As you can imagine, after being raised for so long on a battlefield - you picked up nasty habits.

As a hatchling, I used to watch Adbeel train the soldiers of the territory and spent every hour listening to minuscule details called on each demon.

“Raise your elbows!”

“Straighten your back!”

“Turn your feet inwards.”

Soon those corrections turned into the tweaks of life and death. Adbeel’s words were warnings to those willing to understand.

Soldiers that failed to improve had to pay with their life. Simply, it was the nature of the profession we lived in.

War. Blood. Bodies.

“Raise your elbows!” Holding the weapon poorly resulted in not being able to transfer maximum power into hits. This frontline demon was killed instantly.

“Straighten your back.” Don’t wear your body out when it’s needed the most.

“Turn your feet inwards.” This soldier lacked the kicking range to attack the human, lunging a sword into his gut.

They all died.

Staring at the boy, who seemed confused at my corrections. At this point, the damage had already been done. Call it second nature to have pointed out these fatal flaws.

It was not Asta, guard of the Crown Prince speaking - but Arsylm, experienced war general.

As if I were a version of my past - I stared onward, grim in expression. My eyes scanned along the human’s body observing the lack of muscle build-up along his figure.

He needed to work out more.

My present self could not hold a dime to my presence in Hellion. Without my demonic energy, the effect was less intimidating, but it was enough.

Not only that, but my position as the guard of the royal family remained active. It was not the proper time to engrave this into the wannabe soldier, who I assumed wanted to pursue a combat field.

The baffled teen looked shocked to have been called out by someone that was physically younger.

“Do you even know what you’re talking about?” The boy scoffed, brushing off his pants, as he walked over to the edge of the sparring area.

He leaned down, his face combined with a mixture of hurt pride and strange curiosity for the stern stranger.

“This is a selective class to get into. I do not know which professor you came with but go head back to your guardian. You look younger than me, despite being tall - trying to fool me with that baby face.” He snorted, standing back up to cross his arms.

“...Hey. You really shouldn’t fight in class…” She trailed off, coming closer to investigate the situation.

The girl towed behind him, scanning my person, her eyes landing on a royal crest sewn into my attire. There was a small smirk before she rested a hand on the boy’s tense shoulder like she was telling him to relax.

“That explains it. You must be a royal-guard fan.” She sighed, elbowing her sparring pair, “It’s nice to have ambitions, but we’re training for those same ones.”

A fan? What was a fan? Could she not tell from my attire? She must be dumb.

If the professorship included the Crown Prince, then I suppose she would be right.

How would they touch royalty? Mere nobles? The truth is - if they were playing with important political dice, they would not be in this academy. Those people were already out, making lasting trails in their wake.

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“Your posture will get you killed in battle.” I wasted no time sugarcoating reality, “Sloppy? Is that the phrase I heard? In the classroom that’s fine… but” I ducked under the rope, leering down at the student, “In the battlefield, I would have killed you within a second. You won’t even pass the entrance test. Don’t fool yourself.”

Human.

And that was the truth. Death was the cold reality that humans were ignorant to face. Dragons could die. Humans could die easier.

This noble? Honestly.

“But hey, you don’t have to listen to me, right? I’m just a kid.” The words flowed like venom, as I noticed him ball his fists.

He humored this.

“Okay then. What do you suggest I do then,” He leered, grinning over to his partner, who smiled, “If you’re so knowledgeable, spar me and find out.”

Was this allowed? Would I get fired for this?

Technically, I was dismissed from duty at the moment. In a spar, I was not harming a citizen if it was consented to by both parties. As long as I didn’t kill anyone, I was free to do whatever. Even if I did kill him, I was never the type to bat an eye. It was a fact about me that never changed.

Was it morally right to do this? To fight a student?

But did I care? Nope.

“Fine then. Let’s fight.” I agreed to the short spar, making sure to glance over at the instructor that seemed to glance over. After her eyes landed on the crest, she went back to her instruction.

She didn’t have the power to intervene, even if she wanted to. What was she going to say? Stop it? To an imperial knight? Pathetic to even attempt that. Imperial power was held in the academy whether they admitted to it or not.

In some way, I was reformed. In the past, I would have executed such an incapable worker immediately. This was my mercy calling.

I walked to the end of the makeshift sparring ring. My casual gait shifted into a more trained one.

Slick, silent, and ready to attack.

Right now, I had no blind spots - no physical openings, even with my back turned to the students.

But I could fight these mere humans with my eyes closed.

“Just to let you know, I don’t enjoy beating up kids that are younger than me,” The young fool warned charging forward.

Sloppy. Sloppy…

From upfront, his posture mistakes were clearer. They screamed of imbalance and the unstable nature of his fighting style. I hated to wonder who trained him. Was it the academy or his mighty lineage?

In that condition, he would never be able to fight against a mere pickpocket. But what bugged me was his ego.

He lurched forward, his weight being placed in the front of his soles, as to attempt to clutch my side.

I shifted my weight, leaning my body backward, watching as he tumbled forward, “This,” I grabbed his collar with my arm, supporting his hanging figure with ease, “… is your flaw. You lean forward too much.”

It was one of many flaws. Humans sported a lot of them.

After, poking the back of his neck, head, shoulder blade, heart, and lungs – all the places that I could strike him if it were not a spar. I dropped him to the ground. The boy landed with a thud.

“In a matter of ten seconds, I have already killed you five times over,” I glared down at his laid figure, my tone icy, “Lean back, focus your balance to the core of your body, and practice more stable footwork.”

My lecture continued, “Where this is useful in landing hits, followed by dodging, for regular combat - it’s unsteady,” I straightened up, focusing my weight equally on the heels of my foot, “By leaning up and shifting my weight, I’ll have more control of my body.”

The boy lay stunned, his face lighting up as if something had clicked. Alongside him now was the girl that helped him to sit up.

In stunned silence, they just listened on.

“...Actually, if this is all you had to show at your age - consider quitting. You’ll never raise to the ranks like you wanted to.” I reapproached.

To translate, his fighting skills were poor, and he didn’t deserve to be in this class if it was selective, as he hinted.

Just like that, I turned on my heel. Footsteps charged after me, a hurried set bounding against the creaking wood.

“You little brat-!” He screamed.

What happened next was deserved. My reflexes reacted faster than my mind. Should I have done this? No. But…

I stepped to the side, flinging my leg around, halting his charge with a kick. The hit connected, the same boy now airborne.

His face contorted in pain, as he now lay against the ropes on the other side of the sparring center.

My fierce glare met him. I stormed over, grabbing his uniform collar with a clenched fist. I crouched down, my voice low with a warning, “If you were going to attack me from the back, you should have been quieter about it.”

Not like I gave a shit about a knight’s honor of battlefield morals. But right now, I was in a position to.

His head turned to the side as if he understood my words without wanting to fully admit I was right. Stubborn Fuck.

I recognized that face, those types of expressions. It was soldiers like this, spoiled nobles, who needed to be taken down a peg.

“...Asta? What are you doing?” The crown prince voiced from behind the sparring rope.

Behind him was Sirius, whose eyes seemed to glimmer at the spectacle, “Young Asta, I must refrain you from killing my students.”

What was he talking about? He wasn’t dead. The twerp was still breathing.

Either way, I was caught. This was undeniable. I sighed, dropping my hold on the human, and brushing off my knees.

“Fixing his collar,” I stated simply, not caring if he believed me. I faced back, eyeing the boy’s confused face, “It was crooked.”

Edwin shook his head, “Somehow I don’t believe that.”

Sirius chuckled behind him.

“Congratulations. That means you’re not as stupid as I give you credit for.” I clapped slowly, ducking out of the arena.

Edwin rushed to my side, leaning closer to whisper, “Guard Asta, remember what we do affects our royal family.”

I scoffed.

“Like your food incident, right?” I mumbled under my breath, loud enough for the Crown Prince to hear though.

He was silent.

Yeah, that’s what I thought.

She piped in weakly, pointing at Edwin, “Forgive me if I’m wrong. But are you not, his Highness?”

Edwin cleared his throat, standing up straighter, “You are correct. It is a pleasure to meet you, young miss. I apologize for my guard’s rude behavior.”

There was an audible gasp from both of them, jaws dropped, as the girl supported him.

“...The Crown Prince’s guard?” His face went pale.

Ah. He must be thinking of the professor's comment. Edwin elbowed me to the side.

Right.

Now was my time, I turned fully, giving a small bowl, “Apologies for not introducing myself properly. I am serving his royal Highness, Crown Prince Edwin.”

Again, both their expressions dulled.

Sirius excused us, “Crown Prince Edwin is extremely busy today. I’m afraid that we must head off.”

Edwin seemed to pick up on it, “Right. Guard Asta, we must get going.”

“...Yes. Your Highness,” I joined in, marching behind them, outside the classroom.

It would have been too low for a human to hear. Behind us, the boy whispered under his breath, “So if I fix my posture -I’ll improve, right?”

Jeez.