CHAPTER 32: 100 YEARS P3
~32.3~
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“Oh, not you, too!”
They shared a laugh, but then Kye’s expression hardened. “So, Athy. You’ve trained with Astarte most of your life. Show me your skills with a sword. The Astarte I know is extremely meticulous in training, but the Astarte you know is much younger. I don’t know how different the training you’ve received is.”
Athanasia nodded and firmly gripped her training sword.
After a flurry of exchanges, Kye stopped the match. “Okay. I have a good grasp. You’re quite good. Good enough to contend with my students, but a far cry from what Astarte would have trained you to in our time.”
“Has my aunt improved that drastically?”
Kye shrugged. “I couldn’t say. She may not have been as stern in your time. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. If you return to our time like you are now, she’s going to drill you so hard your arms will fall off.”
Athanasia grimaced as she imagined her already intense training. “That’s a scary thought.”
“Heh,” Alethea chuckled. “She trained me pretty hard, but my training was for my body, not my skills. In your case, you need both. Do you want to train under us? You don’t have to feel obligated to do anything. If you don’t want to fight, that’s perfectly fine, too.”
Athanasia immediately shook her head. “No. I will train. I was kidnapped as a child. I’ll never worry mother like that again, so I will become so strong that none would dare to try.”
Kye smirked. “Very well. In that case, watch us spar for a few minutes.” She held her training sword and stood in front of Alethea, who readied her own training sword.
“Describe to us what you see once we’re done.”
Athanasia watched intently as the two traded blows. Once they were done, both turned toward the blonde princess and smiled. “That was amazing. I have much to learn.”
“Describe it!” Alethea said.
Athanasia held a hand to her chin. “Hmm. Elegant is the first word that comes to mind. You moved fluidly. There was no wasted movement, yet no power lost in any swing. I think I can improve myself just from watching you just now.”
Alethea held her sword up and smirked. “Show me.” Her sister readied herself, and the two began sparring. Keeping in mind how they moved, she refined her own movements. Partway through, she twisted around but couldn’t carry the full force of her swing and was pushed back. “Very good.”
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“Yes, but I hesitated on that last attack. I couldn’t carry the full force through the entire swing.”
The pink-haired girl nodded. “That you adjusted yourself so well that quickly shows your incredible potential. Teaching you will be very rewarding. You absorb information like a sponge.”
“Indeed, she does.” The voice that said that belonged to none of the three, but it was familiar to Kye and Alethea. Both twisted around to see the source and saw a pink-haired catgirl. “Hi.” Their eyes widened, and they froze.
Athanasia watched in silence, unable to bring herself to speak. The girl in front of them was strange in a way she was wholly unfamiliar with. Even the weakest civilian had a mana signature, but the girl in front of her had none at all. She couldn’t sense her presence except with her eyes.
The girl reached out and flicked Kye’s and Alethea’s heads. “Okay, okay, calm down. I know it’s been a while, but sheesh.”
“Mom?” Alethea muttered, barely able to get it out.
“Hi, sweetheart.” The catgirl patted Alethea’s head. “It’s good to see you!”
“Mom?” Athanasia echoed. “But...”
The girl smiled at the princess. “No, I’m not Atalante. Hun, remember these two have more than one mother. Atalante is Alethea’s adopted mother, technically biological now because of Xera’s shenanigans. I am Maya’s mother. I’m happy to see my daughter having so much fun with her new sister! You’re a sweetheart, Athy!”
Athanasia blushed. “Th-thank you.”
“What are you doing here?” Kye asked, finally regaining her composure. “You almost never come to the afterlife.”
She shrugged. “I wanted to see my daughter. Since you have your memories and know who I am, I decided to come say hi.”
Alethea smiled. “Well, hello, mother. Are you here to do anything, or just visit?”
“Just visit, of course,” she said. “I’m not meddling.” She smiled. “Anyway, I should introduce myself. I have a few names, but my true name cannot be heard by souls residing within the Elysium System. The name my parents prefer to call me will suffice. I am Mavel Nacht Weltwald. In the living world, I am the daughter of Demon Lord Velarus Nacht and Beast Queen Mabel Weltwald. Thus, I am half demon and half cat.”
“The living world?” Athanasia asked.
The demon cat giggled. “Yes. Eli dear, Maya dear, you should fill her in since you plan to have her take a prominent role in Elysium.”
Alethea sighed. “Mom, I was planning to talk to her about all of that over time. We have a hundred years.”
“If you’re not careful, hun, that’ll go by in a flash.”
Kye shrugged. “It won’t go by that fast. Anyway, yeah, uh...” She glanced at Athanasia. “Long story short, Elysium exists in the afterlife.”
“Uhh...”
“Yeah. So, most souls in Elysium have already died in the living world. And they fall into two general categories. Heaven and hell, if you will. Elysium is basically heaven and Tartaros is basically hell. There is another realm in the afterlife called Eden, which is basically a prison in which nothing happens. Redeemable souls go to Tartaros, Unredeemables go to Eden and their existence is frozen. Everyone else goes to Elysium, where they reincarnate forever living real lives.”
“That’s quite the system.”
Kye nodded. “Yeah. I’ll tell you more about it later. TLDR for the living world, there are many nations. Alexandria is one of them. The demon and beast nations my mother-in-law indirectly mentioned are two more of them. I’ll also tell you more about the living world later.”
“Maya sweetie,” Mavel said. “I’m going back now.”
“You don’t want to stay longer?” Alethea asked. She was happy to see her living world mother and didn’t want to see her go so soon.
*****
Revision: 2024-10-11