Hey all, sorry I couldn't post the 2nd chapter as fast as I could. I was busy with work and all, and if you guy know me you understand it. I am working on the 3rd chapter and hopefully it'll be up tonight or tomorrow.

So without further Ado here is the second chapter.

P.s. it's not a April Fool's joke lol

Chapter 2: A Devil Slayer's Training Day

On the tallest mountain in the town of Rubicon, we find Nero and Taranis walking up the mountain to their camp. Nero still had the huge bag on his back, walking up the steep mountain. And to make it even more challenging, it was in the middle of the afternoon, and the heat was coming from the rocks made him sweat. He panted with every step, as he looked up ahead at Taranis.

"What… *pant* The hell is… *pant* in this thing?!" Nero said while panting. Taranis didn't turn back to look at him.

"Just some supplies I bought in the market today. Also food, metal, and rocks." Taranis explained. Nero had a couple of tick marks on his head.

"Are you trying to turn me into an old man?!" Nero questioned as he struggles to keep the bag on his back as he walked. Taranis smirked and turned around, holding his laughter.

"What do you mean try? You already have the hair of one." Taranis said, holding back his laughter. Nero ran up to Taranis and kicked him in the face, with the big bag still on his back.

"SHUT UP YOU OLD DEMON!" Nero exclaimed in rage. He didn't like being called old because of his hair, all of the kids in the town used to pick on him because of it. Taranis nose was bleeding, and now he had a tick mark on his head as he kicks Nero in the ass.

"Little punk!" Taranis yelled. Nero lost his balance and started to roll down the mountain with the bag still on him. Taranis eyes widen and ran after him. "Wait, Nero! Stop!"

After Taranis had saved Nero from rolling to his death, the both of them made it to camp. Nero dropped the bag on the ground and looked around.

The base of the camp was on a flat part of the mountain with two paths going down the mountain. The first path was back to town, and the other path was going down to a dense forest on the other side of the mountain. There was a big cave going deep into the mountain, that cave was used to train and spar. There was also a network of tunnels used for storing jewels and supplies. The camp didn't have much; there was only one sleeping bag that Nero slept in and a good size fire pit. Nero heard something running towards him coming at full speed.

"NERO!" A male puppy wolf yelled from behind as he jumped in the air. Nero turned around and caught him but fell on his back. Both of them laughed as they rolled around and wrestled. Taranis sat down on a nearby rock and watched

"Hey, Cody!" Nero said as he was on his back with the puppy on top of him.

The puppy by the name of Cody was a Spirit Wolf. He was a little bit bigger than standard puppies, with white fur on most of his body, a line of black fur going across his eyes, as well as black fur on his paws and tail. His eyes were a brilliant white that you could see in the dark. Cody stood probably on top of Nero.

"Ha! Pinned you again!" Cody said, looking up like a hero. Nero smirked.

"Oh yeah?" Nero quickly rolled Cody off of him and hovered over the puppy with an evil smile as he moved his fingers widely. "Take this! Devil's tickle attack!" Nero said as he tickled the puppy. Cody laughed crazy.

"HAHAHAHA! No stop! Help!" Cody said while laughing. Nero continued to tickle Cody as he pleaded for mercy. Off to the side, a group of Spirit Wolf puppies was on top of a rock looking at them.

"Look! Cody needs our help!" One of them said.

"Yeah! Let's get Nero!" another said. The pack of puppy Spirit Wolves howled and charged at Nero.

Nero stopped ticking Cody, and he turned around to see more Spirit Wolf puppies coming at him at full speed. The pack of Spirit Wolf puppies then tackled Nero, and all of them started to wrestle with each other. Ikora walked out of the cave and watched the human and puppies wrestled. Ikora smiled softly.

"Okay, pups. Nero has magic lessons to learn." Ikora told them. The puppies awe in disappointment.

"B-but Ikora! We barely see Nero nowadays with training and his lessons!" Cody said, in a sad tone. The pups nodded in agreement. Nero tried to cheer them up.

"Don't worry guys." The pups looked at Nero. "After I'm done with my lessons we can play," Nero said, the pups slowly started to cheer up.

"After you're done with your magic lessons, you have more training with me," Taranis said. The puppies bow their heads in depression. Nero looked at Taranis with killer intent. Taranis sighed. "Then for the rest of the day, you are free."

The pup's ears perked up, and they howled with joy, Nero also howled as well. Ikora chuckled softly; she noticed Taranis walking over to the cave with the big bag over his shoulder.

"He's all yours until I'm done with what I need to do," Taranis said, then disappear into the darkness of the cave. Ikora nodded.

Ikora looked back at Nero. He was playing tag with the other pups, Ikora smiled and lay down watching them play. After Nero was done playing, she would start his lessons.

At the bottom of the mountain; the students in the Temple were all gathered outside around a four-sided ring. All of the students were dressed in their training gear, and ready for whatever came next. Four men were standing on each side of the ring, and these men were wearing black and white robes with a black belt tied around their waist. These men were the monks guarding the Temple, and teaching the students Magic.

One if the monks were holding a clipboard with a couple of pieces of papers and a pencil.

"The first sparring match of the day will be against…" the monk started to read off the names. "Rex Grimm and Petra Armstrong." The monk said, putting the clipboard behind his back.

All the students made a noise of surprise and scooted back from the ring. Soon, Rex and Petra were on opposites sides of the ring looking at each other. The both of them bowed to each other and got into a fighting stance. The students waited anxiously as they stared at each other. The monk raised his hand and slammed it down

"BEGIN!" The monk cried out, and the two dashed full speed at each other.

The both of them clash at each other with kicks and punches. Rex quickly ducks down from an incoming punch by Petra. Rex swiftly kicked her legs from underneath her, and with all of his strength he punches her in the stomach with enough force to send her flying across the ring. Petra landed with a loud thud and held her stomach in pain, as she slowly got up. The students watched in awe.

"Amazing! They're almost equal with each other!" A female student said.

"Not likely, they both may be skilled with hand to hand combat. But it's their magic abilities that set them on different levels." An older male student said. The students continue to watch the fight. Petra looked at Rex and smirk.

"This isn't going to be the same as last time, Rex." Petra stood up and clenched her right fist. Then her fist started to glow with Light Magic. Rex simply shrugged.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Considering that you haven't beaten me even once." Rex said, with a smug smile. He stopped smiling as he felt the area around him get warm, he looked up and saw a magic circle above him. Petra raised her fist up in the air.

"Heaven's Rain!" Petra yelled as she slammed her fist down. Then several spear-like beams of light came out of the magic circle and headed towards Rex.

Rex got out of the way, but the beams of light followed him. Rex dodges them as best he could, most of them hit the ground next to him. Fortunately, the monks put up a barrier just in case if any magic attack or debris would potentially harm the students. Rex dodges the last beam of light, as it hit the ground with enough impact to pick up dust. Rex got out of the dust cloud and noticed that Petra disappeared.

"SAHHHHHH!"

Rex looked up to see Petra in the air; she had her leg extended out and ready to kick him with full force. Rex barely had time to get out of the way; as Petra's foot hit the ground, the area around the both of them exploded, and rocks were flying everywhere but hit the magical barrier. The impact was enough to shake the entire Temple. The students looked on in awe and horror.

"Wh-what raw power! Was that magic?!" a male student said, in disbelief.

"I don't think so… I think that's her brute strength! I couldn't sense any magic in that kick!" a female student added. All the students sweated nervously.

"Remind me never to piss her off." A male student said.

The monks sweated as well, not only was Petra one of the strongest in the temple, but she also carries an amazing gift to feel and speak to spirits both Good and Evil. That's why it was imperative that they taught her and light magic above all else.

Petra looked around the area with narrowed eyes. It was still hard to see with smoke all around. But the smoke was pitch black.

"I know you're hiding… come out!" Petra said, looking around. Just then a ball of fire and smoke was sent flying at Petra. She thought quickly and extended her hands out. "Holy Light Shield!" She yelled, and a barrier of light magic surrounded her like a shield.

The ball collides with the shield and exploded. Petra put her hands down and saw the figure walking towards her, and the black smoke went to the figure and surrounded it. The black smoke finally went away to reveal Rex standing there in the rubble of the ring with black smoke coming from his hands. The students then looked at Rex.

"Wait… is that smoke magic?" a female student questioned.

"I think I overheard one of the monks saying that he uses a combination of smoke, fire, and ember. It may be an odd combination, but it gets the job done." Another female student replied.

"I think he calls it… Cynder Magic." A young boy student said.

Rex stood there with a smirk. Petra looked at Rex with a smirk of her own.

"Let's end this…" Rex got into a fighting stance once again. "I still have a fight to settle tomorrow, you know?" Rex said. Petra got into a fighting stance also.

"You have to beat me first before you can fight him," Petra stated and dashed forward.

Petra cocked her fist back as she dashes at Rex. Rex ran forward at her with full speed, Petra through her fist at him. But Rex was smart and smirked.

"Cynder Body!" Rex yelled. Rex turned into smoke and embers.

Rex passed right through her and regained his body. Petra stopped and looked behind, and saw him coming at her with a flying kick covered in smoke and fire. Petra jumped back, and Rex's kick hit the ground with a small explosion. Rex looked up and smiled.

"Right in my trap!" Rex said, looking up in the air. Petra looked up as well and was shocked.

Coming at her from above was a giant fist of smoke, fire, and embers. Petra didn't have time to react and thought of the first thing she needed to do. She made a fist and concentrated her magic into it.

"Fist of Light!" Petra yelled and punched up. The two fists collided and it made an explosion.

The students cover their faces from the strong wind kicked up by the blast, the monks kept their composure and looked up, Rex stood there; waiting for everything to settle. After the dust had cleared, Petra was on the ground passed out. The monks looked at each other and nodded. The monk with a clipboard held his hand up.

"Petra Armstrong is unable to continue!" The monk looked at Rex and pointed at him. "The winner is Rex Grimm!" The monk said. The students clapped and cheered for him.

Petra slowly opened her eyes and saw Rex walking over to her. Petra set up cross-legged and looked at Rex.

"I lost again, huh?" Rex nodded. She sighed and got up. "Good fight," Petra said and extended her hand out.

Rex smiled and shocked Petra's hand. The both of them stepped out of the ring and over to the temples healers. The monks used a spell to fix the ring good as new. The same monk from before then called the next opponents.

"Next up; it will be Alice Yamato and-" the monk was stopped by a female monk, who whispered in his ear. The monk nodded and looked at the students. "Miss Yamato will not be joining us today… again." The monk said and crossed her name out. The students looked around.

"Huh? She missed the sparring session again?" a male student questioned.

"Who does she think she is?! Does she think she's better than us?!" another boy student said in anger.

"She's probably with that white haired boy." A female student said.

"Why would she be hanging out with the freak? That boy needs to be burned for being taught by a demon." An older boy said.

"I hear a couple of dogs raised him! How big of a loser can he possibly be?" an older female student said, then laughed.

Soon the rest of the students began to laugh as well. This made Rex and Petra a little mad by the student's comments.

"Haha! I think his birth parents left him for a reason. Who would want a freak for a kid?" A boy student said while laughing. That made Petra even angry, she wasn't fully healed, but she got up and was going to pound some sense into them. But Petra was stopped by Rex grabbing her arm.

"Petra… calm down." Rex said, in a stern voice. Petra kept her angry eyes on them.

"Don't you hear… what they're saying about on friends?" Petra asked, angrily. Rex nodded.

"I hear, but they don't know them like we do." Rex looked at her with softened eyes. "So please, sit down," Rex said. Petra looked at Rex, then back to the laughing students.

Petra sighed in defeated and sat back down to get healed. Both Rex and Petra looked at the next sparring, ignoring harsh and disrespectful comments of their two friends, mostly towards Nero.

Back on the top of the mountain; the little Spirit Wolf puppies were off to the side, playing a game. Nero and Ikora were close to the cave going over magic lessons.

"Alright, Nero. Show me some of the magic I taught you over the years." Ikora said. Nero tilted his head.

"Huh? But I thought this would be a new lesson." Nero said in conviction. Ikora nodded.

"It is. Think of it as a rundown of what you've learned so far, of what magic you excel at and what magic you still need work on." Ikora explained. Nero sighed and sat down cross-legged. Ikora smiled and sat down as well. "Now, do you remember the first lesson I've taught you?" Ikora questioned.

Nero nodded and concentrated, he looked at his hands and waited. Then a bright light illuminated his hands, Ikora looked at his hands and smiled, the pups stopped and looked at them. The light dies down and in Nero's hands was an acoustic guitar that he bought for himself one time.

"Requip Magic." Ikora saw Nero fiddle around with it. "That type of magic is used to store items in a pocket dimension," Ikora explained. Nero sent the guitar back in his requip space and looked at his hands. "Still have difficulties on summoning items?" Ikora asked.

"Yeah, it's sometimes hard to summon them. But it's easy sending them back." Nero answered as he looks up at Ikora. "Why do I need to learn requip magic? It won't be very useful when I get into a fight." Nero said. Ikora closed her eyes and hummed.

"Requip is a handy magic to learn. Not only is it useful in combat, but it's also useful for storing valuable items." Ikora opened her eyes and looked at Nero. "as well as survival tools." Ikora explained.

"I guess," Nero said, he looked out in the distance. Ikora sighed.

"You'll get used to it. Just remember to practice." Ikora encouraged. Nero looked at her and nodded. "Okay, next."

Nero nodded, he placed his right hand on the side of Ikora's head. Nero looked deep into Ikora's eyes, and Ikora looked back. Lightning magic went through his fingertips as he touched Ikora's head, but it didn't hurt her.

"Lightning Link," Nero said. Then everything around them disappeared, and they were both standing in a void of blue smoke. Ikora looked around with a pleased expression.

"I see you mastered 'Lightning-Link' very well." Ikora walked around. "This lightning spell I taught you was an old lightning spell from a couple of Lightning Mages years ago. This spell can be used to look into the mind of others, as well as look into the individuals past." Ikora explained. Nero nodded and walked around as well.

"Yeah. It's almost like telepathy, but different." Nero added. Ikora nodded and looked at him.

"But be careful with this spell. It could harm the person you're using it on or yourself." Nero looked at her. "And also, telepathy users can also sense that you're looking into their minds. So be cautious." Ikora said. Nero nodded and smirked.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Nero said, with confidence. Ikora smiled.

"Good. While we're in here, let's go over basic lightning spell attacks and defenses." Ikora stomped her front paw, and training dummies came out of the ground. Nero got into a fighting stance. She looked at him and nodded. "Begin."

Back in the real world, both Nero and Ikora had their eyes closed, and Nero's hand was still touching Ikora's head. After about a minute or two, both of them open their eyes together, and Nero pulled his hand away slowly.

"Excellent, Nero. Your basic lightning spells have improved." Ikora complimented. Nero had a proud smile on his face. "And one more thing about Lightning Link. It may feel like time has stopped, but time will slow down. So be wary." Ikora told him. Nero nodded.

"I will Ikora. I promise." Nero knew what would happen if he ever did that spell in a fight. Nero pushed that thought to the side for now. "So, what's the next lesson?" Nero asked, waiting to learn a new spell. Ikora thought about it and came to a conclusion.

"I believe that's all for today." Ikora simply said. Nero's jaw hit the ground.

"What?! But I thought-" Nero was about to say something, But Ikora interrupted him.

"This was just a review test." Ikora smiled sweetly. "You've come so far… it's hard to believe that you've gotten this strong over the years." Ikora said. This caught Nero off guard, making him look away and blushed.

"Yeah. I guess I have." Nero chuckled. Ikora nodded and spoke.

"To close this session, say the Packs saying," Ikora said as she laid down on her side. Nero cleared his throat.

"We walk in the void between the living and the dead, we lead the restless to rest, we give the desperate hope, and we judge the wicked. We… um…" Nero stopped. He looked up and moved his fingers in thought. "And we …" Nero struggles to remember the saying. Until a male's voice spoke up from behind.

"We are the ones who howl in both the night and day, beware our fury, the fury of the Pack." The voice finished. Nero and Ikora turned to see a male Spirit Wolf.

This male Spirit Wolf had white fur on most of its body, stripes of black fur like a tiger's fur, his eyes were a bright yellow with a scar below his left eye. Then the Pack returned from their hunt with some deer and rabbits. The male Spirit Wolf walks towards them.

"Hello, Frost." Ikora greeted the male by the name of Frost. "How was the hunt?" Ikora asked.

"It was good," Frost replied. He looked at Nero and smiled. "Don't worry, Nero. You'll get the Packs saying down in no time. Just remember…" Frost looked at the Pack. "This saying has meaning to it, ever since the elders made us, we honor them by saying those words, and sometimes those words give us strength when we have none," Frost said.

Nero never actually understood it himself. He respected the Spirit Wolves a great deal and their elders for letting him stay here and be a part of their pack. But he knew he wasn't like the rest of them, and it was hard to train under them. However, they still accepted him. Nero nodded.

"I know, Frost," Nero said as he crossed his arms.

"Good." Frost looked at Ikora. "Where's Taranis? I need to speak with him." Frost said, in a serious tone. Ikora was about to answer, but Taranis walked out of the cave.

"Right here." Taranis looked at Nero. "Nero, let's start the training down in the caves," Taranis said, and walked back into the cave. Nero followed.

"Alright! I'm ready!" Nero said, with confidence. Taranis looked behind him at Ikora and Frost.

"Ikora, Frost. You're welcome to join us. This training will require you to be present." Taranis said. The both of them nodded and followed. Frost walked beside Taranis.

"After this… I'll need to have a word with you. Alone." Frost said, looking at Taranis. He nodded.

After a couple of minutes, it got darker and darker with barely any light. But it was no problem with the group of four. Ikora looked at Nero.

"Nero. Can you see?" Ikora asked. During her training with the young human, he developed superhuman senses over time. His sense of hearing, smell, taste, and eyesight. But he would sometimes struggle with them. Nero nodded.

"Yeah. Clear as day." Nero replied. Through Nero's eyes, he could see in the cave like the sun itself was there. But it was sometimes hard to sleep with his eyesight, and hearing everything in the middle of the night or a strong smell that will keep him up for hours unless he finds out what it was. Nero sighed tiredly, and Ikora saw it.

"Nero, if-" Ikora was cut off by him.

"I'm all right, Ikora," Nero said, walking a little bit faster than her. Ikora slightly frowned and worried for him.

Soon, they approach a ledge that led to a giant cavern in the mountain. This cavern was made for training and testing magic. It was protected by a magic spell so it wouldn't cave in on itself or disturbed the mountain in any way. Nero jumped off the ledge and landed on the ground with no problem. He looked up at Taranis.

"Okay, Taranis! What kind of training are we doing today!?" Nero yelled, as his voice echoed around the cavern.

Taranis didn't say anything, he extended his hand out, and lightning shot out of his hand and into the ground of the cavern. The ground underneath Nero started to shake. Then all around Nero; patches of dirt and rocks start to rise from the ground with something underneath them, The earth broke away to reveal skeletons wearing armor, some of them holding spears and swords while others didn't. Nero knew what this spell was and looked up.

"I thought attacking the dead was wrong. What is this?" Nero questioned.

"This time, it's different. Fight them… and then I'll tell you." Taranis looked at the undead. They looked up and bowed. "Fight!"

The undead army jerked their heads up and scream their battle cries as charged at Nero. He got into a fighting stance and waited for them to get closer. The first skeleton ran up to Nero and attempted to hit him with its sword, He dodged out of the way and kicked the skeletons head off. Nero ran forward and took them on.

Nero kicked and punched his way through the skeletons, each one of them fell apart hitting the ground. But when Nero knocked one of them down, they just kept getting back up and pulling themselves together. Taranis, Ikora, and Frost watched the fight.

"I'm surprised, Taranis." Frost looked at Taranis. "I never thought you would use that spell ever again, considering what happened in the past." Frost pointed out. Taranis sighed.

"What happened, happened… this version of the reanimation spell I made isn't that powerful." Taranis glimpsed at Frost. "But what it lacks in strength, makes up for it in numbers," Taranis said as he looked back at the fight. Ikora was slight as she looked on in worry.

'Nero…' Ikora thought. She watched him get punished back by the overwhelming numbers.

"I see he's struggling a little bit." The three of them made a noise of surprise as they looked over to the side. Alice was standing there with her arms crossed looking at the fight.

"Alice, you know you should be at the Temple, training. Not here." Taranis said, looking at her. Alice looked at him.

"They can't teach me anything I already know." Alice noticed that Ikora was giving her a scowl. Alice didn't show any emotion, as she looked back at the fight. "Hello, Ikora," Alice said. Ikora watched the fight as well.

"Alice," Ikora replied. Both Alice and Ikora didn't get along all too well, considering what happened in the past. Taranis and Frost looked at them and sighed.

"Thank the elders... I thought they would start fighting the moment they saw each other." Frost whispered to Taranis. He sweat dropped and nodded.

"Must be our lucky day," Taranis whispered back. A dark aura surrounded both Ikora and Alice.

"We can hear you." They say in unison in a dark voice. The both of them panicked and looked back at the fight.

Nero stood up against the rock wall; his hair shadowed his eyes as he breathes heavily. The group of four looked on to see what will happen; next, they then notice Nero smiling as the skeleton army move closer to him.

"Is that all you got?" Nero looked up, with his eyes covered in lightning as he smiled. "If so, I'm going to have to shock you," Nero said. The undead backed up a little bit, but regain their composure and charged at him. Nero was ready; his legs were cover in lightning as he charged forward. "Lightning Devil Crushing Tail!"

Nero jumped into the air and unleashed a fury of kicks. The kicks were powerful enough to cut the skeleton in half. Nero landed on the ground and admired his handiwork. As he looked back; three skeletons jump in the air with spears and swords from where he wasn't looking. Nero looked up and quickly thought of something.

"Lightning Body!" Nero yelled, as his body was covered in lightning. He zipped past them at incredible speeds, he also manages to zig-zigged pass the rest of the undead and was on the other side of the cavern.

Frost and Ikora were impressed by Nero's maneuverability and quick thinking, however, Taranis and Alice were both not impressed as they kept watching. Taranis stepped aside to get something. The others didn't notice as they kept watching. Nero put his arms out to the side and balled his hands into fists.

"From the storms of the West to the storms of the East I call upon thee…" Nero started to chant a spell, as he concentrated lightning in both of his fists. Frost made a noise of surprise.

"Huh? Is he going to use that move? But I thought he wasn't able to concentrate enough magic into that attack." Frost said, in surprise. Ikora hummed in agreement.

"You're right; it's an advanced type of magic spell I taught him," Ikora said, looking at Nero as he charged up his attack. Nero puts his arm in front of him, as both fists were an inch away from each other.

"Hear the sounds of thunder echo in the night, when both storms-" Nero stopped as he saw the attack fading away. He grits his teeth. "Damn it! I thought I had it for sure this time!" Nero said, angrily to himself. Ikora sighed.

"But he still needs to work on it." Ikora simply said as she sweatdropped. Frost nervously chuckled and nodded.

"I see," Frost said, in acknowledgment. Alice didn't say anything, as she watched Nero carefully.

The army of the undead ran up to Nero and was about ready to attack, but Nero used 'Lightning Body' to fly up in the air. He looked around and grinned. Nero then went full speed to the middle of the ground.

"Lightning Devil Thunder Impact!" Nero yelled and landed on the ground with full force. As he hit the ground, a small explosion of lightning electrified the closest enemies that were in the radius of the blast and blew some of the enemies off their feet into the walls.

Nero slowly got up and looked around. The skeletons laid there motionless as he stood there admiring his handiwork. Nero noticed some of the bones started to shake and moved on their own, dragging themselves on the ground. All the bones were in one spot and moved violently as they began to form something.

The bones created a huge hand, then an arm, and then a torso. Soon, the bones created a giant skeleton with a sword, shield, and armor. It had glowing red eyes that looked at Nero. It let out a cry and swung its massive sword at Nero. Nero kneeled down to the floor as lightning danced around his body.

"Lightning Devil Speed!" Nero yelled. The massive sword hit the ground where Nero was, but he wasn't there. The giant skeleton looks around for him. "Hey!" The skeleton turned around to see Nero standing there, holding two swords from the fallen skeletons. "Let's dance, buttercup!" Nero said and charged at the skeleton.

The skeleton roared and charged at Nero, and swings it's sword horizontally. Nero used the same spell again and disappeared in a flash of lightning. The massive skeleton missed Nero by only a couple of inches. Nero reappeared behind the skeleton and sliced it's back with the two swords. The skeleton roared in pain, as it turned around, and tried to hit him. But Nero used the spell again and disappeared, Nero then reappeared behind the skeleton again and was going to go after its legs, but the skeleton knew this and blocked the strike with its sword.

The two of them were in a sword lock, staring down at each other. Nero pushed the massive sword away from him, he then flew up in the air in 'lightning body' and looked down at the skeleton.

'Damn it. It's more powerful and faster than I thought… ' Nero looked at the two swords he picked up. 'And these swords ain't doing much good either, considering that they're old.' Nero thought.

"NERO! EYES IN FRONT!" Ikora yelled. Nero looked up and saw the skeleton in the air with him. The skeleton more than likely jumped up to get him.

Nero's eyes widen as he saw the message sword coming at him, he put up the two swords in an 'x' position to defend himself. The swords collided and they were both locked in a sword lock again, staring each other down. The three on the ground looked up at them. Ikora was now more worried for Nero then ever.

"Damn that boy.." Ikora cursed, looking up. Frost looked at her.

"He's doing fine, Ikora," Frost reassured her with a smile. "He's doing well so far," Frost said. Ikora didn't take her eyes off of him.

"And yet, he thinks too much into battle." Ikora looked at Front. "Thinking is good. But not acting while thinking will get you killed." Ikora said, looking back up. Frost sighed tiredly.

'She baby's him too much.' Frost thought.

Back up in the air; Nero was having a difficult time holding the massive sword back. Nero looked at his swords and noticed that the two of them are beginning to crack under the weight and sharpness of the other sword. The skeleton saw this, putting more weight on the sword until the two swords broke in Nero's hands. Nero's eyes widen.

"Lightning Devil Speed!" Nero then disappeared in a flash of lightning, dodging the massive sword in close range. Nero reappeared on the ground and checked his body to make sure he wasn't hit. He sighed in relief that not a single scratch was on him. "That was too close…" Nero said to himself.

The massive skeleton landed on the ground and looked at Nero. The skeleton was tired of playing games, putting the sword over his shoulder, the skeleton rushed to Nero. He was about to run at the skeleton too, until…

"Nero!" Nero looked up to see Taranis holding something covered in cloth and a handle sticking out. "Catch!" Taranis said, throwing the object like a spear.

Nero saw the outline of the object and ran to it. The object was going to land right in the middle of their path as they rushed at each other. When all three met in the middle, time seemed to slow down. Before the object could hit the ground, Nero caught the handle of the object with his left hand and spun around counterclockwise.

Time spit up as Nero was now behind the skeleton. The skeleton stopped moving when Nero turned past it. All of sudden; the sword over the skeleton's shoulder was cut in half as the top piece hit the ground, soon the skeleton fell to the ground in defeat. Ikora, Frost, and even Alice's eyes widen at what Nero was holding up.

In Nero's hand, was a four and a half foot single edge sword. The blades edge was silver while the back of the blade was black. The hand guard of the sword wasn't a handguard, it was a head of a wolf made out of pure metal facing the back end of a blade, it was the same size as a regular wolfs head and inside the head had was a lacrima. The handed of the sword was black, and the cloth wrapped around it was red as blood. Nero examines the sword and felt it's weight. Taranis, Alice, Ikora, and Frost walked over to Nero.

"What do you think, Nero?" Taranis asked. He saw Nero take one more good look at it and smiled.

"It's strong." Nero looked up at Taranis. "Does this mean you're finally going to teach me Sword Magic?" Nero questioned, with excitement. Taranis nodded. Nero's eyes widened and jumped for joy. "Wahoooo! Yes! Finally!" Nero yelled. Taranis face then harden.

"Nero. The next training will be your last and hardest one out of all of them." Taranis said, in a serious matter. Nero stopped celebrated and looked at Taranis. The other three looked at him as well. "With this type of training. We'll have to journey to the east, to a kingdom long forgotten by man." Taranis said. Nero was a little bit curious.

"How long will we be gone?" Nero asked. Taranis closed his eyes in thought.

"Two years," Taranis answered. Nero's eyes widen at how long the training will be.

Frost and Ikora knew this would happen at some point when Nero was at a certain age, but they didn't expect it to be this soon. It would be awhile before they see both of them ever again. Alice didn't look surprised or shocked about it on the outside, but on the inside, it was like a ton of bricks hit her chest. Taranis opened his eyes and looked at Nero.

"We'll leave tomorrow in the afternoon." Taranis then saw a sad look on Nero's face looking down. He'll be leaving behind his friends. Taranis sighed. "That should give you enough time to say your goodbyes," Taranis said. Nero looked up and nodded. Frost then spoke up.

"Alright, everyone. Let's head up before the entire pack eats our dinner." Frost looked at Alice. "You are welcome to join us, Alice," Frost said. Nero looked at Alice with a raised brow.

"Speaking of which. What are you doing up here?" Nero asked, crossing his arms. Alice looked at him and crossed her arms.

"I've told you before. There's nothing for them to teach me." Alice looked away. "Why can't you see that?" Alice said. Taranis sighed.

"We've discussed this before. You know why." Taranis said, not wanting to start up this argument again. Nero looked at Alice with an angry look.

"I thought I made a deal with you." Alice looked back at Nero. "We made an agreement that you would stay at the Temple to get strong, and I would stay up here with Taranis and the Pack to get strong too." Nero reminded her. Alice didn't say anything, as she turned around and proceeded to leave.

"Thanks for the offer, Frost. But I'll skip this meal." Alice said, walking past Frost and Ikora. Nero was about to run after her, but Taranis stopped him.

"Let her go. She's just being hard headed." Taranis said, looking at Alice as she walked out of the cave. Nero looked at Taranis and back to Alice as she walked out.

A couple of hours have passed since Nero, Taranis, Ikora, and Frost left the cave to the surface. It was now night time as some of the pack was sleeping and the others were chewing on some leftover bones. Taranis was off to the side laying on a couple of rocks looking up at the full moon. He hears the sounds of footsteps coming towards him, Taranis look over to see Frost.

"You wanted to talk about something, correct?" Taranis asked. Frost nodded and looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"It's about the hunting grounds. I think there maybe someone or something lurking in the woods." Taranis sat up to listen. "When we got down there, we noticed a couple of trees were moved in an odd fashion," Frost explained. Taranis looked down below.

"Man-made?" Taranis questioned. Frost shrugged and sat next to him.

"Don't know. But it's a possibility." Frost replied he looked around at the entire pack. "You gave me the rank of Beta because of my skills and knowledge." Frost looked at Taranis. "But I still follow your orders. Whatever actions you take, the rest of the pack and I will support you." Frost said, having a large amount of respect for him.

Taranis took a moment and looked around. The smiles on some of the packs faces, the calmness and safety they had when they're sleeping. Taranis eyes trailed to the puppies as they smiled in their sleep, they were exhausted from playing all day today. Taranis looked at a rock on the edge of the mountain to see Nero on top of it meditating with his sword on his lap. Taranis smiled.

"It's our duty as Beta and Alpha to keep this pack safe and sound. It is also our obligation to protect the next generation and lead them into a brighter tomorrow." Taranis looked at Frost. "Before we leave, I will look into this matter evolving the hunting grounds with you, Frost," Taranis said. Frost smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Thank you, Taranis." Frost said. Feeling that the conversation was over, Frost walked over to the others who were still awake and had a conversation with them. Taranis laid back down and looked up at the moon.

Nero was still meditating as he felt the light of the moon shining down upon him. He heard footsteps coming from behind him and the smell of someone familiar. Ikora walked over to him and sat down beside him. Ikora looked down at the town, seeing people doing their last minute things before they return to their homes.

"It'll be rather lonesome without you two here," Ikora said, looking at the town. Nero opened his eyes and looked at Ikora. "I was thinking about the first time you came to us, you were so adorable." Ikora smiled softly at the fond memories. Nero looked down at the town, then up at the moon.

"Ikora, can you tell me a little bit more about the elders?" Nero asked, looking at the moon. Ikora looked at him and smiled. She looked up at the moon.

"Where should I start? Probably at the beginning." Ikora closed her eyes as she told the story. "In the beginning, over hundreds of years ago, there was no such thing as a Spirit Wolf. Back then, the elders were a regular wolf pack." Ikora said. Nero's eyes widened and turned fully around to face Ikora.

"Wait! Seriously?!" Nero exclaimed he had never heard of this before in his life! Ikora smiled and nodded. "Then how did they get there magic? How did they become a Spirt Wolf?" Nero asked. Ikora looked at him.

"Would you like me to continue?" Ikora questioned. Nero shut up and nodded, more eager to learn more. "Very well." Ikora looked up at the moon. "The pack was hunting one night, they smelled blood close by and assumed that it was from an injured animal. But it was actually from a human girl." Ikora said. Nero's eyes widen as she continued.

"They didn't harm her or growl at her, all they did was shifted her and licked her wounds. The girl didn't scream or even had a slight sense of fear. The pack took her to safety and took care of her. In return, the girl would try her best to take care of them and make up for their kindness." Ikora closed her eyes. "This girl was part of a tribe of mages that could give and take away magic from anything and anyone." Ikora opened her eyes and looked at Nero. "But only those who bear the mark of their tribe were able to wield this type of magic," Ikora said. Nero looked at Ikora with amazement.

"So what happened next? Did they all lived happily?" Nero asked, with curiosity. But judging by the sad look that Ikora was giving. It wasn't a good ending.

"No, unfortunately." Ikora looked down at the town. "When the girl reached adulthood, she was out collecting water for the young. Then she was brutally attacked by thieves. She didn't have anything, but the thieves still attacked her and took whatever they wanted. Soon, the pack came to the rescue but it was far too late, the thieves were long gone, and the girl was laying lifeless on the ground." Ikora took a minute and said a small prayer. Nero was both sad and angry as he looked down at the ground. Ikora continued with the story.

"With the last of her strength fading away, she gave the entire pack all of her magic and knowledge. The pack of wolves grow in size and could talk. The girl smiled one last time before passing away. The pack mourned over the loss of their friend and gave her a proper burial." Ikora looked at the moon once more. "Not long after her death, the pack could see her spiritual form. The pack understood what needed to be done, and for one final goodbye. They took her to the moon, where she can look down upon Earthland and watch as the world changes." Ikora said, with a smile. Nero looked at the moon.

"The Lady in the Moon," Nero said, he once heard the story of the Lady in the Moon from both Frost and Ikora. He never really understood how the Lady in the Moon came to be, but now he did.

"Yes. Every night when the moon is full, she smiles down upon us. As well as the elders and our Fallen Brothers and Sisters from the past. When we die, we join them up in the moon." Ikora said, finishing her story. Nero looked at here.

"What happened to the girl's tribe?" Nero asked. Ikora got up and stretched.

"No one knows. That question has been long forgotten in the past. No one knows if the tribe still exist." Ikora answered. She looked at Nero. "It's time for bed, Nero. You have a big day tomorrow." Ikora said. Nero nodded, he got up and stood there.

"Requip!" Nero said and was engulfed in a bright light. When the light vanishes, Nero was in all black pajamas that Ikora made for him. He ran to his sleeping bag with his sword by his side. Nero got comfortable and in his sleeping bag and laid his sword by his side. Ikora came over and tucked him in. "Hey, Ikora?"

"Yes?" Ikora looked at Nero. He looked at his sword in thought.

"What do you think I should name my sword?" Nero asked, looking at his sword. Ikora made a noise of surprise.

"Name? Why would you want to name your sword?" Ikora questioned. Nero sat up and looked at her.

"Because every sword should be given a name. Every swords maker names it's blade by how it looks and how the maker wants it to be." Nero explained. Ikora raised a brow as he continued. "Once you make the blade or mastered it, it becomes a part of you. Taranis never told me the name of it, so I think he wants me to name it." Nero said. Ikora smiled.

"You've been sneaking off to the Temple again, haven't you?" Ikora saw Nero sweat nervously and looked away. "Nero," Ikora said his name, sternly. Nero looked at her a couple of times till he gave in.

"*sigh* Yeah…" Nero looked down. "I asked Taranis to teach me before in the past, but he said I wasn't ready." Nero looked at Ikora. "So I learned how to wield a sword by myself, I also eavesdrop at the Temple for their sword classes," Nero said, in honesty. Ikora didn't say anything as she gently pushes him back down and tucked him in again.

"It's your sword. Name it whatever you want it to be." Ikora smiled at Nero. "Goodnight, Nero," Ikora said, as she walked away. Nero laid there as he looked up at the stars. Nero looked at the moon and then to his sword. He smiled and made up his mind.

"Lunar Queen," Nero said, as he drifted to sleep. The metal wolf head on the sword made a low sound as its eyes glowed blue for a split second and it died down. Almost like accepting it's new name.

Off to the distance into some mountains in the west, a man was dressed in heavy armor looking at the tallest mountain. His face was covered by the shadow of the mountain as he looked up. The armored man turned around and walked away.

"I finally found you, Taranis; former demon king of the East." The armored man said as he faded into the shadows.

Let me know what you think of this and previous chapter. Have a good day!