Spaced out, Sero blinked as he realized that the group had arrived back at his penthouse. Strangely, there were no crowds out in front, but he figured that Kit had dealt with them somehow.

Getting out of Amaya's car, he noticed Gregor and Casey had followed the group back as well.

"Oh... are all of you guys coming up?" Sero asked the group.

"I have other matters to attend to with my Janitors regarding the information Miss Cromwell shared with us," Gregor glanced at Amaya. "But, Casey here insisted on keeping you company."

Sero nodded, looking over at the boy who stood beside Luna. He was still wearing the somber expression he'd had since the funeral, but there was a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. Sero couldn't help but return the smile, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. He was grateful for Casey's presence.

Enzo stepped up to Sero, a grimace on his face. Confused, Sero didn't know what the Demonic Judge was doing until the latter placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I may not know what a good father can be like, but I can tell he was a great one to you," Enzo said softly. "He raised you well. You should be proud of that."

Sero opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was definitely not expecting the hardened and cold Enzo to offer comfort. He nodded, feeling a little choked up, but he managed to reply, his voice hoarse, "Thanks, Enzo."

A pair of arms wrapped around him and he turned his head to see Kit. She held him close, her body warm against his. He could feel her heartbeat, steady and strong. "I'm here for you too, you know," she murmured. "You can lean on me anytime you need to. Or cuddle with me."

"I... I know. Thank you too, Kit."

The Paradox reluctantly released him after a while, joining Enzo and Gregor.

"I need to be at the meeting as well, but I'll pop over as soon as I'm done," Kit promised as she walked with the two men to their car. "You better not do anything with Luna, or teach Casey the wrong things."

Sero chuckled, a real laugh this time. "I won't. I promise. You just focus on the meeting. I'll be fine."

After the three S-ranks left first, he turned to Amaya and Nala. "You guys coming up too?"

"I actually need to get back to the Ascendants Association," Amaya replied, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. "But, I'll also swing by after work. You guys take it easy."

Sero nodded, understanding her need to attend to her own affairs. Without a second thought, he stepped forward and gave Amaya a quick hug. "Thanks for everything," he whispered. "I appreciate it."

He didn't think much of it, but after breaking away and seeing the faint blush on her cheeks, he felt a warmth spread through his chest. He waved goodbye as she left, watching her walk to her car. Then, with a deep breath, he turned to Nala. The Shadereaper's eyebrows were raised, a surprising display of intense curiosity in her violet eyes.

"What?" Sero shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.

Nala's violet eyes narrowed slightly, but she seemed to sense his discomfort and let it go with a shrug. "Nothing. Just...you and Amaya seem different today."

Sero felt his face grow hot, but he kept his composure, flashing a fake grin. "Is that so? Maybe she's finally falling for my looks."

Luna suddenly entered his view, her face inches away from his as the succubus scrutinized his expressions. "I don't think so. I think it might be the opposite."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Mr. Sero, do you have a crush on Miss Amaya?" Casey innocently chimed in.

"No! Of course not. That's ridiculous. She's my liaison," Sero said, trying to sound more convincing than he felt.

"Is she really?" Nala tilted her head. "I mean, she definitely helped you in the beginning, but now you're doing well without her help."

"Well, I appreciate everything she does for me," Sero admitted. "She's a good liaison, I guess. It's just that...she's a good friend too." He glanced at Luna, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I mean, we get along well. That's all."

The succubus seemed skeptical, but she shrugged, heading towards the entrance. "Call it whatever you want. Just remember that my kind can literally see feelings and emotions."

Sero watched Nala and Casey follow Luna inside the penthouse building, a bit fearful that the succubus may have been right about his feelings. He hadn't really thought about it that way before, but now that it was pointed out... he wasn't sure what it was he was feeling.

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Summoning Moss and Lime, Sero watched his dragon pups play with Casey, Luna, and Nala in his penthouse. He was grateful for their company, but he couldn't help but feel a little off. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, and it had been there ever since he learned more about the Catastrophes and the origins of the monster outbreaks.

"Oh, fuck," Sero whispered to himself. "I forgot to let the others know." He planned to tell everyone the day after he found out, but had been so preoccupied with paperwork and his father's funeral that it slipped his mind. Not to mention that everyone began drinking, and the fact that he and Amaya had…

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He cut that thought off quickly. He didn't want to think about that now. Instead, he forced himself to just relax. The others were enjoying their time, and he didn't want to ruin the mood. He'd just have to find the right moment to talk to them. Maybe he'd just text the information to one of the others.

As he opened his phone, Sero didn't realize he was on autopilot until he was staring at his chats with Amaya. The last message he had received from her was from two days ago, and it was a simple 'How are you holding up?' with a concerned emoji. His thumb hovered over the message, wanting to respond, but not knowing what to say. His thoughts kept returning to their earlier encounter, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed between them.

Sero quickly opened up his chat with Gregor, deciding to text him everything he knew instead. He explained about the Catastrophes, the monster outbreaks, and the potential goals of Culling. He ended the message with a request to meet up with him and the others tomorrow after his victory ceremony, to discuss what they should do.

After putting away his phone, Sero felt his stomach growl, realizing that he hadn't eaten lunch yet. His father's funeral had suppressed his appetite, but now that he was somewhat emotionally stable, his hunger gnawed at him. He glanced at Casey, Nala, and Luna with a forced smile. "You guys mind if I order something to eat? I didn't realize I was this hungry."

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Despite having company over, Sero still felt a little uneasy. He had ordered pizza for the group and tried to focus on the conversation, but his mind kept wandering back to the information he'd shared with Gregor. While he still wanted to achieve his dream of a comfortable and lazy life, the promise he made with his father and the revelations about Culling weighed heavily on his heart.

Sero sighed, deciding that he'd deal with that tomorrow. For now, all he wanted was to just enjoy the company and the food. He smiled at the others, hoping that they couldn't sense the turmoil within him. They were all good people, and he didn't want to burden them with his problems.

"Mr. Sero," Casey began as he struggled to wrestle his slice of pizza away from Lime. "I've been meaning to ask you something." He glanced around, making sure no one else was listening. "Are you still going to help me get stronger?"

Sero blinked in surprise, almost forgetting about the promise he made with the boy. "Oh, uh, yeah, of course," he said, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "I never go back on my word."

Giving up on reclaiming his pizza, Casey stood straight and saluted Sero, a determined look in his orange eyes. "Thanks, Mr. Sero, sir! I'll make sure to work hard and not disappoint you." Nala and Luna laughed, but there was a note of sincerity in their voices as well. Sero felt a surge of pride at being looked up to by the young boy.

"We'll start after my victory ceremony tomorrow, but for now let's get a gauge of where you're at. You said you're a Mage, right? Have you been using any skills or practiced any combat?"

"Yeah, I've been practicing a lot!" Casey said eagerly, sitting back down. "I can cast some basic elemental spells, and I've been training my mana efficiency with Miss Amaya. I've gotten pretty good at dodging and blocking too!"

"Oh? Which elemental spells?" Sero asked, a hint of greed creeping in his voice. Nala shot him an amused but disapproving look.

"I can cast Fire Blast, Ice Shard, and Wind Rush," Casey said, obviously proud of himself. "I'm still working on Earth Spike and Lightning Bolt, but I think I'm getting the hang of it! Miss Amaya said that I have an appetite for magic!"

"Aptitude," Nala corrected.

"Show me Ice Shard and Wind Rush," Sero licked his lips eagerly. "But make sure you don't mess up my penthouse."

Casey nodded, focusing his energy into a small sphere of golden ice in his hand. The air around him seemed to cool as he channeled his magic, and with a flick of his wrist, the sphere shot forward, leaving a trail of bright yellow frost in its wake. It hit the far wall with a satisfying thud, and a cloud of mist rose up from the impact site.

"Dude, I just told you to be careful!" Sero exclaimed, jumping to his feet even as he copied the skill. Nala and Luna laughed as Casey turned to face him, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm s-sorry..." Casey stammered, his face still bright red. "I didn't think it would hit that hard..." He wiped the sweat from his brow and tried to steady his breathing.

Sero sighed, feeling the anger immediately leave his body. He knelt down in front of Casey with a reassuring smile. "It's okay, kid. You're still learning. Just remember to control your power, and we'll be fine." He patted the boy on the shoulder. "Now, show me Wind Rush, and please try not to hit anything."

Casey nodded, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He closed his eyes and focused, feeling the wind around him begin to swirl. With a gust of slightly yellow air, the chilled room was filled with the sound of whistling wind. A tornado of yellow leaves and paper spun around Casey, dancing in the air as if obeying his every command. The twister rose up, higher and higher, until it was nearly touching the ceiling.

"Where did all these leaves come from?" Sero muttered to himself as he copied Wind Rush. It was basically the same feeling as casting a Fire or Water Blast, but with more precision and control. He could feel the wind dancing around his fingers, almost like a living thing. He took a step back and experimented with pushing the wind in different directions, forcing it to spin in a tight circle around him.

As he watched Casey's Wind Rush, he couldn't help but feel impressed. The boy had a natural talent for magic, and with proper training, he could be a force to be reckoned with. "Not bad, kid," Sero said, clapping Casey on the shoulder. "You've got a good grasp of your abilities. Just remember to practice your control, and you'll go far."

"Thanks, Mr. Sero!" Casey grinned, his confidence returning. "I'm really looking forward to training with you."

Even as the sight of the eager boy filled Sero with a new sense of pride, he didn't know the first thing about training another person. There was no way he'd subject the kid to the same training he did with Enzo. Or maybe he could...

"Hey, Mr. Sero, how about I try to see if I can do Lightning Bolt?" Casey jolted Sero out of his thoughts, electricity sparking between his hands. "It was the last skill Miss Amaya taught me, but I think I can do it!"

"Actually, I'd rather you didn't test it out in my–"

But Casey had already ignited the air around him, his eyes narrowing in concentration as a bolt of yellow lightning arced between his hands. The air crackled with electricity, and the penthouse was filled with the smell of ozone. Sero gaped in amazement as the bolt shot forward, striking the same wall from earlier with a deafening crash. The wall exploded in a shower of sparks and plaster, leaving a blackened hole with a view of Sero's bedroom on the other side.

As Sero copied Lightning Bolt, everyone fell silent for a moment. Casey fearfully glanced at Sero with a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

"That...was impressive," Sero finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But, you're gonna have to learn to control your power. You can't just go around using it like that." He gestured to the now gaping hole in the wall. "You'll burn through your mana pool before you realize it."

"I- I will, Mr. Sero!" Casey seemed slightly relieved that Sero wasn't too angry. "I'll practice more control, I promise! I'm sorry about your wall."

Sero shook his head, his Rationality working overtime to calm him down. "It's fine. I asked for this anyway. We'll start the real training tomorrow."

Casey's face lit up with excitement. "Really? Cool! I can't wait!"