Goddess's Playground

Previous Chapter - Family Ties

"That's a question that you should ask Tsuki, not me. However, if I had to guess I would say: no, he has not.", Lilith said as she begin walking in the direction of the abandoned park. The thought of the guild caused a question to pop into Lilith's head. "Are you going to join the guild?", she asked.

"Join a guild of demons?? I dont think so. It got one of my brothers killed and the other has been corrupted beyond all sense of reasonablility. I will pass unless I see something that convinces me otherwise". NaVarro said taking a gander of the area around him. She chose plenty of open space. Looking back over at her he wondered what skill and magic she had. he had never seen her in combat.

"The Hyakki Yagyō doesn't only have demons, we also have a vampire and an artificial demon.", Lilith responded. After speaking, Lilith took out a leather-bound book from a pocket of her cloak before putting it on the ground in a place where it would not get in the way. "Your first task is to try to take my cloak. Even though this is just a spar, I would advise you to go all out if you want to stand a chance of completing this task.", Lilith said with a smile.

Take your cloak?? do you jest?. How is me taking your cloak going to be helpful to me or this training. You have strange methods Lilith I am not sure how this will work, but you seem confident in this test. NaVarro said digging his feet within the ground. Lilith had a small frame wirey she was bound to be quick and elusive, but NaVarro hoped to surprise her with his speed. Using his black flames he blasted himself forward suddenly leaving a small pack of dust behind him as he moved forward arms outstretched for the cloak that rested before him, teasing him literally asking for him to take it. This was all to easy, or so he thought.

Lilith's danger sense alerted her to NaVarro's attack before it even happened, allowing her to prepare herself for the attack. Lilith used her immense speed to seemingly teleport to a location directly behind NaVarro. Once behind NaVarro, she aimed a fast and powerful palm strike at NaVarro's back. If the strike were to hit its target it would not only be powerful, but the physical contact would allow Lilith to absorb a small portion of her foe's magic power then convert it into sorcery power in her body.

"What the he"- NaVarro found himself being pushed forward suddenly much faster than he had intended thanks to the strike that was aimed toward his back which aded his additional speed. Thanks to his quick thinking he was able to extend the second arm and catch his forward tumble and then flip to recenter himself back on his feet. "I figured you would be fast but not that fast Lilith, your a damn speed demon". NaVarro said trying to figure out his next plan of motion. He would try to blitz once more this time fast and more protection. Coating hsi body in the black god flames he wields and once more dashed forward like a ball shot from a cannon, this time he was prepared for lilith to attack him from behind as he had a surpise of his own. His left arm once again reached out forward for victory to claim that cloak that eluded him the first time.

"Let's see if he has learned anything from his fight with Raido.", Lilith thought to herself as she leaped high into the air, avoiding the assault. Once in the air, she released a concentrated aura of sorcery power that enveloped her body. As soon as the aura appeared, Lilith decided to use the adjust path to connect her sorcery power to the environment around her. "Ultimate Freeze.", Lilith said simply as she caused the temperature to decline at a very fast rate. The temperature declined so quickly that the entire park around her froze instantaneously.

"Are you shitting me???"! NaV said surprised she was utilizing a form if of ice powers and much like his brother freezing ability it was capable of freeziung his flames as the once proud black flames were not forzen solid on his body as the growing ice on his body spread quickly. He needed to act fast and to the only thing he knew how to do when he was being forzen. Resort to his other magic. Though a God Slayer He was also a proficient Sound Magic user. Not the best but good enough to be used in this situation. He released a sound wave off his body which caused him to vibrate and shake rapidly which he hoped would break apart the structural level of the ice that sought to freeze him once more. This trick somewhat worked with his brother and stopped him from freezing him for a time, however it did not get rid of the cold itself. He hoped to accomplish the same against Lilith's freezing spell. As a user of Flames a Flame God Slayer no less to be frozen once was a shame, for it to happen twice would be a travesty.

When the ice covered half of NaVarro's body, the sound caused the ice to crumble off of NaVarro's body. However, the area was still almost dangerously cold since the surrounding area was still an arctic wasteland. Lilith slowly fell to the ground before saying, "Very good NaVarro, it seems like you have learned something." Lilith looked around before saying, "I got all the information I need about your fighting style. Are you ready for your second exercise?"

NaV landed gingerly attempting to avoid being caught in the radius of her frozen areas, if she used ice how her brother did touching it would be deadly. "That's it?! Already on stage two huh? Well I am pretty good after all. NaV sai feeling better of himself for the moment". The most reent defeat was more than a blow to his pride but his ego and confidence. Yet here he was beginning to regain it slowly. So in this stage what will we be learning?

Lilith walked over to where her book was then picked it up off of the ground. "This exercise will help you become more connected with your soul, allowing you to manipulate your magic power.", Lilith stated. She then walked back to NaVarro and handed the book to NaVarro. "In order to do that you we must put a little bit of tension on your spirit, allowing you to discover the physical effects that your spirit can have.", she said.

Between the book leaving liliths hands and coming into his own the book some how put on a few extra pounds, maybe a few thousand because the moment she removed her grasp from it fell through his hands and hit the ground like a sack of brings, instantly pulling the God Slayer down on his knees. "Well Damn, someone has been eating well, the hell did you feed the book Lilith?. NaV questioned trying to lift it normally. Ok just have to put my back into it and liFT!!!!!!!!!!!" Nav said attempting once more, the veins in his arm bludged out as did his natural muscles yet the book didnt budge.

"Whew that was good practice, alright lets try again, this time with a little extra KICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" NaV said as black flames cloaked over hi body increasing his physical strength the ground beneath him buckled and cracked as his feet dug deeper and deeper, yet while the ground ebenath him moves, the book remained froze. "Lilith whats up with your book here, its not moving at all". He said inbetween breaths in an attempt to catch it. He quickly looked around to see if someone saw him struggle to lift the book.

Seeing someone try and fail to lift up her book always brought a smile to her face and this situation was no different. "This book cannot be picked up with brute force, not even Gyūki has a chance of lifting it up with his physical strength.", Lilith said. Lilith paused before continuing, "Yet somehow, I can pick it up and I am pretty sure your daughter can pick it up as well. Why do you think that is? What does your daughter have that you lack? I will give you a hint, it has something to do with the magic she uses and what she needs to train in order to use that magic."

"If she can pick this book up and I can't so help me". Nav said to himself underneath his breah. Upon listening to the rest of Liliths sentence he easily had an answer. "Oh wait she uses a Spirit Slayer magic, but then that magic is attuned to her spirit. How would that work for me though. I dont anything about this spirtual stuff and my magic works more with the physical or maybe thats just how I have always used it, I don't know". NaV said running short on answers. "Its just alwayse seemed conivient to use brute strength but how would I get all in tune with the spirit like her"?

"Did you forget how magic power is usually produced? For you, magic power is a manifestation of your soul. If you are able to take control over your magic power the magic you use will become drastically stronger.", Lilith said. "Close your eyes and imagine that you are using your God Slayer Magic. Focus on what it feels like and find the source of that sensation. Once you think you have found it, try to pick up the book again.", she said. Even with this tip, Lilith doubted that NaVarro's soul would be strong enough to pick up the book. However, this tip should at least allow him to make the book budge.

"Ill give it a shot, this isnt my thing but I guess if it helps". NaV sat down in front of the book he struggled to lift and really looked at it. He went for the calm and focus approach and sought to focus on what it felt like. Power surged through his body as black flames this time slowly enevloped him but with his eyes closed images came to mind, concepts. Pain, anger, lack of confidence. The book rose to it's upright position and came flying open. Pages running rampant. The first being the hologram of a dead brother that once was his live one and that last conversation, which was him leaving in anger only to see Itsuki again as a corpse. The second was his flames being frozen by Lilith just recently and inability to lift a book, a simple action in terms of application yet he failed to do it. Followed by that the laughs of his father Raikardo, the man he once admired and the monster he now became. His parting words echoed among his skull with words that cut deep The eldest of my children, yet the most naive. In the shadows stood that blonde haired bitch Naazariya he hated so much laughing taunting him. Your brother is mine now, dont worry I will help him where you failed him. The feminine laugh and inhuman look in her eyes mocked him. Raido stood beside her and smiling standing before him as he had when he humiliated him in combat.

''You're just as useless as your magic, God Slayer?? god flames? couldnt light a marshmellow. Names Sub-Zero now, we share blood but we are not brothers''. The look in his eyes as cold as the magic he wielded. The sound of crying, a childs crying, Kanami's yet when he went to find her he found nothing, but sound her cried drowned out by howling winds that were heartlessly cold and had a message for him. Ice Devil Rage!!!!!, Ultamite Freeze!!!!!! as the book descended upon him looking to fall and crush him.

Opening his eyes his flames quickly stampd out and he hyperventaliated, only to wake up before him to see the still sitting book an a Lilith before him looking at him. His strongest attriubute was robbed from him but he could not see it. He had become his own worst enemy, hsi fear of failure, broken pride presented a roadblock to him he himself made seem too great. Instead he simply sough to conitune with false bravado.

The anger of futility rose once more. "ARGGG!!! What do I need to lift a book for HUH?!! Hows that gonna help me bring Itsuki back from the grave, and protect him better a secone time around. How is this gonna help me cope with the fact I could not save my mother from our dad instead I had to watch a younger sibling suceed where I failed!!. How's lifting this book gonna help me return my father to the man he once was and break him from the demon he has become!!. Hows this gonna help me save a brother who has become seduced by darkness and worst of all froze me and my pride and joy solid with ease. How is this gonna help me protect Kanami from ever seeing me like that again, or keep me from failing her and letting her down. NaV said rumbling on and on, his frustation not even aimed at Lilith but the futility he had felt for years and supressed among to protect his manhood and ego. Things that made him strong, but now were and anchor under the water that was drowning him fast. Tears rolled down his face as he put his face into his palms to calm the hate he had for himself, his father, his weakness, his sister, his brother, this life right now. The sobbs were muffled between his hand as he stood up turning to the side for a moment. His composure was lost.

"Your flames are powerful NaVarro, even I am afraid of them and I am absolutely immune to heat.", Lilith said in a comforting tone of voice. "What you lack isn't power NaVarro, it's control. That is why me and your brother was able to freeze your flames: you lack control.", Lilith stated. She paused for a second to let that sink in before saying, "Your soul is not strong enough to lift this book, so in order for you to have a chance you must give your soul a physical form: unleash your magic power in its raw state. Control those feeling of yours, imagine them giving you strength. If you do that, I guarantee you will be able to achieve what you desire."

"I lack control? is that really the key I been missing this whole time". NaVarro said wiping his eyes. Thinking back he realized he relished on wanton destruction of his enemies and literally pounding them into oblivion, yet when met with foes of equal or better power he was outsmarted and outclassed. "They gave me strength I thought when they physically propelled me forward, but now I guess thats just not enough". He said with a rather defeated still but repurposed on his face.