"Yes, Arkgrim, you’re right—you’re playing with them, not training," Yoto’s voice rang out coolly, cutting through the silence of the hall.

  She walked slowly into the center, casting a gaze over Leon and Rabuki that projected absolute superiority.

  "So, these are the friends you told me about? Leon and Rabuki. And you seriously hope to survive in the Exterminator Corps?" She shook her head sadly. "You’ll just die there in the very first minute. You are too... normal."

  "Yoto, how are things?" I smiled happily at her, ignoring her grim forecast.

  "Everything is fine," she smiled back warmly as she approached.

  "Listen, Yoto," Rabuki straightened up despite the pain in her hand. Her voice trembled with suppressed anger. "Could you please not interfere with our training? We have a tight schedule."

  "Oh, she’s not interfering," I cut in, but Yoto only snorted.

  "Idiots. These 'workouts' won't help you survive where flesh meets true horror. Oh..." She suddenly froze, locking her eyes on Leon. "Your friend is interesting. You’re a telepath, aren't you?"

  The air in the gym seemed to turn to ice. Leon turned pale instantly, his gaze becoming freezing.

  "No," he snapped. "You’re mistaken."

  Yoto only squinted knowingly.

  "Alright, alright, I didn't mean to give away your little secrets. My apologies. But you, Arkgrim, as usual—you’ve found yourself a special friend."

  "What?!" Rabuki turned sharply to Leon. "A telepath? Leon, is that true?"

  "She’s just mistaken!" Leon burst into a shout, his voice laced with undisguised contempt. "She doesn't know what she's talking about! Just some girl from the street who’s read too many fairy tales!"

  Hearing those words from Leon hurt. I knew Yoto was right, and his lie struck me right in the heart. But Yoto only looked at me and gently touched my arm.

  "I don't care about his words, Arkgrim. Pay them no mind. Your friends are simply young, weak, and very frightened."

  "What do you even know about strength?!" Rabuki lost her temper, stepping toward Yoto. "What is it like to be in the Corps? What is it like to fear death every single day?!"

  Yoto looked at her with such profound sadness that Rabuki involuntarily faltered.

  "And you..." Yoto asked quietly. "Do you know what it’s like to 'breathe death'?"

  She walked slowly over to a heavy punching bag suspended by steel chains. Yoto didn't wind up. She didn't swing. She simply... touched it with her fingertips.

  BOOM!

  The bag exploded. At the point of contact, the equipment simply shattered into pieces, as if a semi-truck had hit it at full speed. Shreds of leather and stuffing flew across the gym, and the heavy chains clattered mournfully against the ceiling.

  Rabuki froze, her eyes widening in terror.

  "That... that... that’s inhuman strength..." she whispered, backing away.

  "Well, I’m not human," Yoto replied calmly, turning to me. "Arkgrim, you already know what I am, don't you?"

  I shrugged, looking at her with unhidden admiration.

  "Of course. You're a demon."

  She smiled—this time for real, without a shadow of sadness.

  "Alright, Arkgrim... That’s enough for today."

  She stepped close to me. Her fingers buried into my hair as usual, gently scratching the back of my head. The whole world blurred instantly. Resistance was impossible—my body went limp, and I felt my consciousness rapidly plummeting into a warm sleep.

  "I have to go," she whispered in my ear, and her breath was the last thing I remembered.

  I fell asleep right there, in the middle of the wrecked gym, under the stunned gazes of my friends.

  I woke up because someone was unceremoniously shaking my shoulders. Leon looked as if he had just watched the end of the world on live TV.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  "Arkgrim! Wake up! What was that?! Who is she?!" his voice cracked on a high note.

  "Huh?.. What?.." I struggled to open my eyes, still feeling the pleasant afterglow of Yoto’s touch. "Who’s 'she'? Why are you screaming?"

  "That girl! Even demons don't have power like that!" Leon was practically gasping with panic.

  "What do you care, Leon?" I stood up abruptly, brushing off my pants. "She came, she left. Normal stuff."

  I looked around. Rabuki was sitting on a bench in the corner. Her usually perfect posture was gone—she was hunched over, staring at a single spot with empty, expressionless eyes. Seeing that I had come to, she stood up slowly and, without a word, headed for the exit.

  "Hey!" I shouted after her. "I take it the promised dinner is canceled?"

  Rabuki froze at the threshold. She turned, and her gaze was as cold as Arctic ice.

  "Let’s go," she said curtly.

  I strode after them happily, whistling under my breath.

  "Why are you guys so gloomy? So a bag popped. Buy a new one, you're rich."

  They both remained silent all the way to the dining hall. We sat at a massive table, and servants began silently setting down plates, but my friends’ appetites seemed to have vanished completely. I, however, ate with pleasure, overhearing their muffled conversation.

  "That strength..." Rabuki whispered, addressing her plate more than Leon. "She did that without a suit. Just touched it with a finger—and boom. Even if I squeeze one hundred percent out of my armor, could I ever repeat that? Who is she, Leon? Even demons aren't capable of this..."

  I knew what she meant. In our world, "demons" was the name for ordinary hybrids who had mixed with humans years ago. They had slightly better genetics, a bit more mana, but otherwise, they were just as mortal. Yoto was different.

  "And you..." Rabuki suddenly snapped her head up and looked at me. "Where did you get that reaction? Where did that speed come from? How did you manage to disarm me without even trying?"

  I just shrugged, not looking away from my steak.

  "I don't know. Maybe I take good vitamins."

  "Then why are we training?" Leon slammed his fist on the table, his voice trembling. "If we’re such weaklings compared to her... compared to you... What’s the point of these hours of sweat and pain? Rabuki is right. All hope lies with you now, Arkgrim. Protect us if something happens."

  I choked on a piece of meat.

  "WHAT?!" I stared at them. "Are you being serious right now?"

  I set down my fork and wiped my mouth with a napkin. A wave of cold irritation suddenly rose within me.

  "Are you out of your minds? You saw a mountain in front of you—true, towering power. And what did you do? You should have been motivated! You should have wanted to become stronger, to at least reach the foothills of that mountain! Instead, you just decided to fold your paws and dump all the responsibility on a fourteen-year-old boy?"

  Leon lowered his head, and Rabuki gripped the edge of the tablecloth.

  "What about your idealized dream?" I continued, my voice growing harsher. "To join the ranks of the Corps, to protect innocent people you don't even know? People who, by the way, won't give a damn about you while you're dying for their peaceful sleep. Where is your pretentiousness? Where is your resolve?"

  I stood up from the table, feeling like I couldn't swallow another bite.

  "Forget it. Your sour faces have ruined my appetite."

  "Go, Arkgrim," Rabuki said softly, not looking up. "Go. I need to think."

  "What? Kicking me out already? Fine then!" I turned and walked toward the exit.

  Looking at their slumped figures, I felt a strange mixture of pity and contempt. They wanted to be heroes as long as they thought they were the strongest in the sandbox. But the moment they saw a grain of true power, their world fell apart.

  "Yanu, call a taxi," I muttered into my earbud, stepping out into the night air. "I'm going home. It seems my friends just officially broke."

  Sitting in the taxi, I started talking to Yanu. "What is wrong with them? One minute they want to save the world, the next they don't want to at all. One minute they’re happier than ever, and then they're sad and defeated. What is with these emotional swings?"

  My bracelet started beeping. I pulled a pill from my pocket and swallowed it. "It's been a while since you beeled. Yanu, how can I help them? And that Leon—I know he hides his ability, but how does he use it? Just to cheat on tests? And Rabuki, she plays around every day more than she trains. They'll definitely die out there. Maybe it’s good they’ve given up. I don't know..."

  Yanu remained silent for a moment, the only sound being the tires on wet asphalt. When she spoke, her voice was devoid of its usual sarcasm. It was deep, almost philosophical.

  "You know, Arkgrim," Yanu said softly, "humans are very strange creatures. They build their lives on fragile illusions, and when those illusions shatter against true power, they only have two paths left. Either remain in that panic forever, or accept their weakness and start building something real in its place."

  "And which will they choose?" I stared out the window at the passing lights. "They're just kids, Yanu. Just like me..."

  "Leon isn't just 'cheating on tests'," Yanu’s voice took on an analytical tone. "My sensors recorded that every time he uses his ability near you, his heart rate and brain activity go off the charts. He is literally burning out his nerve cells just to keep up with your pace. He hides it because he’s afraid of appearing useless in your eyes. His 'heroism' is an attempt not to lose you."

  I froze. I had never thought about it that way.

  "And Rabuki..." Yanu continued. "She isn't 'playing.' She’s trying to fill the void inside herself with strength. After that shootout where she saw your 'death,' her world narrowed to one goal: never to be helpless again. Her panic today isn't fear of Yoto. It’s the fear that all her training is just hollow noise. That she won't be able to protect anyone again."

  "So that means..." I stumbled. "I only made it worse with my 'masterclass'?"

  "On the contrary, Squirt. You tore them out of the fairy tale. You showed them that the enemy won't follow the rules of boxing. How can you help them? You’re already helping. Just by being there. Your presence is their main stimulus, even if they don't realize it."

  I didn't answer. I just closed my eyes, feeling the pill begin to take effect, plunging my thoughts into a thick fog. Swings... this whole life is one big emotional swing. And I didn't know if I wanted them to ever stop.

  "Too many smart words for a piece of hardware," I finally muttered.

  "I’m merely reflecting your own thoughts, Master," Yanu replied, her usual snark returning. "Now sleep. Tomorrow at school you'll have to look at their 'defeated faces,' and I don't want you yawning through it."