Martial Demons Ascension

The chamber of rotting Vaelmorans seemed to close in around them the faint buzzing of flies underscoring every word Emmet turned from the gruesome spectacle facing Rhyka with a hard expression

"You need to be careful" he said quietly "Hatred like yours it burns It consumes But if you let it blind you you'll ignore all the Goddess has done for humans In particular for people like you"

Rhyka's eyes narrowed beneath his mask "People like me"

"Yes" Emmet pressed "Without her humans would still be prey Fragile Barely surviving against the beasts the demons the dragons Magic changed that It gave us power to rise to endure Whatever your gripes don't forget that every spell every shield every blessing that keeps villages like ours standing traces back to her gift"

Rhyka stared at him silent

"You despise the Church Fine You resent the faith That's your choice But to hate the Goddess herself" Emmet shook his head "That's dangerous You'd be throwing away the very foundation that makes us human"

The silence stretched The corpses swayed faintly in the still air

Then Emmet continued his voice softer more probing

"…Unless that's what you want You think this village is small The world is much bigger Rhyka There are places where your hatred would be welcomed Where men spit on the Goddess's name openly without fear"

He paused "Velcrax The demon continent There are empires there strong ones The Hestia Empire in particular They've always despised the Church They'd take someone like you in a heartbeat With your skill your instincts you'd rise"

Rhyka's response was immediate A short sharp laugh that echoed in the hollow chamber

"Velcrax" he scoffed "Demons and their little cult empire No"

He shook his head a faint smirk tugging at his lips

"I'm not trading one leash for another I won't crawl under a demon's banner just because they happen to hate the same goddess I do That's not freedom That's just swapping masters"

His voice hardened cutting through the chamber

"I already told you I'm leaving The mountains the village this rotten church it's all too small I'll walk my own path not one some demon empire lays out for me"

Emmet studied him closely The boy's face was shadowed by his mask but his voice carried no hesitation No doubt

For a moment Emmet almost envied that certainty

"…So that's it" Emmet murmured "You'd rather carve your path with no gods no masters no allies"

Rhyka's eyes glinted "Exactly"

The chamber stank of rot and incense The buzzing of flies never stopped crawling into the silence between their words

Emmet finally exhaled rubbing a hand over his face before looking back at Rhyka

"You're reckless" he muttered "But… you're not stupid That matters"

Rhyka tilted his head waiting

"I meant what I said" Emmet continued "I don't agree with you I can't The Goddess gave humanity everything My brother would burn me alive if he knew I even let you speak those words" He paused jaw tight "But… I'm not blind I see the fire in you I see what you could become So when I suggested Velcrax it wasn't mockery It was me trying to give you another path A chance Even if it's not mine"

For a moment the teacher's voice lost its edge softening with something dangerously close to sincerity "Don't mistake me boy I'll never condone what you said tonight But I won't betray you either Your goal as insane and blasphemous as it is won't leave my lips"

The torchlight flickered across his face making the lines of exhaustion stand out more clearly

Rhyka stared at him for a long moment then slowly inclined his head

"…Thanks"

The word was plain spoken without flourish But it was real

"You're a believer" Rhyka said smirk twitching faintly back onto his lips "Yet you went as far as to tell me about Velcrax You're not blind loyalty Emmet You actually… looked out for me In your own way"

He pushed off the wall and turned toward the staircase that led back to the surface His voice carried back without turning

"I'll remember that But I'll still leave My way"

Emmet didn't answer He just watched the boy's back disappear into the dark

The church doors closed heavy behind him

The night air struck like a blessing cold sharp clean Rhyka inhaled deep dragging it into his lungs as if trying to scrub away the stench of decay that clung to his clothes his skin his throat

He walked home in silence every step deliberate ignoring the murmurs of villagers still out late The moon was high when he finally pushed open the door to his small cramped home

For a moment he just stood there in the quiet Then his stomach lurched

He stumbled to the corner bracing himself against the wall and vomited violently The taste of bile burned his throat his body shaking with the force of it Images of the corpses flashed in his mind the blackened flesh the maggots in hollow eyes the twitch of nerves that should have long since died

He spat wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a ragged laugh

"…Pathetic"

Not the church Not the corpses Himself That even after everything his body still betrayed him

When the retching finally stopped he dragged himself upright and shuffled to the small kettle by the hearth He filled it set it over the flame and waited in silence as it hissed and bubbled

The act of brewing tea mundane ordinary was grounding He poured carefully into a chipped clay cup added a spoon of sugar and lifted it to his lips

The bitterness steadied him

The warmth soothed the shake in his hands

He sat back the mask set beside him on the table and stared into the dark corner of his room His expression was calm again his breathing even

The corpses the curses the rotting chants they were fuel now Nothing more

"…Two years" he whispered to himself "Two years Then I leave"

And he sipped his tea in silence

The next day the classroom felt different

Not because Rhyka wasn't sitting at the back his absence was expected now but because of the quiet tension between two particular students

Rinnte and Loretta

Rinnte sat near the back corner notebook half open pen tapping idly against the page He was quiet as always but his leg bounced faintly under the desk betraying the restless energy he couldn't fully suppress His sharp eyes didn't linger on the teacher They drifted to the door Again and again

Loretta across the room was no better She tried to sit straight to keep her usual air of poise but she kept fiddling with her quill spinning it between her fingers until it dropped and clattered on the floor for the third time When someone pointed it out she snapped at them her cheeks flushed

It wasn't nerves It was impatience

Both of them had told themselves they'd wait Rhyka had said a week They had agreed But after sleeping on it neither could stomach the idea of wasting time

Loretta's pride burned too hot she refused to spend seven days knowing Rhyka had copied her dance after a single glance while she had spent years to master it She needed to get ahead to reclaim what felt stolen

Rinnte meanwhile was pulled by a quieter force Admiration curiosity He'd said it plainly he admired Rhyka He wanted to learn not just from his fights but from his thoughts his instincts Waiting felt like letting sand slip through his fingers

By the time the midday bell rang for break they both had made the same decision

They found each other in the courtyard both moving with more urgency than usual Their eyes met and Loretta crossed her arms

"You too" she asked flatly

Rinnte gave a single nod "I'm not waiting a week"

"Good" Loretta said almost relieved She exhaled then squared her shoulders "Then we go to him Today"

Rinnte tilted his head "He'll probably smirk Make us pay double"

Loretta scoffed "Let him I don't care If I can sharpen my art if I can refine my dance into a weapon he can't mimic I'll pay whatever it takes"

Rinnte studied her for a moment then looked away his tone calm "For me it's simpler He's walking a path no one else in this village can If I can see a piece of it I will"

For a moment Loretta almost sneered at the sincerity in his voice but then she realized she couldn't Because she felt the same fire just burning in a different direction

Later that afternoon while the rest of the class filtered toward the village center Loretta and Rinnte slipped away Their steps carried them down the quiet side roads past shuttered shops and worn fences until they reached the weathered home where Rhyka lived

Rinnte knocked once Firm

Loretta crossed her arms tapping her foot impatient

When the door opened Rhyka stood there in the doorway mask hanging lazily from one hand hair slightly disheveled a steaming cup of tea in the other His eyes flicked between them then narrowed

"…You're early" he said flatly

Loretta opened her mouth ready to argue but Rinnte spoke first

"We're not waiting a week" he said simply

Rhyka stared at him then at Loretta Her flushed cheeks and stiff posture said the same thing Rinnte's words did

Slowly the smirk crept across his face

"Tch Figures" he muttered He leaned against the doorframe sipping his tea as if considering Then he sighed dramatically

"…Fine You two are eager little pups I'll throw you a bone"

Loretta bristled at the phrasing but Rinnte's lips twitched faintly almost a smile

"Lesson starts tomorrow" Rhyka said finally stepping aside "Don't be late And bring coin"