After Cecilia in her monstrous form, she void walked to any place she could think of that Dirk would be taken.

In fact, although she hated it, she had prepared for this eventuality. The entire month that Dirk had been living peacefully, she had been working herself to the bone. She made all kinds of preparations, one of which included killing any suspicious people who lingered around the academy.

Of course, she didn't go killing indiscriminately. As her husband knew, she already had deep experience with these adversaries, so she could easily pick them out. And over the course of the month, she had killed close to 30. Considering that each person was a trained assassin, this was an extremely high number.

She also made sure to prepare contingencies. Things like alarm enchantments and trackers were placed all throughout the academy where Dirk was confined. If anyone went in or out, she would know about it.

And yet, when Ava appeared on her doorstep, she realized it was all for nothing. There were no tripped alarms, nothing that indicated suspicious activity. This only meant that these assassins had been working ceaselessly to counter her efforts.

So at this moment, in her rage, she did the only thing she could think of. She was brute forcing the problem.

She searched everywhere, raising her senses to their absolute limits as she scanned Dirk's house and everywhere around it. This was when she caught a trail.

The trail obviously led out of the academy. Because Ava was wounded, it took her time to arrive. Cecilia factored that in as she began following the trail.

She shot out of the academy. She was a ghost as she void walked through the city. Soon enough, she exited the city, following a trail that went right over the city's walls.

Then, from atop the walls, her eyes opened wide. She took in everything she could see. And in the distance about 3 miles away, there were faint dark mana fluctuations among a grove of trees.

Without hesitation, she shot off the walls. And only a few seconds later, she appeared by the fluctuation. That was when she saw three people. There were two people that were cloaked, and one person who was held in the arms of a cloaked person. Cecilia knew instantly. It was Dirk.

Dirk hadn't even noticed his mother before she moved. In her hands appeared a gray saber. The saber was shrouded in fog, almost as if it didn't have form. This was Cecilia's Stigmata, a weapon formed from her soul.

She instantly slashed towards the person holding Dirk, intending to take off their head. She didn't hold back any of her power. While she slashed, a dark domain was released, turning this space into one filled with her entire power. Spiked chains also shot out from the ground, shooting toward the two cloaked people to lock them down.

It was at that moment that the woman who was holding Dirk realized something was happening. But it was too late. She couldn't even turn her head before the saber drew close.

But there was still another person there, and their head followed Cecilia's movements.

*Ting!*

Right before Cecilia could take a head, her saber was stopped. Dark power exploded from the collision, yet it didn't harm anyone. If anything, Cecilia was the one who got slightly injured as she felt the impact reverberate up her arm.

Cecilia didn't care about the pain though. Upon being blocked, she momentarily froze. She looked at the weapon that blocked her with fearful eyes.

A voice sneered.

"I see your power hasn't progressed in the slightest since you last threw a fit. Such a failure of an apprentice."

"...Asura."

Cecilia grit her teeth as she suddenly retreated. At the same time, the man who blocked her took off his cloak.

A tall man, dressed in black with a strip of cloth covering his eyes. His presence was overwhelming. Cecilia had a hard time even looking at him.

He was called Asura, nothing more. Cecilia was all too familiar with this man, and it was the reason desperation suddenly filled her heart.

"Why... Why must you do this?!"

"Why? I'm not inclined to explain my plans to a naive little girl."

"Shut up! I left! I got out! I didn't interfere with anything! Why must you come back and take my child?!"

Cecilia screamed as her desperation erupted. It was clear that in front of this man, she couldn't fight. His power had once carved a deep scar within her.

Asura just smiled.

"Why, your child is a rather rare specimen. He inherited the talent of you and your husband, and then more."

"No. That's not enough! You don't move on talent alone!"

"Yes, you're right! It's not just his talent! It's your lack of it!"

*Boom!*

Suddenly, Asura slashed out with his weapon. Cecilia raised her saber, barely blocking the attack. Her arms trembled as she bent down to bear the oppressive force.

Asura snarled.

"You failed! You know that very well! Don't ask such stupid questions! I trained you to be the best, and you let your heart be clouded by happy little delusions! I should've killed you then, when you decided to marry a man you were supposed to kill! Hah! Even I don't understand where I went wrong!"

*Slash!*

Asura swung his sword in fury. A blade of darkness was released, crashing into Cecilia. She grunted as she blocked it with all her power.

"But I don't care about you anymore! A failed apprentice, a failed Harbinger! But in the end, it turned out alright. You created something with potential. And now, I'm going to do things right!"

"No!"

Cecilia lashed out after hearing his words. Her saber came swinging, her body and attack seemingly disappearing as it moved. But Asura still blocked it. He blocked each one of the hundreds of attacks that rained down in only a few second span of time.

At the same time, Dirk was watching from the side.

...........

After being dragged away by the woman, Dirk was put into some magical restraints. These restraints inhibited his mana and even his anima. He was made weak, no stronger than an adult man, and even that was only because of his trained muscles.

Then, he was carried like baggage through the city before being taken into a forest. After the woman met up with the mysterious man, they began casting some complex magic.

And that led them to now, when Cecilia arrived and interrupted things. At first, Dirk had been thrilled to see his mother. But when the mysterious man so easily blocked her, his heart sank.

After that, he listened to their conversation, learning many important things. He looked at his panicked mother, feeling heartache at her helplessness. She was in his position when he had fought the woman. In front of absolute power, everything was futile.

Of course, the power his mother displayed shocked him, but he didn't have the mind to worry about her hidden power. Because even that wasn't enough.

He watched them fight. The pressure radiating from both of them made it hard for him to breathe, and the woman carrying him was also being stifled. She backed away as the two fought.

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Unfortunately, the fight didn't last long. After a mere minute, Cecilia was blasted away. He body was bloodied, her wounds clear under the moonlit surroundings.

It didn't seem like what she did was completely useless though. The man, Asura, was now breathing roughly. Dirk wasn't sure if it was impressive that his mother could make this all-powerful existence break a sweat or impressive that the man was so powerful in the first place.

"Pah! Weak! It's as if you did nothing but tend to a fucking garden all these years! Truly, my greatest failure! But no matter. You're paying for your complacency now."

Asura snarled as he turned toward Dirk. The woman straightened her back in front of him, and Dirk couldn't help but turn his head. The man's gaze, despite being covered, pierced through him and sent stabbing pains through his eyes.

"No! I'm... I'm going to hunt you down! I'll kill every asura I find! I'll dismantle everything you've worked for! I may not be able to kill you, but I'll ruin everything you've built!"

Cecilia bellowed in rage. Asura just ignored her though, walking toward Dirk.

He grabbed his hair, raising Dirk's head to meet his covered gaze.

"Your mother says these useless words, thinking she can threaten me. With you though, I hold her by the neck. Tell me, how does it feel knowing you're a burden to your mother?"

"No! Dirk, don't listen to him! You'll never be a burden to me! You're my child!"

"Heh, more useless words. Reality shows the contrary to her colorful statements. Doesn't it, Dirk Strider?"

Asura smiled in Dirk's face as Cecilia struggled to even stand. He wanted to see Dirk's conflict. He wanted to see Dirk's image of his mother collapse.

Quite the opposite happened though. Though Dirk was in pain, he faced Asura with a smile. Or, it was more like a derisive sneer.

"What, you want me to agree with you? Go fuck yourself, you blind piece of shit!"

"Oh? We've got a stubborn one here. I'd say you got that from your mother, but she broke."

"Broke? She's here fighting you, making you pant like a fucking dog. I'd say you're pretty shit at breaking people if that's your standard!"

Dirk cackled a bit as he shot back, causing Asura to frown. The woman holding Dirk was also enraged.

"You will not speak in such a manner!"

*Bang!*

"Dirk!"

Cecilia shouted as the woman slammed Dirk into the floor. She was stunned as she heard laughing the next moment, though.

"Hahaha! What are you going to do, kill me?!"

Dirk lifted his head and sneered at the woman. She trembled, about to attack him again, but Asura put up his hand.

From their conversation, Dirk had come to understand one thing: He had value. This man wanted him, wanted his talent, and hoped to use him as a weapon. Naturally, this meant Dirk couldn't die. They wouldn't kill him, so all they could do was cause him pain.

And if there was anything he was confident in, it was his pain tolerance. He had already been broken once. He wouldn't be broken again!

Plus, Dirk was a different man now. They wanted to control him? As if! Dirk wouldn't become the dog he was in his past life. He'd rather die again.

Asura realized this. Or, he realized that Dirk knew his position. But he wasn't flustered. He smirked at Dirk.

"Oh, don't worry, you naive boy. I might desire your talent, but make no mistake. I always get what I want out of the people I train. You cannot fathom what true pai-."

"Spare me the fucking lecture! I've had enough of that from my teachers! Or is this what you call torture? Truly, I'm pissing my pants already!"

"...Maybe a bit more stubborn than I thought. Noted."

Asura mumbled as he faced Dirk's maniacal smile. In those eyes, he couldn't see any fear. It was uncharacteristic of a young teen to have such eyes in the face of a hopeless situation.

But Asura only thought that Dirk couldn't see the hell he would soon enter, so he didn't think anything of it.

Asura wasn't the only one surprised. Cecilia was a bit shocked as she listened from the side. She had never seen this side of her son before.

But it was a nice surprise. Cecilia clenched her fist. Her son had a strong will. He wouldn't succumb to Asura's manipulation. At least, not in the short term. What mattered was that she couldn't stop what was happening right now, but she could prepare for the future. Dirk's will would give her time.

'I'll come for you, Dirk. Even if it's the last thing I do, I'll save you from that hell.'

She vowed in her heart. Meanwhile, Asura motioned to the cloaked woman. She picked Dirk up off the floor, yanking him around to cause him as much pain as possible.

"We're done here."

Saying that, the man suddenly brought out a device. Activating it, a black portal was created in front of him. He waved, and the woman turned to walk in.

Dirk lifted his head. He and his mother locked eyes. As he crossed through the portal, he let out a smile. It wasn't bright or happy, but filled with an unrelenting spirit. While she wouldn't believe that he was capable of surviving the hell he was entering, it gave her hope. Hope that this wasn't the last time she would see the Dirk she knew and loved.

Like that, he crossed through the portal. Asura glanced at Cecilia before also entering. The portal shut behind them, and the forest became silent.

"Ahh..."

Cecilia let out a groan full of anguish. But she didn't cry or break down. She forced herself to stand. She had work to do, and she wouldn't stop until she saw her son again.

With undying determination, she walked back to the city. The forest she left behind had long withered and died during the clash between two dark mages. Not even blood was left behind.

Naturally, such a commotion would draw the attention of security forces. Guards from the capital city were quick to rush to the scene, but by that time, Cecilia was long gone.

..........

From that night onward, the Strider family was in a bit of disarray.

After Cecilia returned from her battle, she collapsed in front of her husband. She had sustained horrible wounds, so on top of Ava, Ryker tended to his wife.

Thankfully, Ryker was a rich man who had access to myriads of medicines. His wife was a dark mage and couldn't drink potions that were made with the light element. But he had potions made specifically for dark mages, powerful ones at that, so he didn't hesitate to use them.

Ava was also tended to with expensive treatment. Of course, Ryker had no thoughts about repayment. Ava was collateral damage in a situation she should never have been involved with. It was his obligation to help her.

Like that, an entire day passed. It was then that both Cecilia and Ava woke up. When Ava woke, she gritted her teeth at the pain that filled her body, unable to even sit up in her bed. Cecilia was different though.

She didn't hesitate to jump out of bed. Upon doing so, she downed an entire three potions. Her body was filled with the turbulent healing power of the potions, and for a while, she couldn't move.

But when the potions settled, she had become quite a bit better. She had energy, and she could use her body and magic. That was enough for her.

"I'm going."

And since she was healed enough, she went to leave. Ryker stopped her though.

"Cecilia, you need to rest."

"No, I need to start working. Are you going to help me? Or are you going to coddle me?"

Cecilia's eyes bore into her husband's. She loved the man, but she now had an objective that took precedence over even her life.

There was a reason Ryker didn't help at all last night. It was because he wasn't suited for the work Cecilia did. Truth was, in a head on battle, Cecilia wouldn't lose to her husband despite him being a Tier 7. While she was only a Tier 6, she was also a low Rank 7. And all her power was focused on concentrated, singular attacks. She was an assassin, and she was very good at her job.

Ryker wasn't, though. He was a battle mage who had once fought in the Empire's military. He had earned his noble position through overwhelming power. But his power wasn't concentrated.

Fire and Air. These were Ryker's attributes. And in all the Empire, he was the best at combining the two to wreak devastating, widespread damage. His attacks were on the level of natural disasters, capable of wiping out entire armies. But this mighty power was nothing in front of an assassin at the same level.

So if it was direct help, Ryker couldn't assist Cecilia much. But he could still assist her in other ways. He knew she needed to hunt people down. Well, he was a Marquess with many connections. In this situation, information was key, and he could provide it.

He looked deeply at his wife for a bit before speaking.

"You know I'm going to help, so let's not make me the bad guy. But promise me that you'll work with me. He's our son, and you're not going to bear this alone. Understood?"

"...Yes."

"Good... It'll be alright."

Ryker hugged his wife after she quietly nodded. She seemed to calm down after a while, becoming a bit more rational.

"...They could be anywhere, but Asura used a portal spell to move. For now, we'll confine our search to the Empire. As far as I know, he's based within the borders. I need you to talk to your friends in the military. The Fallen Asuras are a group that the Empire has been hunting for several dozen years. With their information, we can find a starting point. For now, I'll wait for this information. But don't make me wait long."

"Don't worry. I'll find one of my friends today. He won't object to the help. You go ahead and rest. And take care of Ava while you're here."

"I will. Now go."

With that, Ryker left the house, leaving Cecilia alone with Ava. Cecilia sighed before weakly walking toward the bedroom Ava was in.

"Are you awake?"

"...Yes."

After Cecilia knocked on the door, she heard a small response. She entered, finding Ava curled on the bed. She had recovered some more after drinking some potions, but she was still weak. Not just physically weak either. She obviously wasn't handling the situation well.

Cecilia went and sat on the bed. There was silence for a while, and it was actually Ava who spoke first.

"I'm weak."

"..."

"I need to get stronger. Strong enough to protect my friends. How do I do that?"

Ava lifted her head, turning to Cecilia. Her eyes were sorrowful but decisive. Her best friend had been taken, and she couldn't do anything about it. During that fight, she had been determined to kill that woman in order to save Dirk. But it was futile.

After she woke up, instead of breaking down like a weak little girl, she steeled herself. She wasn't unlike Cecilia in this moment. Both were determined to do something about otherwise hopeless situations.

Cecilia returned Ava's gaze, thinking for a second.

"...I will take you to a friend of ours tomorrow. You train anima, but I highly doubt your manual is one of the good ones. We'll fix that. As for magic, well, depending on your technique and your progress, you likely aren't able to switch it. But we'll figure something out. After resetting your foundation, I will train you. It'll be a bit brutal, but... you don't care about that."

Cecilia accurately gauged Ava's mental state. She was desperate for power, and Cecilia had no trouble giving that to her. Ava was the one by Dirk's side, and Cecilia was rather fond of this girl. She was willing to help Ava reach her goals, or at the very least put her on the right path.

With her willingness to help, Ava's face softened a bit as she nodded. With that, their goals were set.

Meanwhile, Dirk had just begun fighting his own battles.