers just in case he was asked.

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Tomoe was brought fully back to reality seeing the visage of a woman - or a creature masquerading as a woman - before him. Was this the woman that Masami was talking about? With an appearance like that, the crimson cutthroat would have remembered such a thing easily. There was nothing else she could be described as but evil in Tomoe's eyes. The feeling that escaped into the air was unmistakable - the woman was a demon. Something not meant to exist in this world since the halt of the demonic incursion, but here she was. The bile that could be felt rising through Tomoe was overwhelming, and it took everything he had to suppress it and keep it down. Everything else faded from view other than Masami and the woman. He hadn't even fully realized that Masami's appearance had changed somewhat, focused on the woman behind him instead.

In that instant, spells were cast on the Joyan. He barely even registered it through his intense focus on the woman, but strangely, they didn't feel bad. His body felt alive, rejuvenated, and strong. It was odd, but the woman didn't seem to mean any harm. That didn't dissipate the warrior's concerns though, as his eyes stayed as sharp daggers until she disappeared from view.

Masami ran towards him, ecstatic about something or other. It was suspicious how happy he was, and Tomoe's view of the situation shifted towards uneasiness. With a confused expression, he ran a hand through his hair as the swords he had conjured vanished into thin air. He felt his body pulsing with power that he didn't have before, and apparently there were marks on him as well?

"I don't... yeah, I guess, I feel something. Feels like I got charged by some kind of magic battery or somethin'. Shit's weird.", Tomoe responded once he had a breath to do so, sighing.

"Oi. Masami. I need to know more about that woman. Who was she? What did she do? Why's she here?", Tomoe questioned, bombarding Masami harder with questions than he ever could have with swords.

A serious glint in Tomoe's eyes revealed that he wasn't treating the situation lightly. It wasn't quite murderous, but it was the sort of look that could clearly see through falsehoods and tell if a person was lying outright. That was the sort of determination that the swordsman was now looking at Masami with, not sharing the same cheerful demeanor for the situation that the boy was.

---

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The boy was still fixated on the marks placed upon the older Joyan, Masami still had his focus directed towards those said marks as he slowly circulates the red-head this time, still checking his head then down to his toes for any other changes. "Ah? What woman?"Masami questioned, very confused. Not only he was bombarded with lots of questions in one go, but those questions were also related to something Masami did not notice at all. The vision of the woman in Myras struck Masami, as she was the only woman Masami has ever actually encountered in the city. 'Miss Neru was here? But then she'd have business in the ramen shop by this hour. She'd have no reason to come here.' were the words on-going in Masami's head, finally stopping in front of Tomoe with the boy's hands on his own waists. "Ah, yeah. Miss Neru told me that those spells stung at first, but then she also told me that it was normal." he believed that it was better to mention the name of whoever woman Tomoe meant, thinking that it would have been better for him to know the people his guild members have been meeting in such a shady meeting. "She's the thread mage back in Smuggler's Steps," Masami spun a finger in the air, forming another thread-like substance from a ring of fire, "she was pretty much nice and runs a Joyan ramen shop in the Silver District, taught me some things." long story, short. Masami didn't know how to make that more concise, but then he hoped that it already was.

He didn't have to focus much on the spell, only wanting to show it off. Right before placing the hand back down, the ring of fire immediately vanished, but the same as the marks on Tomoe's face. Masami honestly didn't know how else to act except of pretending that nothing happened, but then he'd heavily sigh in pride to give out some remarks about earlier. "Man, that felt good." he recalled the strange, heavy feeling in his chest to have completely disappeared, right after releasing it on the occurrence... whatever that was, because Masami had believed that he simply controlled the stress before anything bad happened, although he was already getting worried over Tomoe's facial expressions, thus the boy had started to worry if ever something actually happened. The blond placed both hands on the back of his head, seemingly relaxed. "I've got more spells in my arsenal, but at the moment, I'm too embarrassed to show you." with a childish smile, he admitted something. Of course, nothing could be more humiliating than suddenly having some sort of breakdown; Masami hoped that he would make up by acting like those didn't happen, maybe put his theatrical skills into use.

"I was told that I was better off supporting in the back," he was being straightforward this time, hoping that someone would understand that instead of looking down on him in terms of combat, "but I would still like to learn how to fight, because you people are cool too watch." because it is different becoming an audience this time, Masami wanted to continue that but recalling the first time they interacted, he wanted to back out. Not many people are used to script-like statements and perhaps if Masami wasn't so used to these, he would cringe as well. "Yeah, I should've said that from the start. I hope I'm still of use to the guild, even if I don't fight like you people." he gently bowed after stepping away to create some distance, but it was a quick bow rather than usual. Now, he honestly did not know how else to continue this.

Masami's Statistics:

Neru. Tomoe had a name for the woman - no, the creature - that was manipulating Masami. Or at the very least, it looked like she was manipulating him. If this Neru and the devil that appeared behind Masami seconds ago were even the same, anyway. There were too many small details at the moment to truly dig into it all given that their intent today was to train, not to solve a mystery. Though the young fire mage didn't seem to even realize there was a mystery in the first place.

Demonic possession?, Tomoe thought, pondering at the idea.

It wasn't impossible. Even though demonic forces have been largely cut off from Earthland after the incursions, there was nothing that contradicted the idea that some demons who survived the initial counterattack by mortals could have fled, scattered and lived on. Perhaps this devil woman was one of them: a sad, pathetic remnant of the armies that were by and large decimated before they had a chance to cause any true damage. If Tomoe could draw the woman out and see her again, it was likely that he wouldn't hesitate to cut her apart then and there. It was his duty to keep Masami and the rest of the guild safe, after all; he wouldn't get paid if he didn't. Personal emotions didn't enter into it, just the pay. That... was the case, wasn't it? It had to be. There was nothing else but Tomoe's own benefit to having strong and capable mages to fight in the name of the cause of Aegis, the true hero and founder of the guild. In comparison to that, the selfless cause that Penumbral Guard was created from, Tomoe was a weapon to be used and nothing more. That was... well, it had to be the truth.

After spending that brief moment in thought, lasting only mere seconds in reality, Tomoe turned his gaze to Masami once more and met the boy's eyes with his own. At first glance there wasn't even a hint of some sadistic devil power within the young lad, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. If it had grown to the point of the demon reflecting its magic through the boy's eyes, that was the point at which Tomoe would need to save Masami by ending the young mage's life. He hoped it wouldn't come to that at any point.

"Of course supports are useful. They don't get nearly the respect that they deserve, though. Enter into that kind of life and ya might discover that people aren't really thankin' your efforts. It definitely ain't the kind of life for those who want glory, that's for sure.", Tomoe responded to Masami, who seemed to question whether he would still be alright going that route with his magic.

Though Tomoe knew that his answer wasn't entirely true. At the same time that supporting wizards don't get as much respect, shades like him that conducted their business more secretively earned even less respect. He preferred to fight as little as possible, and reveal as little about himself as possible. He wanted others to think of him as weak, and that was the angle he was going for. He didn't mind how he was, ultimately. He simply wanted to ensure that the boy knew in advance that glory wouldn't find its way to him so simply if he continued down the road of helping others.

After that, the Joyan warrior turned his back and began to move down the slope towards town. He would look back one more time at Masami beforehand, however.

We're done here for today. If you wanna see a real Joyan ramen, you don't go to that Neru chick. You just ask me, and I'll give ya a taste of my own personal recipe!", Tomoe stated, a wave of his hand signifying his confidence in his superiority over whatever the threaded devil could scrape together.

At that, Tomoe headed back to town. He had a lot to think about that he refused to show openly, including an increasing unease towards Masami himself. If he truly was the host to some demon, there were many factors to consider. For now, though, it was alcohol. Yes, it was the morning still. The sun had only recently come into view. Even with these facts in play, the man saw no issue.

---

- Exit -

Hmm? "T-That's... definitely true." flimsily, like jelly, his upper body dropped down and his hands almost touched the ground. This was merely just a chill response to that, because to Masami, what Tomoe said was true. Albeit he wanted to hear something like, "Of course you're welcome in the guild!" or something like that, Masami receiving 'the truth' tasted awful in his tastebuds. Everything was supposed to be sweet and silly, but he guessed that adults can simply be adults, most of the time.

He found that it was true because Masami was in that place when he was new in the theater. He didn't become a supreme performer instantly, and it took him years before actually learning how to get things done. Not only was he quick in learning these things, he loved doing them, and people who like doing their jobs are pretty rare nowadays. "I hate how you gotta be famous just to get that respect." he was almost muttering, saying these while groaning. But then he'd stand up once more then cross his arms, dusting off his overcoat. What was said next caught Masami's surprise, unexpectedly, thus he tiptoed once more (darned height differences) with fists right in front of him, in joy.

"Tomoe cooks?!" assuming that samurais and fighters just pick up their swords and have the women cook for them (at least, this was their way in his hometown), Masami would never expect anyone, especially his guild master, to know how to conduct such thing! That doesn't make Tomoe just a swordfighter... he's a survivor! Eurk, come to think of it, Masami's swordswoman older sister didn't even know how to cook, and it had to be Masami who would make everyone's dinner. Masami was so confident in Tomoe that he didn't even think if it was merely a boast, and that the meal might not actually taste good. Oh well, he lagged behind the guild master, swaying his arms in the air in every step. Masami would not forget what was happening a while ago, but he continued to believe that it'd be better to act as if nothing had happened. Yes, it was better this way.