I sat in the hot water, letting the warmth soak into my skin as I tried to understand my powers more deeply. The longer I stayed in the spring, the heavier my eyelids became. I couldn't help it — I was comfortable, and the heat lulled me toward sleep.
But then, just as I was at my most relaxed, chills raced down my body. This chill was different. I could see it — dark shades of purple and white swirling over my skin, colors that matched my new abilities. It felt like raw power trapped inside me, searching for a way out.
That's when it clicked. The energy was trying to speak to me, telling me to release it. I realized I needed to vent this power through action — through fighting. Wrapping myself in a towel, I left the warm spring and decided to find Jominara and tell her what I had discovered.
I found her inside a lavish café, seated with a few of the mountain's leaders. They were some of the strongest necromancers alive. One was called The Voyager, a woman who had traveled far and learned countless branches of dark magic.
To her right sat Issac the Enchanter, famed for his knowledge of ancient enchantments. And finally, there was Forge, the strongest of them all. He had earned his name by being able to craft practically any weapon he needed in battle.
I'd never spoken to them before, but my name had drifted into their conversations from time to time. Seeing them together made me hesitate, but before I could slip out, Jominara noticed me and called me over.
I stiffened and walked toward the table, every step feeling like a trial. Jominara asked how long I'd been standing at the entrance. Before I could answer, the Voyager said, "Two and a half minutes." Her precision stunned me. She must be a truly powerful necromancer. Issac confirmed the same count, and Forge nodded in agreement.
Jominara remarked that my timing was convenient. The three of them began asking her questions about me, as though I weren't sitting right there. I felt my anger simmering.
Finally, Forge asked whether I was even suited for training, like I was some child. That was the last straw. My power flared, purple magic pouring from me as I slammed my fist on the table, splitting it clean in two. "I can speak for myself!" I roared. "I am not a child!"
The café fell silent for a heartbeat before whispers rippled through the crowd. Jominara and the three necromancers stared at me in shock. I looked down at my hand and saw my ring split in half, its gold changing to purple and white. Lowering my power, I said softly, "I would appreciate it if I were taken seriously."
Jominara signaled to the bartender, and everyone except us was cleared out. Then she asked if I'd been feeling any strange tonal changes. I explained what had happened in the hot spring and told her my conclusion about my problem.
Issac spoke up abruptly, saying my power had evolved into something even worse than Shengoku had foreseen. The Voyager added that my strength might already surpass the Yin-Yang spiritual power.
I focused on my palms and felt my power move easily. Purple energy circled the table and then retracted back into me, leaving the table whole and unmarked. The three of them were astonished at my control. The Voyager asked how far along I was with the Nekomata fusion. I told her I was nearly done. Forge warned that I needed to finish soon, then stood and dismissed the meeting.
We all rose to leave. As I followed, Forge muttered that if I caused another scene like that, he would kill me. I met his cold stare and replied that I wasn't afraid to fight him. He gave a low snicker and walked out.
I stayed with Jominara as the others left. The moment the door closed, she shifted into her humanoid form and punched me in the gut. I fell to my knees, clutching my stomach. "They're treating me like a child," I muttered.
She didn't care. She reminded me that it was customary to speak to a trainer's master with respect. I told her she wasn't my master — and she cast a spell, freezing me in place. Dragging me up to the peak of the mountain, she threatened to throw me off if I said another word.
Then she said the three necromancers would be training me so that I could one day face Nazo. I nodded, and she released me. I apologized and told her I was ready. She said they would return in a few days, explaining they would be checking on Pansen for the next week.
I asked if she knew where Nazo was. She told me he'd made his location public — he and my mother had been building a castle since the day I left Pansen. She added that the war was nearly over, which meant Nazo was strong enough to conquer Pansen outright.
Then she said something that froze my blood. During her time spying on Nazo, she had seen someone there who looked like me — she meant Manny. I asked what condition he was in. She said he looked corrupted, oozing dark energy.
As the sky opened up and rain began to pour, I sat in silence, thinking of Manny and all the friends I had left behind.