Cobalt was beginning to notice something, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. Given the properties of his Incubus blood, any wounds he sustained in the heat of combat seemed to heal quickly. But it seemed that anything he willingly did to himself wasn't as fast to regenerate, and left garish scars upon his flesh. It took a few days of rest and recovery to will his arm to fully knit itself back together, and he was left with a rather hideous scar running along the length of his forearm. Frowning, the Incubus flexed his hand, feeling each respective muscle contract. It felt odd, but not terrible. If anything, he was beginning to feel more in control of his body.
"So what; you're not a pacifist anymore?" asked Lilith out of the blue.
He sighed and looked up. Cobalt was sitting on a bench at the side of the road, just outside the Brimstone Baths. Across the street, the great white stone leisure centre stood as proudly as he remembered it, though apparently the swimming pool had undergone some forced renovations, considering last year's outburst incident.
"I'm not trying to kid myself here, Lilith. I'm not a fighter. I abhor violence. But... sometimes it can't be avoided," he murmured in response, watching the locals of Brimstone as they passed him by.
The general vibe of the town had changed considerably. The air was tenser, and while some people were emboldened by the failure of Beta's attack, most people seemed on edge. A few demons stared and whispered to each other at the sight of him, and one lady even bowed her head respectively.
"Not to point fingers, but it's technically your fault that Devils are attacking in the first place."
"Tell me how you really think, kid."
"So it would probably be best if I at least learn how to defend myself. For everyone else's sake, if not my own."
"... Makes sense. But is going up against whatsherface really the best plan?"
Cobalt pulled a face.
"Izzbelle is... intense, I know. But she's strong, and I can trust her not to go easy on me. Besides, she's a skilled fighter; surely she'll be able to pass something on to me."
He heard the Devil snort.
"Either that or she crushes your skull," she scoffed sarcastically.
"Thanks for your input Lilith, that's quite enough."
"Or your pelvis."
"I said that's enough!"
With his passenger silenced, he quickly checked his exercise bag. Izzbelle had told him to bring a change of clothes and plenty of hydration, so he made sure to pack a flask of water. Before he left the campus, however, Karazelle was kind enough to provide him with another bottle of water. Unwilling to turn her down, he brought it along with him.
"Don't you think that's too much water?" Lilith queried as he lifted up Karazelle's gift.
Odd. It looked a little bit cloudy. Or was that just the plastic of the bottle itself?
"You can never have too much water, especially when it comes to exercise," Cobalt answered, putting it back and zipping up his bag.
Lilith began to make a counterpoint, but upon noticing an immense silhouette appearing further down the footpath, Cobalt quickly shushed her and got to his feet.
He watched as Izzbelle Suyas approached him, dressed in casual clothes with a duffel bag slung across her shoulder. The Oni looked strangely excited, and the occasional burn mark on her top betrayed the fact that she lost her cool at least once on the way here. She approached the Incubus with a confident stride, and upon noticing his gaze, a small smile flickered across her face.
"You ready to get fuckin' pounded, dumbass?" she said with a grin, cracking her knuckles.
Cobalt swallowed hard. Interesting choice of phrasing. Not the best of starts.
"I- I wouldn't quite put it like that, but..."
He took a deep breath.
"Yeah. I'm ready to learn," Cobalt said, looking deep into her eyes.
Her own eyes widened before her cheeks gradually flushed.
"You don't gotta put it so formally. I'm just gonna put you through your paces, see how good you've got. When we're done, you're gonna be cuttin' through Devils like butter!" Izzbelle announced with a laugh, slapping her teacher's back.
"L- Let's not get ahead of ourselves..." he answered as the wind was knocked right out of his lungs.
With a resolute grunt, Izzbelle marched towards the Baths, brazenly crossing the street even as cars screeched to a halt and laid into their horns. Swallowing hard, Cobalt gathered up his things and scuttled after to her.
The foyer hadn't changed much since he had last been to the leisure centre, save for the overall mood of the place. There were no children skidding around the smooth wooden floors, and what few people he could see were gloomily hanging around the carved statues lining the walls. Izzbelle didn't seem to notice the dip in atmosphere, as she simply barged right in and leaned against the reception desk.
"You got a membership, dumbass?" she asked, peering over her shoulder.
"I'm afraid I don't, no," Cobalt responded, shifting about uncomfortably as a pair of Gluttons gawked at him from the café area.
"Hm. Get a day pass, then."
Nodding, Cobalt stepped up to the counter and politely cleared his throat. The Succubus manning the desk looked up from her computer. He remembered her; she worked her the day he brought Jelli to the Baths. But unlike then, her demeanor had completely changed. She looked shaken to see him standing there.
"A- Ah, Mr. Trayer, good to see you up and about!" the receptionist stammered, doing her best to put on a smile.
Looking away, she began nervously tapping at her computer keys.
"I, um... you're not here to swim are you? Because after last time, you've kinda been, um... banned..." the Succubus said in a quiet voice.
Cobalt tried to say something, but at that moment, Izzbelle suddenly slammed her fist down on the receptionist's desk, causing the poor girl to scream.
"Is there a fuckin' problem here?" the Oni growled, narrowing her eyes.
"N- No Miss Suyas, n- not at all!"
"Good. Cobalt's with me, he needs a day pass for the gym."
"O- Of course, no problem at all! Head on in, no charge! A- Anything for you, Miss Suyas!" the receptionist peeped, going white as a sheet.
Noticing the fear in her eyes, the Oni took a deep breath and shook her head.
"... Nah, I'll pay," she sighed, rummaging through her wallet.
However, this seemed to only alarm the Succubus further.
"B- But your fath-!"
"I said I'm payin'!"
Slapping a few brand notes down upon the reception desk, she pointedly slid them over to the shaky employee.
"I wanna start payin' my membership fees too."
"I- I was instructed not to let you! Miss Suyas, if we charge you, then Parracidio will-!"
Izzbelle silenced her with an intense glare. Tapping the money, she swiftly grabbed Cobalt's wrist and began to drag him towards a set of stairs, nearly tripping the Incubus up.
"Izzbelle, what was that about?" he asked, glancing back at the front desk.
The receptionist was sitting there, staring wide-eyed at the money. Izzbelle tightened her grip on his wrist and shrugged.
"Dunno. Maybe I'm tired of gettin' shit handed to me because people are scared of my dad. I, uh..."
She glanced back at him, the flush in her cheeks returning.
"... you don't think I was bein' too mean with her, right?" she asked.
Of course. As the daughter of a renowned crime boss, it went without saying that her father's influence would seep into most aspects of Izzbelle's life. But the fact that she was trying to make amends for that was... commendable.
"Agh, whatever. C'mon dumbass, the gym's upstairs. You ready?"
"As I'll ever be, Izzbelle."
Cobalt forced on a smile. Despite asking for this, he couldn't help but feel like he was putting himself at risk.
-----
The founders of the Brimstone Baths certainly spared no expense when building their gym. The place radiated intensity, even though it was mostly empty. All manner of different weight-lifting devices and exercise machines were arranged in rows, and a combat ring had been set up in the centre of the gym floor for sparring matches. Music pounded through speakers in the ceiling, and TVs had been mounted to the walls in front of the treadmills. Cobalt was relieved to find the gym only sparsely occupied when he and Izzbelle arrived; just a few demons sprinkled about on the various machines.
The pair separated into the changing rooms, where the Incubus got dressed in his exercise gear. It was nothing fancy; just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt he wasn't terribly fond of, and didn't mind getting sweaty.
"Didn't know you owned anything non-formal," spoke Lilith as perceptively as ever.
"I'm not looking for fashion tips, thank you," Cobalt sighed, lacing up an old pair of running shoes.
"Maybe you oughta let me pick what to get next time you're buying new clothes."
"I don't think I'm one for trench coats and combat boots, Lilith."
"Hmph. Someone's getting lippy."
"It comes with the territory of spending every waking hour with you. Now quieten down," he retorted, stepping out of the changing rooms.
When he stepped back out onto the gym floor, he was surprised to find Izzbelle already waiting for him. As soon as Cobalt laid eyes on her, he couldn't help but feel his heart lurch.
"Guess that Karazelle girl had a point, huh?"
"I- I told you to shut up," he hissed, tearing his gaze away.
He hated that Lilith was right; the Succubus' prediction was spot on. Izzbelle's gym clothes didn't leave much to the imagination. A cropped training top and a form-fitting pair of spandex shorts, both tight enough to accentuate every contour of the Oni's muscles. She had tied her hair back as well, taming her wild mane into a long, blazing ponytail. She snorted as Cobalt approached.
"Took your time, dumbass. Forget how to tie your shoes?" she chided, folding her arms.
Cobalt didn't know where to look. This was nothing like the P.E. uniforms issued by the school.
"N- No, I was just... never mind..." he murmured, staring pointedly at the floor.
Izzbelle raised her eyebrows.
"You're not gettin' cold feet, are you?"
"What? No, of course not."
"Good, because even if you are, I'm not lettin' you walk away that easy! You fucked that Devil up somethin' serious, and I wanna see that kinda strength in action!"
Cobalt felt a knot form in his stomach. Just when people had finally lost interest in the Diate thing, they were now going on and on about Beta. He wished they'd just stop bringing it up.
"Into the ring, dumbass! Let's go!" Izzbelle cried, slapping his back.
Nearly keeled over from her strike, Cobalt scuttled over to the combat ring in the middle of the gym. It was already occupied by a pair of other Oni practicing some boxing drills, but upon seeing the hellion daughter of Lorenzo Suyas approach, they both quickly made their excuses and bolted. Clambering through the ropes, Cobalt took up a position in one corner while Izzbelle stood in the other.
"Alright, ready for a warm-up?" she asked, flexing her hands.
He only just noticed that she had taped them up like a professional fighter. She was serious about this.
"I, um..."
Cobalt looked down at his feet for a moment. His legs shook, but taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. No. He was the one who asked for this. He had to stop being so cowardly and bite the bullet. Izzbelle was rough, but she knew her stuff when it came to fighting. Under her tutelage, maybe he'd finally be able to stick up for those he cared about.
"I'm ready," he called, his voice no longer quivering.
"All right! Guard up, dumbass!"
"Huh?"
"GORAH~!"
Izzbelle suddenly let loose with a powerful punch, fixing to strike her teacher directly in the face. Eyes widening, Cobalt's survival instincts drove him to dive to his left. Her fist sailed past him and collided with the padded ring post, much to the Oni's annoyance.
"C'mon, you're here to fight, not dance around like a fuckin' cheerleader!" she taunted, pulling her arm back.
"Y- You didn't tell me you were going to do that!" Cobalt cried, scrambling to his feet.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
"You're not gonna get any kinda warnin' in a real fight, dumbass! Now guard up!"
Again, she took a swing at him. This time Cobalt raised his fists, but his movements were far too sluggish. Izzbelle's arm struck him cleanly in the chest, bowling him against the ropes. A few of the demons around the gym glanced over at the ring, clearly intrigued by the ongoing training session.
"A- Agh... That's going to bruise..." he wheezed, clutching his chest.
Scoffing, Izzbelle cracked her knuckles.
"You're disappointin' me here. Look, I'm not usually one for goin' defensive, but if you don't know what you're doin', then your best bet it to keep a raised guard. Protect your face and neck over anythin' else," she instructed, raising her arms in a defensive stance.
"That's what I was trying to do," Cobalt grumbled.
"Yeah, but you were too fuckin' slow! C'mon, gotta raise the pace, dumbass!"
"R- Right, right..."
Again, Izzbelle tried to punch him, but now Cobalt knew what he had to do. Fists raised, he blocked the blow with his forearms, wincing as the force of impact jarred his entire body. As he recoiled, however, the Oni suddenly lashed out with a surprise sweep kick, knocking his legs out from underneath him.
"Gah! What the Hell was that?!" the Incubus cried indignantly, landing on his back.
Izzbelle grinned.
"What, you think I'm gonna give you a play-by-play of everythin' I'm gonna do? Any Oni girl worth her sparks knows that the best lessons are taught in blood!"
"Izzbelle I don't plan on bleeding today!"
"Then you better learn quick, dumbass! GORAH!"
The hour that followed was absolute Hell.
Cobalt knew that Izzbelle was going to be a tough tutor, but he had no idea she was this tough. Throughout her lesson, he was punched, kicked, choked, slammed, battered, bruised and even suplexed, much to the intrigue of the other gymgoers. They gathered around the edge of the ring to watch as the Incubus fought for his life, trying desperately to put the Oni's advice into practice as she relentlessly attacked him.
To his credit, however, he began to pick up a few things. As the training drew on, Cobalt felt his reflexes grow sharper, bit by bit. He'd block a blow rather than take it to the face. One of Izzbelle's powerful kicks would only graze him instead of knock him sideways. He even managed to land a few counters of his own on the Oni, but with with her iron constitution, she barely even registered them.
Eventually, Izzbelle signaled for a timeout, much to his relief.
"Alright, dumbass, that's enough for now. Let's take a break," she breathed, rolling her arm in it's socket.
She was covered in a light sheen of sweat, like she had just been for a brisk jog.
Cobalt, on the other hand, looked and felt terrible. His clothes were absolutely drenched, bruises were already beginning to form on his skin, and he could taste blood in his mouth. Every muscle in his body was screaming, and he felt about ready to collapse from heatstroke.
"Break...?" he panted, wincing as he wiped his forehead.
"Yeah, then it's back at it!"
"A- Ah... I see..."
She lifted the ropes for him to climb out. As he was halfway through, she suddenly let go, causing them to snap taut against his backside, much to his alarm.
"Izzbelle!" Cobalt cried, nearly tripping.
The Oni laughed uproariously.
"Never turn your back on an enemy!" she said with a flashing grin.
"You said we're taking a break!"
"We are! C'mon!"
She led him over to a set of benches in the corner of the gym, near where they had stashed their bags. Sitting down, Cobalt allowed himself a moment to relax as his entire body begged for death.
"Ow... Even I'm feeling like shit, kid," Lilith groaned as Izzbelle rummaged through her duffel bag.
He just hissed through his teeth and nodded. Beside him he heard the Oni swear under her breath.
"Fuck... Thought I packed some... Hey dumbass, do you got any water I could have?" Izzbelle asked, glancing over.
"I have a spare bottle, actually," he answered, reaching for his own bag.
Unzipping it, Cobalt pulled out the bottle of water that Karazelle had provided him with. Izzbelle thanked him and tore the cap off with zero hesitation, tipping it down her throat before he could blink.
The Incubus just sat and watched in awe as his student drained the entire bottle. The sweat dripped off her as the water coursed down her throat, and when there was only a little left, she lifted it over her head and tipped it all over her face, soaking the Oni through.
Cobalt's heartrate jumped at the sight, and he couldn't fathom why. It reminded him of how he felt the previous year, when he was standing at the alter at Inferno. Seeing Izzbelle in her wedding dress was a beautiful sight, but this... There was a different kind of beauty to it. She was passionate about this. She took pride in her martial ability, and was clearly excited to be able to show of her skills to him.
He had seen her on the field of battle so many times before, just as drenched and sweaty as now. So why was he now feeling so-?
Before his train of thought could get the better of him, Cobalt decided to cool off with his own flask of water.
"Oh yeah, that's the stuff! Keepin' a decent guard's important, but so's hydration. Lose a lot of moisture when you're fightin'," Izzbelle sighed, tossing the empty bottle into a nearby bin.
"Seem to be getting plenty moist as you are, kid," Lilith said with a snicker.
Cobalt furrowed his brow as he drank the cool, life-sustaining water, too thirsty to tell the Devil to shut her bloody mouth.
"Don't tell me the real reason you agreed to this was to get up close to her. If you wanted to get hot and heavy, there's easier way than getting her to grapple you in the ring," she pressed, clearly enjoying antagonising the Incubus.
He shut his eyes and tried to drown her out.
"That's not denial, kid. What, you finally pick a favourite? Looking to be the loyal lapdog of the big bad Oni? Damn, didn't take you for-"
The Devil suddenly went quiet for a moment.
"... hey, is it just me or does she sound kinda funny?"
Surely enough, when he took a second to listen, he could hear Izzbelle's breathing. She was panting heavily.
Opening his eyes, Cobalt pulled his flask away and looked over at the Oni. Her cheeks were burning, her eyes were lidded and she was gasping quietly. She was already slicked with sweat once again, and they hadn't even stood up.
"Izzbelle...? Are you alright?" he asked, putting his flask back into his bag.
She turned to look at him. Her pupils looked ever-so-slightly dilated.
"Hm? Oh, I'm feelin' fine. Great, actually. Fired up. Ready for round two, dumbass?" she asked, making a few punching gestures.
The Devil in his head began making observations, but by then Cobalt had begun to tune her out. Massaging a few of his aching joints, he took a deep breath and got to his feet.
"Round two it is," he said, reminding himself why he came here.
Izzbelle smiled at him, but there was something off about it this time. It wasn't the cocky, eager grin she had been wearing up until that point, but a more subdued, fiery smile.
"Lead the way, dumbass."
As they both climbed back into the ring, Cobalt noticed that the crowd surrounding it had grown. Did he really have to have such an audience for this? Did these people have nothing better to do?
"Okay, let's go from the top. Remember not to fall for any feints this time, or I'm gonna really have to punish you, dumbass!" Izzbelle called, balling her fists.
There was something about the way she spoke that caused the hairs on the back of Cobalt's neck to prickle.
With that, the two launched back into their routine, with him trying to retain a defensive stance that let him weather her relentless blows without buckling. But for some reason, the Oni's demeanor had changed. Whenever she grabbed him, her hands would linger just a moment too long. Thrown off, she suddenly wrapped a powerful arm around his neck and lifted him up, pinning the Incubus against her chest.
"Agh! Put me down!" he cried, squirming against her tight grasp.
Surprisingly, Izzbelle just giggled. He had heard her laugh and guffaw before, but giggling? That was worrying.
"Aw, c'mon, dumbass; can't even break outta this little hold? It's not hard," she teased.
She slammed him against the floor, but before he could get up, the Oni dropped her entire body weight on top of him, pinning him in place. He could feel the heat radiating off her; something was definitely up.
"How're you supposed to last the night like this...?" Izzbelle mumbled absentmindedly, her smile growing wider as she pressed her chest against his back.
"Wh- What did you say?"
"I said how're you supposed to last in a fight like this? I'm barely tryin' here, dumbass."
Clenching his teeth, Cobalt braced both of his hands against the floor and pushed with all of his might, straining in an effort to lift Izzbelle off him. He didn't wish to be rude, but she was a few inches shy of eight feet and packed with muscle; it was hard to deny that she was heavy. Managing to wriggle himself free, he instinctively wound his elbow back, striking her in the side of the head as he staggered back to his feet.
With a grunt, Izzbelle staggered back, her smile growing wider as she clutched her temple.
"Oh, I see. You came to fuckin' play, huh?!" she jeered, cracking her knuckles.
Her breathing had gotten heavier, and she was practically shivering with excitement.
"I don't like this, kid," Lilith warned, picking up on Cobalt's concern.
The heat radiating from her body grew all the more intense. Smoke began to eke from the corners of her mouth; something he had seen her do whenever she got worked up in the past. But the Oni didn't seem angry.
Something about her eyes disturbed him. That half-lidded, dilated gaze was eerily familiar...
"Alright, dumbass, let's fuckin' play!"
Izzbelle took a sudden swing at Cobalt, launching herself off the ropes in an effort to strike him. Burning sparks flew from her fists, grazing the Incubus' face as he backpedaled away from her. She kept swinging, abandoning all her attempts at teaching him anything in favour of trying to land a hit on the Incubus, grinning madly all the while.
"Never felt this fuckin' good before...!" Izzbelle panted, giggling as Cobalt was pushed back against the ropes.
Backed into a corner, the Incubus realised his mistake far too late as she wound her fist back. With a mighty haymaker, Izzbelle punched Cobalt right in the face. He felt a painful crack as his jaw clicked out of place, right as he was knocked head-over-heels. The world spun all around him as he flew out of the combat ring, colliding with the gym wall and almost landing atop a rack of neatly-ordered dumbells.
"The bitch's gone crazy!" cried the Devil as her host cried out in pain.
Grabbing the sides of his jaw, the Incubus painfully shoved it back into place, wincing as a spasm of pain shot through his entire body. The crowd parted nervously as Izzbelle climbed out of the ring, fiery embers hissing and spitting against her skin.
"Hell of a consummation, dumbass..." she mumbled dreamily, sounding oddly distant as she readied herself for one final strike.
Aching all over, Cobalt felt the fire in his stomach begin to flare, painfully scorching his insides as he struggled to find his footing. His hands began to itch and tremble; he could feel the rows of jagged fangs forming beneath his skin already.
He clenched his teeth and tensed his entire body, forcing himself to keep the bloodlust under control. Hunger tore at him from within, but as Izzbelle rushed forward, he steeled himself and raised his hand.
The Oni's right hook was a fearsome thing. Cobalt had personally seen her shatter rock and bone alike with a single swing of her fist. But just like the start of the year, he managed to intercept Izzbelle's attack. He closed his hand around her fist and kept it at arm's length, glaring determinedly at her as his bones ached. The urge to lose himself in the red haze grew stronger, but somehow he managed to resist.
"Fuck me dumbass; I'm likin' the new you!" Izzbelle cried excitedly, swinging with her other arm.
He blocked that one as well, forcing the two demons into a locked strain for dominance. She pushed against her teacher with all of her might, and though he was hurting like Hell, Cobalt managed to hold her to a standstill.
The fire was burning hot deep down; igniting his blood and causing it to glow through his skin, much to the other gymgoers' amazement. Izzbelle grinned, embers flying from her mouth as patches of her clothes began to smoulder.
"You've been holdin' out on me. Where was all this strength before?" she asked, pushing him back by an inch.
Concentrating, Cobalt allowed the heat to spread just a little further, granting him the strength to resist her advance. As overexcited flames licked from the corners of her mouth, Izzbelle leaned in close.
"Don't matter. Just makes the honeymoon better, dumbass."
Cobalt's eyes widened.
Was she... hallucinating?! About their failed wedding?!
"Ah... sorry about this, Izzbelle...!"
Winding his head back, he headbutted her as hard as he could, striking his forehead right off the Oni's sensitive horn. As she screamed and recoiled, he raised his foot and kicked her back against the ropes of the combat ring. It was just like what happened with Beta; when he managed to keep the Incubus bloodlust under control, his strength intensified and his senses sharpened. The normally-immovable Oni was sent flying from his kick, but if anything, she seemed overjoyed at this.
"Ha, yes! Finally! This is how it's supposed to happen! None of this fluffy bullshit! Just you and me, fightin' for the top!" she roared immediately thundering back towards him.
Her eyes were wide and frenzied, but in the heat of the moment, Cobalt felt strangely calm. He thought back on the lessons she gave him, and planting his feet in as stable a position as he could, he prepared himself to intercept. As Izzbelle attempted to bulldoze him, the Incubus grabbed her arm and redirected her charge. She careened right into a squat rack, sending their audience running for cover as the chaos began to ramp up.
"This is fuckin' amazin'!" she cried, completely unfazed.
"Izzbelle, you need to calm down," Cobalt told her, keeping his own voice low and calm.
"Ha! No fuckin' way! I'm done with bein' calm! Feels good to let loose with all this shit for once!"
The edges of her sports gear began to burn as she fixed Cobalt with a maddened stare.
"You know I fuckin' love you, right?" she breathed, opening her arms wide.
The look in her eyes... as frenzied as it was, it was one that struck a familiar chord with him. He remembered her looking similar the previous year, when Izzbelle stood at the alter and said her vows. Her words were coarse and crude, but still so full of genuine love. She did love him, and she confessed as much.
But...
He couldn't reciprocate... could he?
Taking advantage of his distraction, Izzbelle suddenly grappled the Incubus, pinning his arms to his sides as she lifted him into the air. She gasped and guttered, saliva flying from her mouth as her stare bored into him.
"It's real fuckin' hard to keep it under wraps, you know. Every day, tryin' not to just run up, grab you by the throat and pull you close. And after seein' Quinn and Lottie get hitched... I made up my mind. I wanna make you mine, dumbass. Once exams are done and I've graduated, I wanna marry you. For real this time," she breathed, punctuating her sentences with whimpered giggles.
The Oni squeezed Cobalt harder, putting massive strain on his ribs. Any harder and they were going to break.
"Forget the Sulfur Bloods, forget the school, forget everythin'; we can run away. That... That sounds good, right...?"
Cobalt gritted his teeth. Guilt dampened the fire in his gut, replacing the boiling-hot sensation coursing through his body with a cold, dreadful feeling.
"Izzbelle... listen..."
He took a deep breath, wincing as she tightened her hold.
"... you're a wonderful person. Bravest I know. I- I appreciate everything you've done for me, and a- as your teacher I couldn't be prouder."
Cobalt swallowed hard.
"... but you're not yourself right now. So... I can't give you an answer. I'm sorry."
He rammed his knee into her stomach with all of his might. Izzbelle's eyes went wide as she froze up, dropping the Incubus to the ground as the air wheezed from her lungs. Staggering back, the flames died down as she clutched her midriff.
"I..." she guttered, going pale.
The Oni gritted her teeth and winced.
"I don't... feel so... ugh...!"
She turned on her heel and bolted for the changing rooms, clamping a hand over her mouth as she almost tripped over the scattered gym equipment. Cobalt heard her barge into a bathroom stall, just before Izzbelle began to vomit loudly.
All around the gym, what few witnesses remained winced and hissed through their teeth, whispering to one another as they shot accusing looks at the Incubus in their midst. He could feel his cheeks burn, but it wasn't just from the public embarrassment.
"Sweet Hellfire..." Cobalt breathed, trudging over to the bench.
"What the Hell just happened?" asked Lilith.
"I don't know, but it certainly wasn't good," he replied, glancing up at the other demons in the gym.
They were eyeing him up warily. He could see the judgement in their gazes.
"She started acting weird after she drank your water, kid."
"... you're right..."
He turned to look at the bin that Izzbelle had thrown the empty water bottle into. The one that Karazelle had given him...
Something about this whole situation stank, and Cobalt didn't like it.
"Is she okay in there?"
He turned his attention to the door of the women's changing rooms. Izzbelle's nauseated groans echoed from within.
"She'll be fine, I hope. In the meantime I'd best get changed; all these stares are starting to wear on me."
-----
Cobalt sat outside on the bench, watching sun struggle to break through the overcast sky as he ruminated on his brand-new lifetime ban from the Brimstone Baths. Facilitating an outburst had already been a massive black mark against him, but after destroying expensive gym equipment, management apparently had enough. He wasn't feeling terribly beat up over it; his mind was elsewhere.
Izzbelle. Her words scared him. She was acting odd and out of character, but she still spoke with sincerity. She genuinely wanted the things she talked about. She genuinely wanted to marry him once the school year was over. But he...
He didn't know how he felt. Cobalt liked Izzbelle, but whenever he thought about her, his heartbeat grew quick and his stomach tightened up. And the worst part was that she wasn't the only person who had such an effect on him.
The Incubus took a deep breath.
Love. A word he had trouble with. Did he want love? He wanted to think so. But Izzbelle was his student; Jelli and the others too. Their feelings for him... He couldn't allow them to continue. He couldn't keep stringing them along like this.
But he just didn't know what to do. It was mainly his own fault, but the who situation had grown so tangled that he no longer knew how to climb out of it.
"Get it together, Trayer..." he sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Well, aside from everything else, are you feeling any stronger?" Lilith asked, thankfully moving onto a new subject for him.
Surely enough, Cobalt actually did feel much more confident in his self-defense ability. Though painful, Izzbelle's instructions stuck with him, and he was already considering writing up a personal practice schedule when he got home. He wasn't sure about fighting another Devil, but at least he felt ready enough to defend himself should the need arise.
In regards to the Incubus bloodlust boiling deep within... If he kept up his training, he very well could gain full control of it. Just then in the gym, he managed to keep the teeth from forming. Perhaps with enough practice, he could-
"Eyes up, kid; she's here."
Glancing up, Cobalt watched as Izzbelle trudged sluggishly out of the Brimstone Baths. She looked pale and exhausted, having spent quite some time getting sick in the bathroom.
"Ugh... Fuckin' Hell..." the Oni grumbled, collapsing onto the bench next to him.
She dumped her duffel bag on the ground.
"What the fuck happened in there?" she asked, clutching her forehead.
"Don't you remember...?"
"Not really. I remember sparrin' with you, then we took a break. After that's just kinda hazy. What happened?"
Cobalt bit his lip. She didn't remember. That... That was good.
"You started acting strange. Are you perhaps coming down with a fever or something?"
"Nah, I just... I think I must've overworked myself or somethin'. Urgh... Feel like I puked my damn guts up in there..."
"Do you want me to call you a taxi?"
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, the Oni shook her head.
"I'm not a fuckin' cripple, dumbass; I've had hangovers worse than this. Besides, I'm not goin' home yet."
Cobalt cocked his head.
"Why not?"
"I'm starvin'. There's this barbecue joint a couple streets away that do whole rib racks for basically nothin'. You wanna come?" the Oni asked, looking over at him.
Now that she mentioned it, Cobalt realised just how hungry he was. It seemed his theory was correct; tapping into his Incubus potential absolutely drained his energy reserves.
"Barbecues aren't normally my thing, but..."
His stomach growled. With his condition, he didn't stand to be choosy.
Cobalt gave Izzbelle a tired smile.
"... sure thing. I'll buy."
He and Izzbelle got to their feet and began on their way down the street. A dozen worries were buzzing around the Incubus' head, but he quashed them down and deigned to deal with them later.
He made progress today. Might as well celebrate it with a meal.