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The battles never lasted long, and this was not an unusual case. It had taken her but a minute to clear the area completely, the demons no more than punching bags to let out pent-up frustration.
The girl sighed, sitting down with her back to a tree. A mirror floated beside her, the reflectionless glass giving off an uncanny glow.
She started off into the distance, willing someone else to pop out from the curtains of the forest. But no one did. No one ever did.
She picked at the grass beside her, crushing the green blades under the pressure of her fingertips. She let the blades fall, watching them hit the floor before forcing herself to stand up.
She had places to be, after all.
Shattered glass covered the floor, and she did her best to not touch the sharp edges. Being hurt before even reaching her destination would be an inconvenience. An inconvenience she didn’t have the patience to deal with.
She stopped before the entrance gates. There was no need to use them other than as a sign of respect for the many who had passed through these halls before her. What remained of the walls lay ready to crumble at a slight touch, yet she still pushed the doors open as if to not wake a sleeping child.
At the center of the room stood a man, dressed in a simple cloak, shirt, and pants. The man held a familiar air. The girl grinned at him, jogging up to him in silence, stopping a few feet before him.
Neither of them uttered a word as they positioned themselves into offensive stances.
He threw the first punch.
It was directed to the face, which she narrowly ducked to avoid, positioning herself to throw a right hook as she came back up. He maneuvered around it, barely missing her chin as he kicked in the process.
He brought his leg back down, forcing her to block and rendering her arm immobile. She attempted an uppercut with her free hand, missing the other by mere inches as he backed away.
She took the opportunity to feint a round kick, forcing him into a defensive position as she aimed for his other side. He blocked it easily, forcing her leg down before aiming a punch at her face.
Their dance continued for what seemed like an eternity, finally coming to an end as the man knocked her to the floor.
The girl didn’t appear upset to be beaten, quite the contrary.
Looking at her smile one may have thought she had found that she had gained the sole inheritance of a large fortune.
At last, their silence was broken.
“You’ve gotten better,” the man said, offering his hand. She grabbed it, allowing the man to pull her up.
“Too many fights’ll do that to ya. Plus, I learned from the best, didn’t I?”
He smiled down at her as she rambled on about the sparring match.
“...and what was that single-handed guard you put up? I’ve never seen anything quite like it before, maybe it would be beneficial to try…
…do you think it would have been better if I had kicked with my right leg instead? I could have thrown a jab straight at your face instead of a hook to your side…
…and that turning kick feint you pulled? That was so cool! Laby wishes- er, I wish I could do stuff like that.”
“Laby, would you care to join me for a cup of tea?”
“Hm?” Laby cocked her head to the side. What’s tea? “Tea-? Oh! The herb juice Ciel used to make?”
The man nodded his head, holding his hand out to lead her. She grabbed it, smiling as they walked towards the towering gates.
They sat across from each other, making small talk as they sipped their drinks. She had made herself a mix of Chamomile and Earl Gray, while the man had made himself a simple cup of black tea.
“It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and done nothing like this. It’s kind of peaceful.”
“Then we should do it more often, you seem to lead a very stressful lifestyle.”
“What am I supposed to do, let the demons run rampant?”
“It’s our job as El Masters to take care of them, Laby. I appreciate all the help, but it’s not really necessary.”
“Not necessary my ass. You can’t possibly be expected to clear every corner of Elrios, can you?”
“And neither can you.”
“I think it’s in our mutual interest to help one another. I won’t say anything if you don’t.”
Gaia chuckled. “You’re a lot like Rosso, you know. Always adamant about saving everyone, adamant about protecting people from danger. But alright, I won’t say anything else.”
Laby smiled brightly. “Thanks, teacher.”
She shifted her hand to put her hair up, her elbow knocking her cup to the floor. She snatched it up by the handle just before it shattered.
“Nice reflexes.”
“Already told you. I learned from the best.” She smiled as she placed her cup back in its saucer.
They stared at each other for a moment in silence. Laby handed him the cup and saucer, watching intently as her teacher morphed them into a rock. Amazed, she clapped quietly, earning an equally quiet laugh from her teacher.
Finally, she stood up. She dusted herself off, summoning Nisha to her side as she looked back up to say goodbye. But he had already disappeared.
It didn’t matter, however. Gaia would be alright on his own. She hadn’t lied, he really was the best, unbeatable by any foe he encountered. Had her recovery speed not been so accelerated, she might have still been able to feel the few blows he had managed to land.
He could take care of himself, and so could she. Because he was the one who had taught her, and she owed him everything for that.
Now, with Nisha at her side, she started off the way she had come.
She wished not to see the atrocities she had committed, all in the name of protecting people. There would be time to mourn later when the demons were all gone, and she was sure everyone would be safe.
She headed back because there was always someone lurking in the shadow, someone watching her. She entered the shadowy cover of the trees that towered above her, finding comfort in the darkness she felt comfort in.
It gave her a sense of security, something familiar in the midst of all the strange occurrences that were going on.
She glanced around. Even with her heightened senses, she couldn’t locate the thing.
High up in a tree, Gaia watched her intently. A demon was approaching, fast, yet she seemed not to notice. It crept up behind her, its spear positioned to hit her back.
She whipped around, uppercutting it before it had a moment to react.
Perhaps she would be fine on her own. She had grown up, and perhaps he had to accept that fact.
She wasn’t the strange little girl he had found wandering through a forest she shouldn’t have been able to enter anymore. She was a person in her own right, and she could take care of herself.
At last, he turned around. If Laby needed his help, she could come to find him.
But for now, she was powerful enough as it was.