“Marcis! Get out here, you’re needed!” Grail said as he stepped through the portal into the Van Belsar estate’s receiving room. “Marcis, I said to show yourself, damn it! It’s an emergency!”

There was no one nearabout, except an elderly servant who’d been tidying the room up. He now stood aghast at the sight of the frantic Grail, who’d just seemingly burst into existence and stammered trying to find his words.

“The master is…the master is…,” he struggled to say when Grail grabbed him by the shoulders and began shaking him.

“Your master is what? Damn it, old man, out with it!” he said furiously.

The old servant continued to stare at him with a fearful expression on his face, when suddenly, his face went slack and relaxed. Then he closed his eyes and gently shivered. When he reopened them, a voice that wasn’t his own, spoke through him.

“Go away, Grail. My father isn’t seeing anyone today,” said a young girl’s voice through the old man’s mouth.

“Claudia, I assure you, I have no desire to see your father either,” Grail said grimly. “But this is an emergency. Everly requires his assistance.”

“Yeah, well, who cares what she wants?” Claudia said bitterly. “She never visits! She beat up my brother! I’m tired of how she always ignores me unless she wants something! I really don’t want to deal with any of her insanity right now.”

“What you want doesn’t matter, child,” Grail said darkly.

“Child?” she scoffed. “Really?”

“This isn’t the time for a tantrum,” Grail told her.

“Be careful, Grail,” the old man frowned. “I like you, but words like those aren’t easily forgiven.”

“I don’t care about your forgiveness, or your silly grudges,” Grail replied. “Everly needs help, and it will be provided. Step aside if you’re not going to be useful.”

“Well, what does she need help with? Just talk to me, don’t brush me aside like I’m some annoying brat—”

“I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!” Grail yelled, cutting her off savagely. “Just tell me where your father is!”

“Okay, Grail,” Claudia said after a moment’s silence. “It’s been nice seeing you again, but now I’m giving you a fair, final warning to walk away, while I’m still in control of my temper.”

“And I’m giving you a final warning to tell me what I want to know,” he replied, in just as ominous a tone.

The floor collapsed suddenly beneath Grail’s feet, sending him spiraling down a massive hole into a lightless cavern below. He screamed in surprise and tried to find something to grab, but his grasping hands could find no purchase in the empty air.

He landed painfully on his side and felt the oxygen compress from his lungs when he hit. He was now in such agony that it amazed him to realize he was still alive.

How though? He was still in his human form. Plummeting from that height should have been the end of him. No, it would have been the end of him…if he’d actually fallen.

That was when he realized what she'd done.

“It’s just an illusion,” he said gruffly, as he forced himself to his feet. “Just a stupid trick.”

“You catch on quick, General,” Claudia’s taunting voice replied, as it echoed around him in the darkness, seemingly emanating from all directions, making it impossible for him to narrow down her position. “You might be pretty, but you’re definitely not dumb.”

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“You’re just like your father,” Grail said accusingly. “Playing games when someone’s life is at stake, just to keep yourself amused.”

“I don’t like being compared to my father, Grail,” Claudia said angrily.

“Then stop acting like him!” he replied.

Now an angry fist smashed into Grail’s face with tremendous impact. A powerful-looking, apelike monster stood before him, and thumped its fists ferociously against its chest while roaring a challenge at him.

When Grail tried to summon his armor and axe, he was shocked to realize that his ability to transform had been shut down.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear, do I smell fear?” asked Claudia mockingly. “I wonder what good a freak is when he can’t use any of his freakish abilities. Hmm? Seems like he'd be target-practice to me. Does my guest have any insight he’d like to offer?”

“Why are you doing this?” Grail demanded.

Claudia did nothing to contain the huff of disbelief his words provoked.

“Why? Why?” she asked. The primate slapped Grail painfully across his face before she answered him.

“First you barreled into my home like you owned the place. Then you belittled me! Then you insulted me!” said Claudia’s wrathful voice. “And now you’re gaslighting me as though you hadn’t done any of those things!”

To emphasize her words, the phantom primate slapped Grail once again.

“Claudia, I’m warning you, I’m not the one to play games with,” he seethed.

Claudia was unconcerned.

“Grail, I realize it’s probably been a while since you’ve had to deal with an opponent you couldn’t handle and since you don’t seem to be aware of who you’ve picked a fight with, please allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Claudia Van Belsar, the second greatest spirit wielder of this generation, and today, you have trampled over my pride! I hope you’re prepared to accept the consequences of your boorish behavior.”

“I don’t have time for this—” Grail began to say, before the primate dealt him another horrendous, smashing blow that rang his ears and sent him flying backward into a cavern wall.

“Oh? Well, I’d make time. Because you’re in for a long night,” Claudia said as the beating began in earnest.

__

When Grail came to, he saw he was once more on the floor of Marcis’ receiving room. This time, however, instead of an old man, a beautiful barefooted young woman in a loose summer dress, sat in a chair, looking at him disdainfully as she sipped from a cup of tea.

Her messy golden locks were swept back in loose disarray along her back, and her gleaming hazel eyes were filled with an amused contempt as she regarded him.

She looked very much like her half-sister.

“Had enough?” Claudia wondered.

“I’ll let you know once I’ve finished breaking your neck,” he said to her with murderous certainty.

Claudia laughed at his threat and set aside her cup.

“I’ll admit your willpower is amazing,” Claudia said, as she crossed her legs and steepled her fingers. “It’s easy to see why Everly likes you so much. A mind as disciplined and focused as yours is like catnip to a spirit wielder. But sadly, for you, I’m so much more powerful than you are. Without Everly backing you up, your harada mental defenses can’t hold up.”

“Don’t be so certain, girl,” Grail said as he struggled to his feet.

“Who said you could stand up?” Claudia asked with a quizzical brow. “I certainly didn’t. Kneel.”

Despite his furious struggles to resist, Grail found himself dropping to one knee before the young woman, unable to deny her command.

“How nice,” Claudia said happily. “It’s so much better when you obey, isn’t it, Grail? Say yes.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Grail said with a growl.

“No, puppy. I told you to say, yes,” Claudia insisted.

Again, Grail tried to fight back. But it was though an invisible hand was behind his neck, holding him in place, while another forced his lips to respond despite his rage. “Yes. Yes, it is.”

“What is?” Claudia asked innocently.

“It’s…so much better…to obey,” Grail said haltingly.

“Aww, good boy,” Claudia said with a delighted clap of her hands. “And just for that, puppy gets a treat! Kiss my toe.”

“I won’t forget this, Claudia,” Grail warned her.

“Good,” she nodded. “Then I won’t have to teach you the same lesson, twice. Now get to it.”

Grail meekly lowered his head and began to kiss her extended toe.

Claudia giggled at the contact. After a few more moments of this humiliation, she made him stop. Then she lowered herself to his height and gripped the sides of his head. While continuing to smile pleasantly at him, she said, “Grail, I don’t care if you’re my sister’s favorite. If you ever again disrespect me in my own home, I’ll have you drown yourself in a puddle of midden. Am I understood?”

Grail’s pride refused to let him reply. Claudia then released his face and stepped back, certain that she’d gotten her message across. When Grail stood and glared at her as if prepared to continue their disagreement, she raised her hand and waggled a finger at him.

He snorted and took no further steps towards her.

“Didn’t know you had it in you to do something like that,” he finally said a few moments later.

“What the hell do you even know about me?” she replied.

“Fair point,” he conceded. “Now where’s your damn father?”