Three years had passed in the Underworld of Universe 7, Level 1.
Life had settled into an odd rhythm. Anita's training had become more intense and sophisticated, yet I had found myself entangled a little in my obsession with futures trading in crypto. It might not sound glamorous, but when your reality is a lava-locked bunker floating above a molten wasteland, every crypto gain means more than comfort. It means survival. One profitable trade could buy extra gear upgrades, nutrients, even the comforts that made all the difference.
"Master! Let us begin our training! You promised we would start working on Celestial Mode today!" Anita's voice rang out from the metal hatch of our bunker.
Still staring at the glowing holographic screen of my PQC, I held up a hand dismissively. "Not now, Anita. I am on a 25x long position on Bitcoin. The candle is dancing at resistance. If this closes green, we will get extra budget for soap, rice, even a decent spice packet for our tilapia pool."
"But Master, we are already late..."
"Unless you want to eat lava-flavored air and wash your hair with steam, do not disturb me. If I get liquidated, say goodbye to your chocolate stash, too."
Her shoulders drooped. I saw the sting in her eyes, but my gaze returned to the chart.
"Okay. I understand," she whispered, then quietly walked away.
Anita wandered for hours, traversing scorched lava ridges and basalt valleys until she reached a distant continent. The sulfur-laced air was thicker there, and the lava glowed with a darker hue. She sat on a jagged ledge overlooking a bubbling magma lake, kicking at pebbles until a sharp growl cut through the haze.
A red-skinned humanoid emerged from the shadows. Sharp teeth, glowing orange pupils, claws like obsidian daggers.
"An imp?" she breathed.
The creature lunged with feral speed. Anita's instincts ignited. Her aura burst outward, Celestial Mode 1. Her spiky beige hair shimmered, black bangs fluttering as energy surged around her. Emerald eyes lit up. Her Kali blade sang. One quick, defensive motion. The imp dropped. Lifeless.
She stood over it, breath shaky. "No. I did not mean to."
She returned late that night, boots scorched, eyes hollow. I saw the tremble in her frame but said nothing.
The next morning, a low hum shook our portable bunker.
"Master?" Anita said nervously.
We stepped outside and froze. Thousands of imp soldiers formed a semicircle around our shelter. And above them hovered a figure wreathed in hellfire aura.
She had long black hair, sharp glowing red eyes, and twin bull horns protruding from her brow. Her makeup was flawless, cheeks pink with blush, lips painted a defiant pink. She wore a fitted crimson dress with black lace accents, hugging her figure elegantly before flowing into layered fabric that cascaded behind her in a dramatic high-low design. The rich red of her attire mirrored the glow of her eyes, while the black underskirt added depth and mystery to her presence. Around her neck rested a dark choker adorned with a single red gem, gleaming like a captured drop of blood.
"Who is that?" Anita whispered.
"Vex Astaroth. One of the Underworld's royal daughters. Daughter of the King of this Underworld, Duke Astaroth," I clenched my jaw.
"Patricia Mage. One of your disciples killed one of my imps. I demand retribution. I demand her head," Vex's voice thundered from above.
"It was not intentional! He attacked me! I panicked!" Anita gasped.
Vex's eyes narrowed. "Intent changes nothing. The balance was broken."
I stepped forward, slowly floating into the air as my transformation ignited, Celestial Mode 1. Spiky golden-yellow hair flared upward, red bangs glowing, one eye blue, the other blood-red. My golden armor gleamed with runes of House Ishtar.
"Vex," I called out, my voice steady. "She is still learning. Please, let us talk."
Vex raised her chin. "There was no accord protecting your trainees. You failed to keep her in line."
"She defended herself. She did not hunt."
"That makes no difference. The creature was mine. The life was mine. You let her roam untrained."
"I am offering apology and compensation. But not blood." I insisted.
Her eyes burned hotter. "Then you choose conflict."
She raised her hand.
"Legion. Retrieve the girl. If they resist, burn them all!"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" I roared.
Anita appeared beside me, already igniting her aura. "I will defend the east flank."
"Non-lethal if possible!" I reminded her. "Unless it is life or death."
The ground exploded as imps surged forward. Above, Vex cast a pentagram of obsidian and flame. Runes spiraled around her.
"She is summoning Obsidian Code!" I shouted.
A bolt of black lightning slammed into Anita, tossing her through basalt.
"Anita!"
"Still alive," she groaned, pulling herself up.
I spun to meet Vex mid-air.
She smirked. "Still arrogant, Patricia Mage."
"Not today. Today I fight for someone else."
Our clash lit the sky like a falling star. The battle raged on. Lava storms spiraled. Energy beams cut through the sky. The bunker behind us shook with each impact. Our small defenses barely held.
Vex's magic was potent. Her voice sang incantations in a language I had not heard in decades. The imp army was coordinated, each movement sharpened by years of discipline.
Anita, despite exhaustion, kept pushing back wave after wave, her blade glowing with light. She was not the apprentice I once knew. She was becoming something more.
And I was the wall between Vex and my disciple.
We clashed again and again. Every time I struck, she parried with fire. Every time she surged, I countered with ice. Our powers collided, setting the sky ablaze in unnatural colors.
"How far will you go to protect her?" Vex hissed.
"As far as I must."
The sky cracked with another boom. This war had only just begun.