"I have nothing, in all my centuries teaching my sisters, I have never seen anything like this," Madonna was as confused as anyone else.
Once again Utsuki was completely engulfed in flames. Ruby and Yukari had explained what had been going on previously, even though they weren't sure of what was going on, they felt better that the "Witch of War" didn't either.
"So, you aren't used to anyone going human torch. Hey, 'Suki, you're a trailblazer," Machiko was actually enjoying the sight.
"Machiko, you aren't helping with the cheesy pun. I don't like this, it's making my hair go frizzy. Plus I don't think my deodorant is going to hold up," Utsuki's attitude regarding being a bonfire was a testament to how well she had adapted to her enviroment.
Madonna sighed as she took another look at the sight, "Miss 'Suki, what are you feeling right now? What are the exact emotions?"
"Nervousness, determination, embarrassment," the last word being much quieter.
"I see, take all the clothing off the upper portion of your body," the woman's request shocked everyone.
The flames ceased as Utsuki gaped, "What, wah, wha... Why?"
"So it isn't the embarrassment causing it. Still, take it off, it will make sense in a second. Besides, all the men are elsewhere. The butler was sent to deal with errands in the city, Mr. and Mrs Aono have gone somewhere themselves, and Tekeshi is most likely being brutalized by Tomoe at the moment. Rougar has little care, and shouldn't be considered in this case. Now remove the clothing," Madonna didn't leave any room for argument in her words.
Utsuki complied, though as slowly as she could. It wasn't that she cared if other women saw her topless, it was the fact that she was outside. Once she had her camisole off she crossed her arms over her breasts. Madonna simply stepped up, forced her arms down by her side, and pressed two fingers in the valley between the young girls breasts.
"I want you to concentrate on the pressure of my fingers, and at the same time think of something that makes you nervous. Nothing, so it isn't nervousness. Gather your determination and focus it at my fingers. Again nothing. Search in your mind, what else is there?"
Utsuki closed her eyes, and then took a breath as she did her best to ignore the breeze tickling her nipples. She killed the determination in her mind, ignored the embarrassment and nerves. What was left? The only other thing on her mind was, "Tekeshi."
"I see. That is a strong, burning emotion. I don't think you quite see it, but it is for you to learn yourself, not for me to teach. However the flame under my fingers show that is it. Put the thoughts away for now, and you can get dressed," Madonna spoke low enough that only the younger woman could hear her.
As Utsuki got dressed she started questioning why she was thinking of Tekeshi. As she thought about it she realized that he wasn't just living rent free in her head, he was starting to rule the place. Maybe it was just the fact that he was really her first friend, at least first male friend. In all her life there hadn't been a guy that didn't have some sort of ulterior motive that involved her panties around her ankles. Tekeshi wasn't like that though, in fact he made it clear that if any of those type of guys tried to touch, they were going to lose fingers. Strangely enough, if she really thought about it, the thought of him and her panties around her ankles at the same time didn't bother her.
"Miss 'Suki, please come back to us. We need to continue if you don't mind coming out of your own little world."
Utsuki started and nodded, "I'm sorry, I just got lost in my thoughts for a second."
Madonna raised an eyebrow, "A second, right. I was trying to wake you up for ten minutes now. I don't know what kind of thoughts you were lost in, but it is time for the lecture portion.
Now. From talking to Miss Ruby and Miss Yukari I have a bit of an idea about how magic works for them. They also explained how it worked for vampires and other monstrum they knew about. One thing they have in common is what they have been calling an activator. Maiden Demona do not have such. We don't use any kind of wand that projects our power We don't make any gestures, or snap our fingers. For us we simply project our will.
Do not make any mistake, we did not gain the name "Witch of War" idly. We are weapons, and our powers cannot afford to be delayed as such. If we need that soldier over there to drop dead of a heart attack right then so he doesn't crack an ally's skull, we can't wait, we simply impose our will. To do such, we require extreme mental discipline. Complicating that is one problem. We get sexually excited from witnessing combat, and actually take some relief of it from engaging in combat.
To explain this better. If you were to watch real combat, you know that the purpose is that one or more people will be buried afterward, you would begin to have feelings of lust, a desire to participate. If you were to pick up a weapon and then join the fight, it would be as if you engaged in coitus, very satisfying coitus. Given you are more familiar with the modern I can actually use such information with you. Actually taking action will start flooding your endocrine system with adrenaline, serotonin, and endorphins. Similar to the effects of engaging in penetrative sex with a very energetic partner. I can see that you are still not understanding. I am not really used to talking to women that are still maidens in this regard. We will come back to this at a later time."
"Thank you," Utsuki was no longer pale, rather a very interesting shade of crimson from her embarrassment
Yukari however had questions, "So I take it that at one point any of your number that were not cloistered as they are now quite possibly were rather promiscuous in order to deal with this nature? How were pregnancies dealt with, if they are possible?"
"Ah, yes. I remember them mentioning that you were a psychiatric and medical doctor. Those of us that have severed our connecting to time, are barren. Many of my sisters are rather sensitive of such, and I would really suggest not bringing it up in the presence of Anne. However any that were still connected would be capable, and have had children. There is a possibility that you have ancestors who were born to my sisters. It would depend on the woman herself though. Until they sever their connection to time, their lifespan is not much different from a normal humans, maybe a decade or two longer than most.
Many remarried if they could, or would become prostitutes. In fact many were camp followers, it gave them access to fight, and to men who had little care that they were the ones being used. Now I haven't discussed it very often though I believe you will have more interest, warlocks. I know that warlock is a term still in use, for a male witch that is more, darkly inclined. As would be expected, men are much stronger affected. Women tend to being more powerful, however we are still women, and in most cases not as physically capable of resisting a warlock who has lost control of himself. At one point there were warlocks among my order, though they were exiled due to actions they took in a long absence of mine. I do not know if any of them still live, though I do not expect they do."
"So the binding doesn't change the binder's physical nature majorly," Ruby's question was accompanied by a raised eyebrow.
Madonna took a look of trying to figure out the best explanation, "Miss 'Suki if trained in combat, would be superior to most men of similar size and somewhat larger. Were she to face a trained soldier the size of that, what is his name? He is rather famous in the movies. Ah yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Honestly, she would be superior to most body builders given that their musculature is not well suited to anything practical. An actual strongman competitor would outclass her completely. A warlock would quite likely be nearly impossible to stop physically, with only the strongest of humans, or something approaching a vampire in physical strength capable of such.
Your average slave contract, or a typically binding contract does not allow such. A typical slave contract, which is very difficult to achieve, would only bind the demon and allow the magical ability to be used. The slave contracts that we hold are more visceral due to our emotions when we form it. We aren't looking for the magic, we are wanting to change ourselves into weapons. We want to take from the demon's strength and make it our own. Even with a powerful demon, though, there is only so much our bodies can endure. I have seen a sister try to take beyond what her body could handle. I, helped her end things due to the pain she suffered afterwards, not to mention that she could not even leave her bed due to the crippling of her body."
"So, one must be careful regardless of how strong they are. What are you able to do to help with these, I believe, Dibea, mentioned something about "Battlelust", feelings so that you would be able to function in regular society," Yukari found the lecture fascinating, which was surprising nobody.
"Yes, that is important, and something we will need to start working on before we even start working on how to perform magic. We must keep strong disciplined minds, or we not only lose to our urges, but we become unable to enforce our will. Meditation is a major component of our lifestyle, as is self pleasure to a degree, and even some of my sisters engage in relations with each other. Falling in love has been known in the past to help, but I would not guarantee it. Isolation is a major part of our order, and it has taken centuries for even a few to be able to leave. Anne and Tomoe, have achieved such, while Dibea truly should not have left. However I will be working with her individually as well.
Those of my sisters that like myself have the fortune to be bound with a male demon have it easier at times when the urges start to grow out of control. Penetrative sex has shown to be able to have the greatest results in calming them, and regular sessions help control. This has posed issues in the past, especially after the exile of the warlocks."
Utsuki was starting to literally release steam off her body at this point, "Mother Madonna, can we please stop talking about this. I'm not even old enough to do any of that. I am still a minor."
"Huh, how old are you?"
"I'm fifteen. I still have a little over two years before those days," she didn't even know how to feel right then.
"Fifteen, I was married by the time I was nine. Of course that was multiple millennia ago, maybe the societal norms have shifted heavily. Still, to me, you are actually an old maid. My parents couldn't wait until the first month I bled so that they could marry me off," Madonna wasn't real concerned at that point.
Tekeshi was afraid.
Tomoe was sadistic.
For two hours now the Onni-musha had been straight up pounding away at the defenses of the vampire. That was all he could do at that, defend. The gap in skill was about to annihilate him. He couldn't even comprehend where her strikes were going to come from as he brought Jakkasu around to intercept the woman's tachi once again.
His arms ached horribly. He knew that he was going to start losing feeling in them soon, but that would have been a relief. All he could focus on was making sure she didn't accidentally kill him. Even the fact that she was stripped to the waist with only bindings covering her chest didn't keep his attention.
"Enough for now. You have incredible ability at defense. That is good, the odachi is slow in attack due its size. However it can be used to control the distance between you and your opponent until a decisive strike presents itself," the demonic woman said as she replaced the top of her kimono.
Tekeshi was breathing hard as he observed her, "How are you able to keep up that pace, but not even be slightly winded from it? I can barely feel my arms now. I would hate to see you trying to kill someone."
"I am trying to kill you. How else would you ever learn if your life was not on the line," the woman said smoothly with a demure smile on her face.
"WHAT? I did not agree to get killed. I just want to improve my abilities. Who honestly trains someone like that?"
"All Onni-musha were trained like that. If we were not strong enough, we did not survive. Most were daughters of other Onni-musha, very few like myself not born to one were strong enough to make it. I do not want to kill you, but I will do my best so that you develop into the greatest swordsman that you can become. I will do my best to kill you though, so you better start learning fast and hard."
"What style of sword is that even?"
"Style? I believe that you are mistaken on something. All these "styles" or "schools" are worthless. They have pretty movements, but they fall short on the battlefield. I am teaching you to trust yourself and your sword. I am training you on how to react when someone wants your head. I am not training you to put on a display. I am training you to be a swordsman."
Tekeshi was confused, "But there so many schools, surely there is something to it?"
"For every school that exists now, there are thirty that were annihilated by shinobi and and the battlefield. I do not even want to fathom how many came and went in my life. Even before I bound Yltoun, there were dozens. Most are lost to history, forgotten as they deserved. On the battlefield, only learning to survive matters."