(Training Mind Realm)

Cyrus let out a grunt of pain as Yasha's fist connected with his jaw, sending him tumbling onto the grassy terrain.

"As much as I enjoy sparring with you, boss, would you mind explaining why?" Yasha inquired, his gaze fixed on the three generals keeping score, signaling that this victory marked ten wins for Yasha and only one for Cyrus.

"We are doing this because I want to see if I can defeat you," Cyrus huffed, spitting out blood as he stood up. "Come on, one more round."

"But you've already beaten me, or else we wouldn't be here with you," Yasha retorted, confusion evident on his face as he dodged strikes and launched his counterattacks.

Cyrus muttered, recalling the surge of power he felt when he wielded the ring and katana in battle. "If it weren't for those, I would've died," he admitted the weight of his reliance on the enchanted items heavy in his voice.

"But you didn't, boss!" Yasha exclaimed, his expression serious as he caught Cyrus's fist in a firm grasp. "And besides, those items may have brought you to my level, but it was your skills that made the fight incredible!"

Cyrus gazed at his new ally, eyes wide, as Yasha deftly executed a shoulder toss, flipping him over swiftly.

"Enough moping, let's wrap up this meditating spar stuff and get ready to defeat our strong foes!" Yasha exclaimed, flashing a grin as he thrust his fist forward, his generals responding with a resounding cheer of solidarity.

"Thanks for the talk, Yasha; I needed that," Cyrus said, smiling as they fist-bumped and everything faded to white.

----------------------------------------

(One Week Later)

The room is filled with the gentle buzz of healing and stasis glyphs as Cyrus gazes at the occupants of the glowing blue pods. Inside one, there's a diminutive man with goat-like traits, and in the other, a towering woman sporting a solitary eye.

Both individuals bear faint, purple, glowing glyphs on their skin.

"Hey guys, I apologize for missing the visit. I've been recovering from a particularly challenging mission," Cyrus said in a gentle tone, his hands pressed against the pod glass. "I can't stay long, but I wanted to let you know that I'm better and everyone's in good spirits."

The only answer he received was a continuation of the soft hum as he rose and exited the room.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing more we can do for them," Merric said, his frustration evident. "Living in a world augmented by magic has its many downsides. People expect miracle cures, but the reality is we're grappling with brand new fatal injuries and unfamiliar diseases."

"Ain't that the truth," Cyrus muttered, eyeing the scars on his arms left by those bizarre creatures, as they made their way to the hospital's entrance. "I'll take care of that situation for you. It may take some time."

"Don't worry at all; it's my burden to bear for getting involved with those types of people," Merric said, a nervous look on his face.

"You got into that mess to defend the hospital from those thugs, and to make some extra cash for rent and more equipment since they're reserving it all for the top-tier slayers," Cyrus stated, his expression serious."I don't blame you for doing what you thought was right at the time, and now you need help from a bronze-ranked slayer eager to return a favor."

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"You are an odd fellow, Cyrus. I wish you luck, and let's not meet again too soon," Merric chuckled, watching Cyrus depart and stroll down the street.

"Side quest open," Cyrus said as he turned a corner to which a pop-up screen appeared.

[Visting Time Closed]

[An unknown gang is terrorising Merric and the Slayer Hospital put a stop to it however you see fit!

Victory: The gang leaves Merric alone forever

Fail: Merric is killed or the hospital is destroyed]

"So how are we gonna do this boss?" Yasha asked as he glanced at the screen.

"Well we can start by meeting up whoever is supposed to pick this up" Cyrus replied while casually tossing up a bag of pills and other drugs.

"I see and then we beat the info out of them!" Yasha exclaimed with glee.

"No, well, maybe—it depends on them," Cyrus said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "But hopefully, they can lead us to their boss."

"And then we beat them up and make them stop!" Yasha shouted as his generals gave thumbs up from the shadows.

"Yes, we can take on the leader," Cyrus agreed as they slipped into an alleyway. "Now, let's wait for the pickup."

(A couple of hours later)

Two individuals entered the alley: one, a large man with a rusty cybernetic left arm and a snake tattoo encircling his face; the other, a frightened, slender teenage boy.

The heavyset man cast a hard, suspicious glance at Cyrus.

"Where's the short guy?" he asked gruffly, shifting his hand toward his waistband.

"He's busy with something and sent me instead," Cyrus said as he held up the bag and took out one of the pill bottles.

"Throw it in the middle and step back!" he shouted, drawing a compact double-barreled shotgun adorned with sickly green glyphs.

"Hold on, you promised you wouldn't hurt anyone!" the teenage boy whispered urgently, his eyes wide with fear as he surveyed the tense scene.

"That was before I got a good look at this asshole," he growled, fixing his gaze on Cyrus. "There's something about him that's creeping me out!"

"Let's crush them," Yasha snarled, eyeing the formidable weapon that he saw in Cyrus's memories which is called a shotgun. "They're asking for a fight!"

"Sorry about that I'm just nervous myself. I've never done a drug deal before" Cyrus chuckled softly as he ignored Yasha and tossed the bag onto the rough concrete ground.

"Do something useful and grab the bag!" bellowed the overweight man, pushing the teenage boy forward with his metallic hand.

The boy advanced slowly, his eyes wide with fear, never straying from Cyrus.

For a fleeting moment, the man caught the spectral vision of an angry Yasha looming behind Cyrus, which caused his eyes to widen in shock and fear.

"What the fuck is that!" he yelled, firing at Yasha. The loud boom caused the boy to halt instantly, clutching the bag with trembling hands.

The bullets passed harmlessly through Yasha's head and torso, instead shattering the stone wall behind him.

"I knew something was off with you!" the massive man growled, aiming at Cyrus. Despite the boy being in the line of fire, he squeezed the trigger once more.

Cyrus had already wrapped the boy in his arms when the gunshot rang out. As he spun around, he tensed his back muscles, preparing to summon Yasha into this world.

Rather than bullets striking his back, he felt a warm pressure gently against him and heard the sound of bullets ricocheting off metal.

The overweight man gazed in astonishment as the metal police tower shield transformed into a buckler, unveiling a young woman with dark skin, piercing grey eyes, a short curly black bob obscuring her left eye, and full lips.

She is dressed in a collared white button-down shirt with a dark purple zipper and a black tie, paired with black combat trousers adorned with numerous pouches, and sturdy boots featuring metal on the front and heels.

"Officer Cassandra here, preparing to apprehend a suspect involved in drug dealing and attempted murder," she announced in a steely voice, extending her baton with a swift flick of her wrist. "Bring the van to my location."

A tiny fairy wearing a police hat and vest paused briefly before zooming off incredibly fast, not wanting to miss the takedown.

Cyrus let go of the boy, who sprinted to the alley's end and concealed himself in a corner behind a dumpster.

"Do you need some help?" Cyrus inquired, standing beside Officer Cassandra with an angry look as he glared at the overweight man.

"The GSL's renowned door kicker, it's odd to find you engaged in illicit activities," she remarked, her expression shifting from curiosity to a sly smirk. "Yes, your assistance would be appreciated, and I'll turn a blind eye to your actions in this alleyway, just this once."

"Good, I didn't want to be hunted down by the cops," Cyrus said, grinning as he clenched his fists.

"This is an interesting side quest," Yasha muttered with a smile, glancing at the policewoman and his boss while standing protectively in front of the boy.