Chapter 918: The Grandmaster, Scathach

The Grandmaster

Scáthach did not immediately answer Vergil’s question.

Instead, her eyes shifted away from him and went straight to Yamato, who was still sitting sideways on her master’s lap with a spoonful of cake practically forgotten between her lips.

The change in the redhead’s demeanor was minimal—only a little more interest in her gaze and a slight tilt of her head—but Yamato noticed.

And reacted in a way no one there expected.

Her entire body went rigid.

Vergil felt it first because he still had one arm around her waist. Yamato stopped chewing, her fingers discreetly tightened around his shirt, and those blue-violet eyes remained fixed on Scáthach for a few seconds before looking away.

Vergil frowned.

"Yamato?"

She did not answer.

Scáthach took a single step forward.

Yamato immediately stood up from Vergil’s lap and hid behind him.

Viviane blinked.

Sapphire raised an eyebrow.

Vergil turned his head slightly, trying to see her.

"What is it?"

"I don’t know."

The answer came out far too quietly for a woman who had thrown Mjölnir into another country only a few hours earlier.

Scáthach noticed.

Her smile grew.

Yamato saw it.

"No."

Blue-violet light wrapped around her body before Vergil could ask anything else. In less than a second, the woman disappeared and Yamato returned to the form of a katana, dropping directly into Vergil’s hands. The sheath formed right after, and she practically fitted herself onto his waist.

Vergil stared at the sword.

"...Yamato?"

I don’t like her.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

The sword remained silent for a few seconds before answering through the connection only he understood perfectly.

I’m afraid.

Vergil actually stopped.

Yamato.

Afraid.

The same Yamato who had never shown the slightest hesitation before gods, demons, monsters, or creatures capable of destroying worlds.

The weapon that literally cut dimensions, and whose first reaction after gaining a body had been to destroy a wooden sword out of jealousy, was now hiding inside her sheath because a red-haired woman had merely looked at her.

"You’re afraid of her?"

Yes.

"Why?"

I don’t know.

The sheath vibrated faintly against his hip.

She looks at me wrong.

Vergil slowly raised his eyes toward Scáthach.

The redhead was still smiling.

It was not exactly a friendly smile.

It was the smile of someone who had just discovered an extremely interesting toy.

Vergil pointed at her.

"What did you do?"

"Me?"

"My sword is afraid of you."

Scáthach tilted her head.

"Interesting."

"That doesn’t answer me."

"I didn’t do anything."

Vergil narrowed his eyes.

She smiled even more.

She looked like a demon.

Which was particularly impressive considering the only demonic person in that conversation was supposed to be Vergil.

"Stop looking at her like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you’re calculating fifteen different ways to take her apart."

Scáthach did not answer.

Vergil pointed again.

"Exactly that face."

Sapphire finally decided to intervene before her guest scared Yamato badly enough that the sword decided never to assume human form again.

"Scáthach."

The redhead looked away from Yamato.

Sapphire then gestured toward Vergil.

"Vergil, this is Scáthach. Warrior, teacher, master of multiple forms of combat, and probably one of the most unpleasantly competent people with weapons I know."

Scáthach glanced sideways.

"What an affectionate introduction."

"Would you prefer I lie?"

"No."

"Good."

Sapphire turned her attention back to Vergil, who still kept one hand resting over Yamato, almost as though soothing the sword through touch.

"And that is probably why Yamato is reacting like this."

Vergil frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Scáthach is a Grandmaster."

He looked at the redhead.

"Grandmaster?"

"With swords, among other weapons," Sapphire explained. "At that level, we are not talking about someone who merely learned techniques or accumulated experience. A true Grandmaster understands a weapon on an almost instinctive level. Weight, balance, structure, weaknesses, potential, intent. Put a sword in the hands of someone like that and she can do practically anything with it."

Vergil looked back down at Yamato.

The sword vibrated.

I knew it.

Sapphire noticed the reaction and continued.

"Yamato is conscious. She probably doesn’t perceive Scáthach as merely a person. To her, it’s like standing in front of someone who could hold her and understand everything about her structure the instant she touched her hilt."

Scáthach crossed her arms.

"I’d like to test that."

Yamato vibrated violently.

Vergil immediately placed a hand over the sheath.

"No."

"I didn’t even ask."

"My preemptive answer is still no."

Scáthach laughed.

Vergil looked back at Sapphire, still stuck on one specific piece of information.

"Grandmaster, huh?"

"Yes."

"You never mentioned that before."

"Because until yesterday, I didn’t need to find someone to teach you."

Vergil fell silent.

Then blinked.

"Teach who?"

Sapphire shrugged.

"You."

He pointed at himself.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Teach me what?"

"Swordsmanship."

Vergil stood completely still for several seconds.

Viviane, realizing exactly where the conversation was headed, discreetly picked up her tray and moved a few steps away.

She had no intention of standing between Sapphire and Vergil when that argument began.

"I know how to use a sword."

"I know," Sapphire replied.

"Quite well."

"I know that too."

"Then why exactly did you bring me a teacher without telling me?"

"Because I don’t have the patience to teach you."

Vergil opened his mouth.

Sapphire continued before he could complain.

"Besides, I follow the path of the spear. I can correct many things in your combat, but I’m not going to pretend my sword mastery is as deep as that of someone who spent an absurd amount of time perfecting exactly that."

"You could have just asked."

"Would you have agreed?"

Vergil thought.

Sapphire raised an eyebrow.

He remained silent.

"That’s what I thought."

Scáthach continued watching the conversation without showing any hurry.

When Sapphire finished, her eyes returned to Vergil, this time without any particular interest in Yamato.

She started with his face, moved over his shoulders, arms, posture, foot placement, and finally his hands.

Vergil noticed.

"Looking for something?"

"Yes."

"Find it?"

Scáthach tilted her head slightly.

"You don’t look very strong."

Silence.

Viviane closed her eyes.

Sapphire remained completely neutral.

Vergil looked at Scáthach.

She was not provoking him.

Worse.

She was genuinely analyzing him.

Vergil slowly nodded.

"Thor thought that too."

Scáthach raised an eyebrow.

Vergil lifted his right hand, and a small demonic distortion appeared beside him.

Mjölnir emerged directly into his palm, apparently returned from wherever Niddrog had locked her away.

The hammer vibrated once, still indignant about everything that had happened earlier.

Vergil began spinning it through his fingers with almost offensive ease.

"Now I have Mjölnir."

Scáthach looked at the hammer.

Then at him.

Vergil shrugged.

"I almost got Gungnir too, but the old man teleported it away first."

The redhead’s expression finally changed.

Not much.

But it changed.

"You’re serious?"

"Unfortunately."

Scáthach studied Mjölnir again.

There was no mistaking that presence.

It was not a replica, projection, or magical copy.

The weapon Vergil was casually spinning in his hand really was Thor’s hammer.

"You took that from him?"

"She came with me."

Mjölnir vibrated proudly.

Vergil gave a small smile.

"Don’t let it go to your ego."

It’s already big.

Vergil looked at the hammer.

"You talk too much now."

Mjölnir vibrated cheerfully.

Scáthach pointed at the weapon.

"She talks?"

"Recently, yes."

"I heard her."

"Then why did you ask?"

"I’m trying to understand why a divine hammer sounds like a sarcastic teenager."

Mjölnir vibrated indignantly.

Vergil nearly smiled.

"Good question."

Scáthach looked back at him.

"And Gungnir?"

Vergil stopped playing with Mjölnir.

His expression became a little more serious.

Without saying anything, he pulled up the sleeve of his left arm.

A scar crossed part of it.

It was not enormous or particularly ugly, but there was something wrong about it.

Even for someone who did not know Vergil, it was easy to see that mark should not exist on a body with such absurd regenerative ability.

Scáthach stepped closer.

Her smile disappeared.

"That..."

"Gungnir."

She looked at him.

Vergil ran a finger across the scar.

"Odin hit me."

"You survived."

"As you can see."

"That weapon shouldn’t leave survivors when it properly strikes its target."

Vergil let his sleeve fall.

"My body disagreed."

Sapphire crossed her arms.

"Half of him disappeared."

Scáthach looked at her.

Then at Vergil.

"Half?"

"More or less."

Vergil made a careless gesture with one hand.

"It came back."

Scáthach remained silent for several seconds.

The way she looked at Vergil was different now.

Not impressed, exactly.

Interested.

Very interested.

Vergil noticed the change and began playing with Mjölnir again, passing the hammer from one hand to the other.

"I don’t need to look strong."

Scáthach narrowed her eyes.

Vergil smiled.

"But I feel rather attacked, you know?"

Viviane stifled a laugh.

Sapphire sighed.

Scáthach stared at him for two seconds.

Then started laughing.

"You got offended."

"No."

"You did."

"I merely presented evidence."

"You rolled up your sleeve to show me a scar."

"Context."

"And summoned Mjölnir."

"Physical evidence."

Scáthach approached until she stood a little more than a meter in front of him.

"Fine."

Vergil raised an eyebrow.

"Fine what?"

"Maybe you are strong."

"Generous."

"I said maybe."

Vergil smiled.

So did Scáthach.

Sapphire watched the two of them and immediately recognized the problem she would probably have to deal with over the next several weeks.

Both were arrogant.

Both knew it.

And neither seemed willing to back down.

"Great," Sapphire said. "Now that you’re done measuring egos, can we talk about training?"

Vergil turned toward her.

"I still haven’t agreed."

Scáthach answered before Sapphire could.

"You don’t need to."

Vergil slowly looked at the redhead.

"What?"

Scáthach walked toward him without the slightest hesitation and stopped so close that she had to lift her chin slightly to maintain eye contact.

"Sapphire asked me to train you. I accepted."

"That usually requires the student’s consent."

"Not for me."

Vergil let out a small laugh.

"You seem confident."

"I’ve trained people better than you."

Mjölnir went still.

Yamato vibrated at his waist.

Vergil narrowed his eyes.

"Now you’ve made both of them angry."

"Good."

Scáthach smiled.

Vergil felt Yamato press spiritually against his consciousness.

Let me cut her.

"No."

Scáthach raised an eyebrow.

"Talking to me?"

"To my sword."

"She wants to attack me?"

"Yes."

"Even better."

Yamato vibrated harder.

Vergil placed a hand on the hilt.

"Calm down."

Scáthach watched that gesture with particular attention and, for the first time, her gaze dropped specifically to his hand.

"That bond between you..."

Vergil noticed immediately.

"Don’t even think about it."

She smiled again.

Sapphire ran a hand over her face.

"That is exactly why I brought her."

Vergil looked at his wife.

"To traumatize Yamato?"

"To traumatize you."

Viviane started laughing.

Vergil stared at Sapphire for several seconds before slowly nodding.

"Ah."

Scáthach crossed her arms.

"We start tomorrow."

Vergil looked at her.

"I have plans tomorrow."

"Not anymore."

"You just got here."

"And I’ve already corrected your schedule."

"You don’t even know my schedule."

"I do now. Training."

Vergil slowly turned toward Sapphire.

She smiled.

"Good luck."

That was when he finally understood the real reason his wife had looked so satisfied ever since walking through that door.

She had not hired him a teacher.

She had outsourced her revenge.