Martial Demons Ascension

Nero's walk through the village toward the training grounds felt deliberate measured and unyielding His steps weren't loud but each one carried weight enough that the crowd instinctively moved aside Men paused mid conversation women shifted to pull their children back apprentices carrying buckets or tools stopped in place clearing the path as if compelled It wasn't fear alone but something subtler heavier

By the time he neared the courtyard where the temple students often gathered the effect was complete It was as if the sea itself had parted for him leaving a wide open lane for his passage His cloak fluttered faintly with the mountain wind the pale light catching on the silver trim of his traveling gear his sword at his side swaying in rhythm with his stride

Nero did not acknowledge the villagers His slate gray eyes were fixed forward calm but piercing taking in his surroundings only enough to register their irrelevance His focus was on what mattered the young mages he had been pointed toward

He reached the outer edge of the temple school's courtyard where students were gathered in loose clumps practicing or idling during their break Conversations faltered as soon as they saw him voices dying down to whispers

There standing among them were the two he sought

Eto Rinnte

Nero's eyes narrowed and he felt his mana stir reflexively his perception sharpening He didn't simply look at them he measured them

He extended his awareness the way a mage does when weighing an opponent Their cores glowed faintly in his senses both pulsing with the steady rhythm of Early Stage 2 Fourteen years old their mana flows clean their control already beyond what most backwater apprentices could achieve

It was not something to dismiss At their age to have formed and stabilized their cores to that stage yes impressive Slower than his own progress certainly but still well beyond the standard A testament to either good instruction natural talent or both

But Nero did not allow admiration to linger His expression didn't shift his posture didn't change

Impressive for their age he thought But it means little to me

He had already walked the path they were crawling along He had already burned through the harsh discipline the hours of refinement the repetition of fundamentals until his body no longer made mistakes His blade work his mana circulation his foundation they were not the unpolished strength of children still finding themselves

No his power had been tempered properly

He knew exactly where he stood the Peak of Rank 2 But unlike most at that boundary stuck and stagnant Nero had refined himself to the edge where he could break the expectations of that stage

Against Initial Rank 3 opponents he could hold his ground and crush them Against Early Rank 3 he could contend even if the battle demanded everything That was not arrogance it was calculation He had tested himself again and again

That was the level of strength required to be considered a true companion on the path forward Anything less was dead weight

So while Eto and Rinnte's progress at fourteen was respectable even noteworthy in the quiet isolation of this mountain village it did not sway him

Nero's slate gray eyes swept over them both cool and appraising and then narrowed faintly in silent judgment

Potential Yes But whether they are worthy that remains to be seen

Eto didn't hesitate when she saw the stranger step into the courtyard

Where the others held back whispering nervously or watching with guarded curiosity she moved forward without fear her bright auburn hair catching the light her steps brisk and confident Her natural warmth radiated in the way she carried herself the way she smiled easily even at those she barely knew It wasn't an act Eto had always been someone who tried to connect who tried to bridge distance with sincerity rather than suspicion

She stopped a pace away from him and bowed her head slightly respectful but not subservient

"Welcome" she said her voice clear and genuine "You must be new to the village My name is Eto I hope the mountains weren't too hard on you"

For a moment Nero only studied her His sharp gray eyes swept over her face then flicked briefly across her frame measuring more than her words He could feel the faint hum of mana around her steady well formed The aura of an Early Stage 2 Respectable especially for her age but still far from threatening

He inclined his head a fraction his own greeting clipped and precise "Nero And the mountains were manageable" His tone carried neither warmth nor disdain it was simply matter of fact as though survival here had never been in doubt

Eto's smile didn't falter "I see Then you must be quite strong What brings you to the temple school"

Nero's gaze sharpened and for the first time his words carried weight

"I've been in these mountains longer than I intended" he said "I'm waiting on the caravan I plan to leave when it finally comes through Emmet mentioned to me that there are students here who also wish to leave"

He let the sentence hang deliberately his eyes fixed on her as if gauging her reaction

Eto's breath caught for just a moment He already knew Emmet had told him That meant this wasn't a casual meeting it was an evaluation She straightened unconsciously her hand tightening at her side

"Yes" she admitted her voice calm but firm "Some of us do Myself Rinnte A few others"

Nero's gaze flicked briefly to where Rinnte stood at the edge of the group silent and watchful Then his eyes returned to Eto and his expression hardened

"Then I'll be direct" Nero said flatly "Looking at your current strength there's only one conclusion I can reach"

The courtyard quieted Even the students who had been whispering moments ago leaned in straining to catch his words

"You're unworthy"

The word landed like a stone dropped into still water ripples of shock spreading instantly

Eto stiffened her eyes widening faintly Not because the insult stung her pride though it did but because of the sheer bluntness of it He hadn't bothered with diplomacy hadn't sugar coated the truth as he saw it

Nero's tone didn't waver "You're talented That much is obvious To reach Early Stage 2 at fourteen is no small feat But raw cultivation alone doesn't make someone suited to walk beyond the safety of these mountains Against the dangers outside your current level is insufficient Traveling with you as you are now would be a liability"

He said it calmly without cruelty as though he were stating the color of the sky

Eto's fists clenched at her sides but she met his gaze without backing down "Then what are you saying"

Nero's expression didn't soften but there was something faint in his eyes an edge less like disdain more like measured calculation

"I'm saying this" he continued "If you truly want to leave this mountain if your desire outweighs the risk then I will allow it"

The students around them murmured in confusion Eto blinked her breath caught between relief and offense

Nero folded his arms across his chest

"If I find allies before the caravan comes and if they are strong enough to walk beside me then you may come as well Not because you are ready Not because you have proven yourself worthy But because I am willing to shoulder the burden for the sake of numbers and for the possibility of your growth"

His gaze bored into hers cold and unwavering

"Out of compassion"

The words weren't boastful but the weight of his arrogance filled the air It wasn't the arrogance of a child who had never been tested It was the arrogance of someone who had already survived things others couldn't imagine

For a long moment Eto said nothing Her lips pressed together her body tense She wanted to retort to fire back but she couldn't He wasn't wrong His strength eclipsed hers His experience dwarfed hers And yet the way he spoke as though her worth was something to be granted by his permission made her chest burn

Rinnte standing off to the side narrowed his eyes slightly His fists clenched though he kept his silence He could feel the weight in Nero's words the sharpness of his presence But something about the way the older boy dismissed Eto so casually didn't sit right

Nero however didn't wait for protest He turned slightly as though already finished with the conversation

"My standard is clear If you want to leave you'll follow under my lead If not stay here"