"Hey! Stop chasing me! You'll never catch me!"
The shout rang through the sky like the cry of a provocateur.
Above the Marine training grounds, two figures darted through the air at blinding speed, cutting through the wind and leaving faint trails of energy in their wake with each step on the void.
Hina was chasing Vergil with almost divine fury, her face twisted with a mix of rage, embarrassment, and sheer determination.
From a distance—without knowing the context—one could easily mistake the scene for an enraged wife chasing her husband after a domestic quarrel.
…If one ignored the murderous gleam in Hina's eyes, that is.
"Stop right there if you've got the guts, you bastard! What kind of man kisses someone and then runs away?!"
Her voice thundered across the field, echoing off the stone and steel below.
"Stop? You've got to be kidding me!" Vergil shouted back, glancing over his shoulder midair, his tone calm yet mocking.
"You'd kill me if I stopped! I may be dumb, but I'm not suicidal!"
His voice dripped with arrogance and mischief, and the smirk he shot her carried pure disdain.
"You…!"
Hina's scream cracked like an explosion. Her teeth clenched, her face flushed red with fury. She kicked off the air with such force that a thunderous boom echoed behind her—the sound of the Geppo answering her wrath.
Down below, the recruits stared up at the midair chase in stunned silence.
Some swallowed hard. Others traded looks of disbelief.
They could understand why Hina had mastered the Geppo—after all, she was one of Zephyr's top students.
But Vergil…?
That guy had been nothing more than a "talented civilian" until recently. He knew how to shoot and swing a sword, sure, but nothing that stood out.
Yet here he was, leaping through the air with precision and grace, as though defying gravity were as easy as breathing.
"That's… impossible," one recruit muttered.
"He learned Geppo… before us!?" another exclaimed, pride sinking like a stone in his gut.
"If he can do it… then what does that make us? Useless?" a cadet murmured, face pale.
Suddenly, a voice like thunder shattered the murmurs.
"ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU, STOP THIS INSTANT!"
The tone cracked the air like a whip. Every recruit snapped to attention immediately.
It was Professor Zephyr, standing with arms crossed and the expression of a man who had seen it all—but still managed to be impressed by the chaos his students could cause.
"Understood, Professor Zephyr."
Vergil was the first to respond. He descended gracefully, landing with a calm expression—though inside, he was just relieved to have narrowly escaped a potential beating.
Hina touched down moments later, still trembling with fury. The instant her feet hit the ground, she jabbed a finger toward Vergil.
"Professor Zephyr! This scoundrel had the audacity to—"
Zephyr raised one hand. The gesture alone was enough to silence her.
"You can settle your differences after class," he said flatly. "I don't care what happened between you two, but right now is not the time for personal disputes. Don't disrupt the others' progress."
The tone left no room for argument.
Hina huffed but backed off, frustration etched across her face. Even with her pride wounded and her cheeks still flushed, she obeyed—though not without throwing one last murderous glare at Vergil before rejoining the others.
Vergil let out a small sigh and gave Zephyr a discreet nod of gratitude.
At least I survived for today…
Zephyr cleared his throat.
"Now then, where was I? Ah, yes… the Geppo. Let's continue."
The rest of the afternoon passed in intense training.
Between explanations, demonstrations, and practice, the rhythmic sound of their aerial steps echoed like soft thunder across the field. By the time the lesson ended, the sky had already turned orange with dusk.
---
A few hours later…
"With that, today's lecture is over," Zephyr announced, folding his arms. "Vergil, Smoker, and Hina—stay behind."
"Yes, Professor Zephyr," they replied in unison.
The other recruits quickly dispersed, buzzing with chatter about what they'd witnessed.
Once the three remained, Zephyr's voice grew deeper.
"Meet me at six o'clock sharp, in the forest behind Training Field Number Three."
None of them questioned him. Zephyr's word was law.
"Yes, sir."
"Good." He nodded. "Don't be late."
Vergil could still feel Hina's burning gaze on his back.
He didn't need to look to know that if he lingered one more second, he'd end up beaten to a pulp.
So, using the wisdom of self-preservation, he hurried after Zephyr.
---
A short while later, as they walked down the main corridor together, Zephyr let out a short laugh.
"You really know how to stir up trouble, kid. Kissing a fellow student in public… I can't decide whether to congratulate you or scold you."
Vergil gave a faint smile. "I think either would be fair."
He averted his eyes, embarrassed. Zephyr just shook his head.
Students these days were a mystery.
Take Tokikake, for instance—writing love letters to Gion every single day, even after being rejected (and beaten) repeatedly. And now came Vergil, pushing romantic chaos to a whole new level.
"Young people these days…" Zephyr muttered, half amused, half exasperated.
Vergil only sighed.
After all, it had all started because of a system mission—with a reward too generous to pass up. If not for that, he would never have done something so reckless.
"In any case," Zephyr continued, his tone turning serious again, "whatever your reasons, your behavior was excessive. If you end up in the infirmary after Hina's done with you, I won't blame her. Got it?"
Neither will I, Vergil thought bitterly.
"Anyway, kid—care to join me for dinner tonight?" Zephyr asked suddenly.
Vergil smiled awkwardly. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass, Professor. See you later."
After parting ways, he found a quiet spot to resume his Geppo training, repeating the midair kicks over and over until his legs screamed with exhaustion.
Time slipped by quickly.
At half past five, Vergil wolfed down a quick meal, and by six o'clock sharp, he arrived at the forest behind Training Field No. 3—where Hina and Smoker were already waiting.
Zephyr stood before them, arms crossed, his gaze sharp.
"The reason I've called you three here tonight," he began, "is simple: you're geniuses."
The words hung in the air like a revelation.
Smoker raised an eyebrow. Hina blinked in surprise. Vergil simply listened, focused.
"Geniuses cannot—and must not—be trained like ordinary people," Zephyr declared.
"Training you the same way as the others would be a waste of potential. From now on, every night at six o'clock, you'll meet me here. I'll personally oversee your training."
Their eyes lit up instantly.
It was an unthinkable privilege.
To be trained directly by Zephyr, the legendary Black Arm himself—
That was nothing short of a divine blessing.
---
(End of Chapter)