Chapter 43: Bloody training

The river flowed ever so peacefully outside the cave. Apparently, the cave stood directly opposite the place where Star, Sarah, and Zuru had been captured, with the wide river separating the two locations.

Beyond its entrance sprawled an expansive clearing, its uneven ground scattered with rocks of varying sizes, most of them clustered along the cave’s rugged edges. Farther to the right, the land sloped gradually downwards, revealing that they were standing on elevated ground. From there, one could glimpse parts of the Diconoc Kingdom, though the view from above the cave was likely even more spectacular.

Everyone stepped out of the cave, with Druid leading the way and Star walking behind him, staring down at the black tunic he had been given, which he wore over a white shirt.

He tugged at the crimson sash wrapped around his waist, then adjusted the shin guards around his knees and the guards on his elbows with an uncomfortable sigh.

"Are all these really necessary?"

Druid glanced at him. "You know they are. That’s what everyone wears during training." He swiftly flipped the long staff in his hands between his fingers before slamming its end against the ground.

"Yeah, I know," Star replied, still trying to find some comfort in the clothes. "It’s just that they’ll still break, though." He spared Druid a glance. "Well, unless your attacks have become weak."

Druid’s left eye twitched.

"RAAH!"

One moment, he had simply halted; the next, his staff was already sweeping towards Star’s jaw at alarming speed.

"What the..." Sarah yelped. Even the others stepped back in shock.

’Hmm.’ Star was completely caught off guard, but not by the speed of the attack. If anything, the staff seemed almost too slow in his eyes, thanks to his demonic hypersenses. What truly caught him off guard was the attack itself. Just like the others, he hadn’t expected it.

’Well, that escalated quickly.’

However, he simply sidestepped and leaned backwards, allowing the staff to whoosh past his face.

But Druid was already moving again, giving him no time to recover.

He swiftly rotated the staff around his shoulders and thrust it forward, its blunt tip shooting dangerously towards Star.

Star’s eyes widened. ’Wow, he’s fast with that thing.’

The attack forced him to jump farther to the side. As he moved, he grabbed the staff firmly and gave it a sharp pull.

Druid, who had leaned forward to deliver the thrust, suddenly found his weight shifting too far ahead. He staggered towards Star, struggling to regain his balance.

Star’s lips curled upwards mischievously. His fist was already swinging towards Druid’s stomach, timed perfectly to meet him as he stumbled forward.

Druid’s eyes lit up at once. It was already too late. There was nothing he could do to stop the incoming blow.

No, there was one thing.

"Hmm!"

He drove his foot into the ground, and the earth immediately rose around it, wrapping tightly around his ankle and anchoring him in place.

The sudden resistance halted his forward movement, keeping his stomach just out of reach of Star’s incoming fist.

Druid raised his head towards Star and smiled.

But then...

THUM!

The smile vanished, replaced by a sharp grimace of pain. His body folded around the blow, and he was hurled backwards.

Jesper, Jeremy, and Kessarah stared in disbelief. None of them could remember the last time anyone had managed to land a clean hit on the Crown Prince, let alone do so within moments of a fight beginning.

Zuru noticed their astonishment and proudly tugged at the collar of his tunic.

"That’s a weak punch!" he murmured, feigning disappointment as though he were Star’s sensei reviewing a student’s performance. "Honestly, I expected better."

The others turned towards him, a newfound respect in their eyes.

Sarah silently shook her head. ’It’s only a matter of time.’

Meanwhile, Druid struck the ground with a heavy thud, but he swiftly rolled through the impact and flipped back onto his feet, landing in a low crouch. His gaze snapped towards Star.

"How..." His words trailed off as he looked up and spotted the crimson, matter-smithed fist extending from Star’s own.

Druid bit his lip.

’So his blow didn’t reach me, and he formed another fist to make sure it connected. That bastard.’

"So, you’re still as irritating in a fight as ever, I see."

Star straightened up before giving a careless shrug. "All I see is that your attacks are as slow as I said."

"Urgh!" Druid grunted.

Then, rather than taking offence, he grinned and rose to his full height.

"Well, let’s make this more interesting, shall we?"

He tossed the wooden staff aside.

Jesper, who had been carrying several more practice staffs, released a long-suffering sigh, shook his head, and carried the weapons back inside the cave.

Star spread his arms. "Suit yourself." He glanced around the training ground, noticing the scars that marked the earth. "After all, we’re already in the training grounds, aren’t we?"

"Right..." Druid chuckled, a mischievous glint entering his eyes.

He raised both arms and slowly brought them together until he pressed two fingers from each hand together in front of his face. He then lowered his hands towards his chest, his muscles stretched taut.

His grin widened as he stared at Star with a feral intensity, leaving Sarah in no doubt that the prince loved nothing more than a good fight.

Every trace of the gentle Druid who had spoken to them in a calm, honourable voice moments earlier vanished. In his place stood a boy whose eyes gleamed with barely restrained bloodlust, his entire demeanour transformed by the exhilarating prospect of a fight.

"EARTH MANIPULATION!" he bellowed.

Just then, the earth beneath them began to groan.

’Oh, boy!’ Zuru swallowed. He quickly tiptoed towards the cave entrance. At least if anything too serious happened, he could always retreat inside.

"THIRD ASPECT!" He yelled, his voice echoing through entire place.

He threw both fists into the air.

"CRACK AND BURST!"

VDOOSH!

He slammed both fists into the ground.

A tremendous shock wave erupted from the impact, blasting dust and loose stones into the air. The force sent Druid’s hair scattering as cracks spread outwards from the point of impact, rippling across the earth like waves across water.

Star’s eyes widened. As he looked around, he realised there was nowhere left to stand safely. The cracks were spreading in every direction.

PUUM!

The violent tremor swept him off his feet. Before he could land, Druid thrust one arm upwards - In response a thick rock erupted from the ground with savage force, slamming straight into Star’s abdomen.

"Urgh!"

The cry was ripped from Star’s throat as his body shot upwards. He crashed against the top of the cave before falling back towards the ground.

’Damn Aspect...!" He growled in pain. "Too bad I don’t have any of my own. And worse, I can’t use Demonic Rites with my ring on.’

"Urgh!" he groaned as he pushed himself onto his knees, both hands still planted against the ground.

"GET UP, STAR!" Druid yelled, sweeping his arm upwards once more.

"Huh?" Star gasped as he felt a sudden vibration racing towards him. His eyes lit up at once.

’So that’s how you come!’

He quickly rolled away, and another enormous rock burst brutally out of the ground where he had been, its eruption accompanied by a deep, rumbling crash.

Star sprang into a crouch, turning to face Druid.

"Now I remember why I hate fighting you. You always lose yourself in a fight."

"Heh, heh, heh!"

Even Druid’s laughter made Zuru’s insides tremble.

"This is just the other side of me, the one that loves violence."

"That’s a rather concerning thing to announce so proudly," Zuru muttered from a safe distance.

"RAAAH!"

Druid punched the air again, and another rock erupted beneath Star.

This time, however, Star didn’t dodge it. He sensed the vibration, adjusted his balance, and positioned himself above the rising rock so that it wouldn’t impale him. Then, allowing its upward force to carry him, he leapt with it, using his own momentum to soar towards Druid.

"Huh?" Druid muttered, astonished that Star had managed to evade an attack he hadn’t even seen coming.

"Thanks for the lift!" Star called out cheerfully.

Before he had even reached the peak of his jump, crimson Matter spiralled towards the first rock that had erupted from the ground, curling around it like a crimson serpent before hardening into a thick, glowing chain.

’I might be at a greater disadvantage here, but I won’t LOSE!’

"Hrmm!"

Star pulled hard.

CRACK!

The rock tore free from the fractured earth. Twisting in midair, Star swung the chain with both hands and sent the enormous stone hurtling towards Druid.

It came so quickly that Druid barely had time to react. Rather than risk being struck, he punched the rock apart.

But that was precisely what Star had been counting on.

Before Druid could clear his vision of the debris raining around him, Star was already upon him.

"Fuck—"

THUM!

Star’s fist slammed into his face with brutal force.

The Crown Prince’s head snapped downwards, blood and saliva spraying from his mouth as the force of the blow distorted his features. He crashed heavily onto the ground, sending dust billowing around his body.

Star landed over him - Raised his hand to deliver another blow, but—

"SUMMON GRAVETOOTH!" Druid yelled.

Star immediately stopped and turned to his left.

"Shit!"

A surge of green light had burst into existence in midair, and a massive beast lunged straight towards him.

"DRUID, STOOOOP!" Sarah and Kessarah screamed in perfect unison.

But it was already too late.

SQUELCH!

Silence.

Sarah and Kessarah stared at each other, their faces drained of colour.

They had shouted the same warning at precisely the same moment, and now both stood frozen, breathing hard as the horrifying reality of what they had witnessed sank in.

Jesper could only stare at the scene, his face pale with shock.

Jeremy was already trembling, tears gathering in his eyes. "O-oh, no!"

Zuru, however, was too busy studying the two girls to fully appreciate the horror before him. He had just arrived at the rather useless realisation that something was definitely going on between them.

Druid lay on the ground, still breathing heavily, but Star was no longer standing over him.

Instead, Star hung limply from the Gravetooth’s enormous forward-curving horn, which had pierced straight through his abdomen. Blood streamed down the horn and dripped onto the ground beneath him, staining the earth crimson.

Everything had happened too quickly for Star to understand what was coming. All he had seen was a monstrous shape somewhere between a rhinoceros and a creature carved from rock.

Now that it stood motionless, Sarah and Zuru could finally see it clearly.

The Gravetooth was a massive, four-legged beast with the muscular build of a rhinoceros and thick, stone-like armour covering its body. A large horn jutted from the front of its snout, while two smaller horns curved forwards and downwards from the sides of its head, their tips pointing towards its mouth.

Though still a young beast, clearly undergoing taming, its powerful legs looked capable of crushing the ground beneath them.

"N-no..." Kezara stammered, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at Star’s motionless body. She shook her head as though refusing to accept what she was seeing. ’Star... please...’

Druid sprang to his feet, the feral-fight-excitement in his eyes disappearing in an instant.

"Shit..." he whispered.

His gaze locked onto Star, impaled on his beast’s horn, and all the colour drained from his face.

"No. No, no, no..."

He stumbled forward, his eyes filling with tears. A moment ago, he had been enjoying the fight. Now, he could barely breathe.

"Star!" His voice broke as he reached towards him, only to stop, terrified of making things worse. "Star, wake up! Come on, this isn’t funny!"

Tears spilled down his cheeks as his hands began to tremble.

"I didn’t..." His throat tightened, cutting off the words. "I didn’t mean to—"

"Nhhhhh..."

Star stirred with a deep, sudden inhale.

Druid froze. Slowly, he lifted his head and stared at Star, as though he needed to make absolutely certain that he had heard him breathe.

"Ow! It hurts!" Star cried.

Every head turned.

Jeremy nearly stumbled over his own feet. "HE’S ALIVE?"

Jesper’s stern expression broke into sheer astonishment. "You have got to be kidding me."

Sarah let out a shaky breath, as she pressed a hand against her chest.

Even Kezara, who had been struggling to hold back her tears, found herself smiling. Unfortunately, the relief only made the tears gathering in her eyes spill over, and she quickly brushed them away.

Druid’s shoulders dropped so abruptly that he nearly collapsed from relief. "You’re... alive?"

"O-obviously," Star grumbled, his attention fixed on the horn embedded in his abdomen. "Unless the dead can feel pain now."

Druid quickly dismissed his beast, and Star slumped onto the ground.

"Urgh!"

First, Druid let out a laughter of relief. Then he pulled him up and rested him on his lap, not even minding the blood.

"I’m guessing it now takes ripping out your heart, spine, or head to kill you," Druid muttered.

Star was still breathing shakily, "Yeah, I think so," he answered distantly.

All his focus now, however, was fixed on his injured stomach.

Tiny red lights flowed out from within it, resembling little glowing pebbles. Then they drifted backwards towards the wound, and each one that touched it dissolved into his flesh, helping the torn tissue knit itself back together.

The process was strangely beautiful.

Unfortunately, watching his own flesh stitch itself together in real time left Star’s mouth hanging open.

’What in the world...?’

He had seen plenty of strange things in his life, but his body healing itself like this was something else entirely.

"Woooow!" Druid exclaimed, leaning closer with wide eyes. His earlier panic had barely subsided, but his amazement was already taking over.

’Could Vehitoshi be using these little pebbles to heal me?’ Star wondered as he watched another luminous fragment dissolve into his flesh.. ’I doubt his own healing process is usually this... this romantic.’

By now, the others had gathered around them, and none could help marvelling at the sight.

Zuru, however, hadn’t entirely abandoned his act of being the boss. He folded his arms and examined Star with exaggerated nonchalance.

"Well, that’s new," he remarked.

Druid nodded. "Yeah. And it’s good, because now I won’t have to hold back when delivering my strikes."

Sarah’s brows furrowed.

"No!" she declared. "No more fighting! Or training with you!" She planted both hands on her waist, glaring at Druid. "It’s time he trained me, as promised."

Kezara groaned and turned away, walking off before anyone could notice the annoyance on her face.

Druid frowned at Sarah. "You do realise you act so motherly sometimes?"

Sarah’s heart seemed to skip a beat.

"What...?"

"Oh, finally!" Zuru chirped, his composure shattering at last. "Someone seems to notice!"

He marched towards Druid and gripped him by the shoulders, prompting the prince to raise a bewildered brow.

"Now, Druid, brother, I’m starting to like you."

Druid chuckled. "Okay? Thanks. Well, her acting motherly isn’t a bad thing. At least it shows she cares. Besides, someone as good and strong as Star deserves someone like her looking out for him. And she deserves someone as good and strong as Star to teach her."

Sarah’s eyes lit up, and she straightened proudly, looking rather pleased with herself.

Zuru’s shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, now I hate you again." He released Druid.

"You should have just shut up."