Martial Demons Ascension

The path out of the village was narrow winding past low stone walls and terraced fields before turning into dirt that trailed up the hillside The air grew quieter with each step The chatter of villagers faded replaced by the steady whisper of wind through the mountain grass

Emmet walked with his usual measured pace scrolls gone his hands clasped behind his back Beside him Nero moved like a man expecting answers posture rigid his slate gray eyes fixed ahead his cloak swaying with each stride His expression was calm but his mind was already sharp with suspicion

"Outside the village" Nero said flatly

Emmet didn't look at him "Yes He's a little bit on the eccentric side"

Nero's gaze flicked briefly to him then forward again

When they rounded the bend and the trees thinned the house came into view

It wasn't large but it was deliberate Wood reinforced with stone at the base walls straight and solid roof freshly tiled in dark clay To the left stretched a cleared yard packed dirt marked with faint grooves and scars from endless sparring Wooden posts stood at intervals some cracked some scarred each one clearly used for strikes and drills A rack of simple training weapons rested under an awning staves weighted clubs dull practice blades

To the right stood a structure larger than the house itself the dojo Its double doors were open and inside the smooth floor gleamed with polish Tatami mats lined the space the faint smell of oil and sweat lingering It wasn't luxurious It wasn't ostentatious But it carried a weight the unmistakable presence of discipline

Nero slowed his stride His eyes swept the space and for the first time since entering the mountains his brow furrowed faintly

He felt it

Not mana but something else A stillness a density in the air like the mountain itself was watching It wasn't oppressive but it wasn't casual either It was a place shaped by will

A tranquil aura

He turned his head slightly and then he saw him

Rhyka

Sitting cross legged atop the roof of his house back straight hands resting on his knees His long black hair was tied loosely into a ponytail golden eyes closed His chest rose and fell in even rhythm every breath controlled His skin faintly bronzed seemed to catch the light unnaturally the product of the tempering his body had endured

He wasn't asleep He wasn't unaware

He was waiting

Even from a distance Nero could feel it The boy knew they were coming He had known long before they stepped onto the path

Emmet's eyes flicked up catching the faint smirk at the corner of Rhyka's lips

On the roof Rhyka sat perfectly still

He didn't open his eyes He didn't acknowledge them He didn't need to

His Martial Vision had painted their approach in gold long before their silhouettes appeared on the trail He had chosen this posture this setting deliberately Meditation on the roof wasn't habit it was theatre

Let the noble see him not scrambling not sparring not caught unprepared but as something untouchable someone who existed above

He slowed his breathing even further pushing his calm outward until it mingled with the mountain air until the aura itself thickened like invisible mist Tranquility edged with presence

If Nero was worth anything he would feel it If he had perception he would know this was not a child pretending at strength but someone who had built it stone by stone

Nero stopped at the base of the yard his eyes narrowing up at the figure on the roof

He said nothing

For once silence held

Emmet glanced sidelong at him then allowed himself the faintest of smiles

"Now" the teacher said quietly "you see what I meant"

The air shifted the moment Rhyka's golden eyes slid open

From the roof his gaze locked directly onto Nero's Calm unblinking predatory The faint mountain breeze stirred his tied back hair but his posture didn't change He didn't need to speak the weight of that look alone was enough to tighten the atmosphere in the yard

Nero met it without flinching His slate gray eyes sharpened suspicion clear He had felt the tranquil aura as he approached but suspicion was habit Nobles who survived long on the road didn't trust appearances A magicless boy Emmet had said Then why did the air here feel as heavy as a training hall in the heart of his estate it was simar to "him"

Rhyka understood He didn't expect belief from words alone If Nero needed proof he'd give it in the simplest way possible

His fingers twitched once

From the roof tiles around him several tiny pebbles snapped loose no larger than fingernails His hand flicked casually almost lazily and the stones shot downward with speed that split the air Each one curved guided by his precision aimed at different points of Nero's body shoulder thigh temple stomach

They weren't strikes to kill They were strikes to measure

Nero reacted instantly

His body dropped low cloak whipping as he slid to the side one hand flashing up to swat a pebble away before it clipped his jaw The next he dodged with a tilt of his head the third he sidestepped so narrowly that dust kicked up where it struck the dirt behind him His hand brushed his sword's hilt but he didn't draw not yet

By the time the last stone snapped toward his thigh he twisted boot pivoting sharply as he let it whistle past

The whole exchange lasted only seconds

Nero straightened slowly his breathing steady his eyes never leaving Rhyka His lips pressed into a faint line and then for the first time since arriving in the village his posture shifted

He lowered his center of gravity boots digging into the dirt One hand slid to the hilt of his blade the other relaxed but ready His shoulders squared his gaze sharpened

A combat stance

He understood

The test wasn't for damage it was an invitation A call

Rhyka smirked faintly from his perch on the roof The golden glow in his eyes didn't fade He rose smoothly to his feet balanced on the narrow tiles as easily as if he were standing on packed earth His body leaned forward just slightly his weight shifting with intent

The message was clear unspoken but undeniable

If Nero wanted to measure him it wouldn't be with words

It would be here Now