“Alright, you guys, pay close attention.”

“Yes, sir.” said Alessa. Stiff as always, but managing not to stutter. A feat she was quietly proud of. Considering who it was she was talking too and her own overly meek nature.

“Sure...” said Tamra. Her look relaxed, though her eyes were sharp and gleaming. Their gaze unblinking as they took in the entirety of the training hall, storing the sight for posterity in much the same way a camera would.

The two sat on the sidelines while Billy faced his sparring partner. His non-expressive face taking on the slightly stern set it wore, when he was playing the role of a teacher.

On the other side of the ring stood Elena, Billy had originally intended to spar with Angelo, but the angel was currently preoccupied with some personal business.

Billy’s increase in strength since his fusion with aether flow of the planet and the part of that it had occupied, brought benefits to all those who were connected to him. Thus Elena’s current strength had made vast improvements in the last two years. Reaching the fifteenth realm. All the same, Billy would have prefered to fight Angelo.

Unless it was for their sake he didn’t like fighting the girls. His innately overprotective tendencies made him more inclined to pull his punches. And more indecisive about what blows he should land.

His awareness of this flaw, made him over-correct, stepping away from his emotions for the girls and view the issues with absolute objectivity.

Rationalizing that half-death was better than death. Making him more vicious with his attacks. Making his tactics more cruel. With the consequence being that he’d always feel anxious when he sparred, worried that he’d go too far.

Which was why he usually left such exercises to the shades. Still, there were times like now, where a personal demonstration was needed. Or at least wanted. As was the case for Elena, who bizarrely enough seemed to actually enjoy their little matches.

She’d seek him out at least three a week, and find him at least once for a spar. This week’s spar would an exhibition, used to demonstrate, the use of certain techniques to his students. Namely Tamra, Alessa, a small class of talents that Jermaine sent over from the Thousand Ghosts.

“...You ready?” said Billy.

His eyes moving from the crowd, to his opponent. Elena merely smiled, licking her lips salaciously.

“Babe, I was born ready.”

Billy moved and so did his dance partner and that right there, was the very first test for the student audience. If any of there observers were going to glean anything from what was happening in front of them, they needed to be of a level that would allow them to actually see what was happening.

Anyone who was lacking in the prerequisite cultivation, would either see only blurs, or would see nought but the occasional splash of aetheric fireworks from the traded blows.

For those who ‘could’ see, the first thing they saw, was the master of the hall, and the company’s lady juggernaut slowly ambling towards each other. Nevermind that they were both moving several times faster than your average speeding bullet.

Their movements were languid and unhurried. Casual things. Giving the illusion that rather than meeting for battle the two were just meeting up for a chat.

This illusion was broken, with a sound like a thousand thunderstorms. Broken the moment, Elena sunk her fist into Billy’s abdomen, caving it in, with a single blow.

He retaliated with a whiplike kick that traveled with a scream, sending the woman flying up into the ceiling. She flew for miles, a human cannon ball, smashing into the ceiling with enough force that the whole room shook.

Seeming to just barely lean forwards, Billy moved from his spot. Leaping up to follow up on that first blow. He appeared in front of Elena, his arm raised, an sphere of crackling force and energy gathering in his palm. His current body had a tail and he put it to full use, sending it spiralling outwards. Spooling the tail around the too of them and use it to build a cage.

Elena beat him to the punch, escaping before he could close the cage.

She had been a genius combatant even before she’d left the first realm. Even before she started facing god-monsters and the like. The growth in her cultivation naturally wouldn’t result in a regression of her skills.

By the time Billy arrived at where he’d sent her, she was already gone. His aether blast hit the spot where she should have been and even before he could check to see if he’d gotten her, she was already dropping down on him.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Her elbow coming down on the top of his skull, nearly cracking it like an egg, despite the fact that his bones were all hundreds of times harder than diamond.

Billy fell and struck the ground with enough force that had been this been the world outside, he’d have sunk into the planet’s crust, gone into the core of the world and possibly come out on the other side.

He recovered quickly, a small smile on his face, a fifteenth realm Elena was nothing to trifle with. And while he ‘was’ still holding back by a considerable amount, seeing the fruits of her effort as a warrior, was something that had always gave him a certain feeling.

Admiration, most likely. When he was younger, she and Edna were the two he looked up to the most. Even now that he was older, and technically much more powerful, the feeling still remained.

Elena slammed into the ground with enough force to sunder the world and set the entire training hall into disarray. She stomped forwards, an unstoppable avalanche of a person.

Heading towards, Billy, who still lay on the ground, unmoving. The waves of energy from her movements travelling so forcefully that if it weren’t for the shielding on the observer’s area it’s likely someone would have died. Killed off by virtue of their own weakness. Like  a mortal man standing in the wake of a nation-ending tornado.

Billy got up in time to avoid having his head pulverized. He danced out of the reach of a series of brutal kicks and punches, that roared like the girl had replaced her limbs with a horde of vicious beasts. Then he retaliated with a single strike, that silenced everything like a clap on inverted thunder. Deafeningly silent.

The fight stopped right then and there, and there was a gasp from the audience as well.

Billy looked up at his outstretched arm as he stared up the young lady he had skewered on the end of it. Hanging from his wrist like some garish and macabre bracelet.

“I...um…Are you okay?” said Billy, his heart rate spiking, as he worried that things might have gone too far.

A line of blood dribbled down the corner of Elena’s mouth, she wiped it away and smiled.

“Sure, love. Right as rain. How about we finish this fight up and later we can have you penetrate me in a more fun fashion, yeah?”

Billy calmed, relieved, it wasn’t guaranteed, but usually if she was well enough to be making innuendos she probably wasn’t going to die. He gave her quick cursory scan just to be sure and then with a flick of his wrist he flung her into a wall on the other end of the hall. Resuming the match.

*****

The two experts would have another three thousand exchanges before the fight was decided. Naturally Billy was the victor, but it was a closer thing than most would have expected.

With Billy, only being able widen the margin between each exchange by, loosening the limits on himself, after each clash. Intensifying his output of force till Ell just couldn’t take it anymore.

Her offense splashing off like rain on a vinyl umbrella. Her defenses crumbling like a sand castle during high tide.  And even then she’d still managed to bloody Billy’s nose quite a bit.

Thus confirming that all things being equal, Elena was the most talented amongst, the Bone Tree Company’s three heads.  Not that any of the observers could tell.

To their eyes, it was just a dazzling show of martial excellence, and feats of skill that youngsters would only just barely be able to glean insights from. Using that insight to sharpen their own abilities.

Alessa was doing just that, she sat in a tub, in a bathhouse that was being run, by a group of shades that lived on the eighth floor of the manor. Cultivation in a bath that was more aether than water. Using what she’d witness to push her cultivation along.

She was sitting in the tub meditating amidst the medicinal bubbles and aether rich steam, when she felt someone else enter the room. Fortunately she was just finishing up, feeling her core pulse and hum as another peak in power was reached.

She gasped in satisfaction, as she felt her power grow,  already towards the next peak that lay above her.

“Congratulations…” said a voice.

Alessa turned her head and saw Elena and Tamra sitting next to her, their hair piled up and bound within a towel. The little queen was also there,  Tamra’s silent partner in crime, her hair tied in pigtails.

“Ah...erm...thank you.” said Alessa.

“Nh…This is you entering the eight realm, now right?” said Elena.

“Of course it is...Al has always been a fairly good stood. Almost as good as you, Ell.” said yet another voice.

Alessa froze and then slowly looked past Elena to where Billy, or at least, ‘a’ Billy, sat at her side. Sipping something minty and refreshing from a cup that sat, upon a tray that was floating in the water.

“Er...yes, Ma’am.” said Alessa.

Billy nodded. Elena frowned.

“Hey, hey...what’s this “ma’am” nonsense, I’m pretty sure I’m only a few years older than ‘you’ are.” rebuked Elena.

“Remind me again, for the next time I tutor you personally...I should probably have something to help you with the transition between this stage and the ninth.” said Billy.

“Y-,yes….sir...ma-....Miss.” said Alessa. Her tone, surprisingly flat, matching the man’s. Though her heart was hammering in her chest.

Billy nodded again and then he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Alessa was just about ready, to  jump up and flee, but she felt a firm hand wrap around hers. She turned and saw Tamra shake her head.

The other girl sighed.

“You….need to learn to relax.” said Tamra.

Alessa’s look was still just a little frantic, and then she felt a pat on her shoulder from Elena, who’d moved to her other side.

“My dear, Billy may be somewhat bright,... but he’s also very, very, ‘very’,  dense. If you spend all your time running from him, he’ll never catch on to your feelings….Ever. Like ever, ever. Now, ‘If’ you want him to eventually catch on,  you’re going to need to eventually tell him how you feel, but before that, how about learning how to just hang out in the same room, Huh?” said Elena.

Her tone light, as she took a sip from Billy’s cup and then poured herself some more of whatever was in the bottle on the tray.

Alessa stilled, here heart still pounding in her chest. She settled back down. Resolving, not to flee, despite all the instincts that wanted her to. She frowned her look thoughtful. Her gaze, drifted across the three other ladies in the tub, from Tamra, to Elena, to the young former queen.

The Queen’s look was thoughtful as well, but then again, the child always looked as such. Alessa nodded and settled down.

“Thank you, Miss.” said Alessa.

“Think nothing of it.” said Elena.

“You remind me of my Gran, Miss.” said a calmed Alessa. Thinking of how both women were kind and strong, silently pushing their people from behind, for their own good.

Always acting like  a second mother to the young folk around them.

Elena's brow rose  

“Oh? Are you trying to start something? I’m still in my twenties , you know.” said Elena. Her look genuinely aggrieved, though her tone was half joking.