I threw a slash upwards, the drones followed and intercepted the incoming enemy drones.

“AHHHH!!!”

Relegating my foot to the back, I brought the sword to my flank before throwing a few wind blades at Cain.

He blocked them using his plasma cannon arm. Some managed to hit him.

“Geh?! OUch.. h-huh? Hikh?!”

The wind blades were created using mana. It’s blunt, compressed air that creates a really loud whizzing noise. It kind of shattered my initial expectation of your typical fantasy wind element. Logically speaking, wind blades being blunt would make a lot more sense. Air disperses moving further from the source.

And, just for your notes, the wind blade attack isn’t part of the 2nd grade weapon, Blue Kaizer’s special functions. It’s something I could initiate for any sword weapon. With exceptions like the photon blade as it lacked a solid blade.

I honestly have no idea where I learnt this.

Cain misunderstood initially, thinking that it was a hex.

I pointed Blue Kaiser at him. A blue light began condensing at the tip.

Cain fired his plasma cannon.

I released the charge, he did the same.

The two collided. With the angle slightly tilted, they deflected each other in a way that seemed kaleidoscopic.

He’s going to win this bout.

I ran towards him by moving in an arc. Making sure to intercept the laser barrage coming at me.

“AHHH!!”

Because of hirs shout, my focus slipped.

A chill was felt and I stopped my advance and jumped away. The steady laser cannon stream just went past me.

I commanded all the drones to fire at Cain.

It was pointless. His drones shot down the lasers my drones fired with ease. Not to mention, it was 2 to 1 in the drone department, with Cain having twice the number active.

“I concede!”

“Good job Avner.”

“Help! Me! Help!!”

I heaved.

“I’m not as strong as I think I am.”

The ability to handle weapons is one thing. Being able to utilize it strategically to incapacitate the opponent is another.

It’s not a problem of the micro, it’s a problem of the macro.

A strong army isn’t omnipotent. It can be defeated by a weak army if the wrong strategy is used and vice versa. This is the problem I face. I’m bad at the strategy part.

I only think of the battle in front of me, not the battle as a whole. Brute force, basically.

“Help me! Stop! Stop! I don’t want this!!”

“How long are you going to have the drones chase hir around?”

“Until xe reaches the roof. I’ve made sure that it won't hit hir.”

“So it’s only firing threats?”

“Yes. So please don’t tell hir.”

“You guys are so mean!!!”

Xe’s enjoying hirself at least.

Until xe can successfully make hirs way here, Cain won’t begin teaching hir about weapons.

“Cain, is it possible that we do the training more frequently?”

The excuse we were using to come to his place on a Friday was to ask about homework. Every time, Pu’er and I had to act as if we’re having a discussion, Cain being our tutor.

“I can arrange for that.”

“How about you just set a mine in the early morning? I step on it and then we begin training. That way I wouldn’t need to keep coming to the office.”

“How about Pu’er?”

“I think xe’s having enough on hirs plate now as it stands now.”

“As you wish, Avner.”

Bam!

Pu’er managed to climb all the way to the rooftop through the stairs. Xe fell flat on the ground, breathing wildly.

“Congratulations.”

“Y-You’re.. so mean..”

“We can proceed to the next phase.”

“Let me.. rest.. first please!!”

Pu’er was almost screaming.

“Speaking of which. Mister Cain, I have something I need to discuss with you.”

“Yes.”

“I actually bumped into a demon not too long ago, and he told me to come to the demon association to activate my system. Were you aware that my system was never activated?”

“A-Ah. I.. forgive me Avner. I hadn’t taken that into consideration..”

As if.

“Are you doing this on purpose? I’m at a disadvantage by not being able to differentiate between normal people and the other angels and demons, you know that, right?”

Maybe it doesn’t matter if I die here. The most I’d lose is a burden. Which could be seen as a good thing, especially when I just want to live a normal life.

“It would be great if I just lost all memories of this angel-demon war thing,” I muttered.

“I bumped into a demon recently.”

Pu’er got up.

“Really?”

“He probably got into a fight and retreated. He didn’t try to attack me, at least..”

“Fortunately.”

I waited for hir to finish, then turned to Cain.

“Mister Cain, is it alright if I went with the demon to get my system activated? Will there be any side effects because I have this on me?”

I showed him the chain.

“There shouldn’t be any issues. Just beware that they may take it away.”

“And if that happens, I’ll become an enemy, correct?”

“...”

“Mister Cain, I’m very grateful for what you’ve done. But why are you helping me? Wouldn’t it be easier to just destroy my memories?”

His actions weren’t congruent to his intentions.

“Mister Cain. I don’t want to think that you’re my enemy.”

He saved me, yet didn’t teach me enough about the world. It’s as if he’s trying to hide something from us.

“I believe.”

He started.

“No. I wanted to believe that it is possible for the war to end.”

I narrowed my eyes.

Haven’t I already made it clear that I didn’t really care for the peace between demons and angels? Why is he..

“Avner, Pu’er. What I told you about losing your memories.. that was a lie. The truth is, I don’t want to see more people die.”

===

Cain didn’t want to scare us. He was planning to reveal it when we grew a little more, or when we were settled into this life. Since I’ve touched on the topic, he thought that it was best to just reveal the truth. Else it would only cause more misunderstanding.

When we die in the astral space, we lose our soul.

We die.

Our body in the real world moves on– as puppets. We become an empty shell.

People wouldn’t find anything suspicious about our shell. It would act as it should. The shell would even live out life as normal humans, expressing emotions, falling in love, getting married, even having children.

But that’s just the shell carrying out our lives so that the humans don’t suspect anything.

It’s a mysterious phenomenon that Cain can’t explain either. It’s just part of the natural law of the world.

After all, we’re not exactly humans.

An alien race, a mythological existence, a paranormal entity, God’s pawns.

We weren’t bound by the same rules.

“T-That means I-I almost died..” Pu’er’s voice quivered.

“My sincerest apology.”

“This is why we have no choice but to learn to fight?”

“Yes.”

Many pieces fall into place with this information. Why would angels and demons involve themselves in this war? Why was there a need for conflict? There had to be some form of risk, or loss involved.

A concept of death that encompasses a single generation.

Companionship and camaraderie each side wishes to keep.

The reason why Cain kept me alive.

It wasn’t only because I was this so-called legendary incarnation of Avner.

It was so that I could protect others.

“Avner, if you are going to the demon association. I can only advise you to take prudence. I don’t know how the procedures have changed over the past few years.”

And, now that I know my life is at risk. I can’t delay activating my system any longer.

“I understand.”